Royal Guard Fish & Chips & More

It is impossible to pigeonhole the restaurant called Royal Guard Fish & Chips & More, located on Main Street in Danbury, Connecticut, next to a car wash. It is connected to Royal Guard Fish & Chips in nearby Stamford, and based on the name and general outside appearance, you might peg it as a common fast food alternative to KFC and/or Long John Silver’s. Two things make the picture more interesting as soon as you walk in the door: the extreme cleanliness of the place, more spotless than any franchise I’ve ever seen; and the swirling aromas of cardamom, coriander, cumin, tamarind, and spices for curry.

The menu does offer “authentic English fish & chips” as well as fried chicken and hot wings, and they looked nice on other people’s plates. But in the heart of Danbury, where a majority of restaurants are now Central and South American, who can resist the curiosity of clay oven-cooked sheikh kabob? Or chicken biryani? Or a pair of big samosas? Or a fine, wide naan flatbread brushed with butter and sprinkled with sesame seeds? The subcontinental meals I have had are terrific: freshly made, radiant with spice and packing a quotient of pepper that is hot but not nearly lethal. Portions are very big and prices are low. You’ll be hard-pressed to spend much more than $10 for a meal.

Don’t expect any of the exotic ambiance to be found in the higher-tone Indian and Pakistani restaurants of Fairfield County. To set the mood, the wall is decorated with a single picture of a high-hatted Yoeman of the Royal Guard. A large portion of business is take-out, but a handful of bare-topped tables provide a comfy place to dine while looking out the window and watching dirty cars in line waiting to be washed.