TALES of how good the food is at The Eye Of The Tiger are rife across Bournemouth. In fact one local entrepreneur enjoyed it so much that when he went on a business trip to Japan in 1995, he had a takeaway from the restaurant flown out to him - at the cost of a cool £3,000.

The same happened again in 1998, when Scottish football fans phoned through an order from Bordeaux, so they could enjoy their favourite curry before watching their team draw against Norway in the World Cup.

It's headline-grabbing stories like these that have given The Eye Of The Tiger a solid reputation when it comes to Indian cuisine.

However, it has been a while since anyone asked for a curry to be flown out to them, so has the restaurant gone off the boil?

Well, the service would suggest not.

The staff were extremely friendly and welcoming when my pal and I wandered in last week, and we even shared a few jokes at the bar with them.

Their joviality didn't come at the expense of efficiency though as our drinks order - two pints of Kingfisher - was dealt with promptly.

Once seated we perused the extensive menu, snacked on some papadams and made an unhurried decision about what to order.

I was lured by the meat thali - ideal if you don't like committing to one dish.

This veritable feast included tandoori chicken, lamb tikka, chicken tikka masala, vegetable curry, mixed yogurt, pillau rice and nan bread.

Meanwhile my friend ordered the lamb rogan josh, a garlic nan and pillau rice.

The food arrived promptly and the verdict was very good.

The thali offered a diverse range of flavours and textures and tasted like it had come straight from a Mumbai kitchen.

Meanwhile reports from the other side of the table were also complimentary - evidently the flavours and intensity of the dish were spot on.

That said we both agreed they could have been a tad spicier.

It's safe to say that The Eye Of The Tiger hasn't lost that je ne sais quoi, but would I have spent £3,000 having the food flown out to me?

Perhaps not. But I was more than happy to pick up the £42.90 tab for what was a phenomenal feast.