From
Regular
Contributor
John Ross
Cardo Slatter is one of the most famous names in the restaurant business in Fiji and has a long string of successes behind him.
Cardo has done enough and is in the nice position where he could retire. But the boy from Flagstaff is not one to want to sit back and do nothing.
He has now launched a new restaurant business near the Denarau Island tourism mecca. His new addition is fast becoming one of the in places in Nadi. And yet another Cardo business success story.
Cardo started his restaurant career in Suva where he spent some time working for others until he decided that he could do better by himself.
He worked hospitality stints in the Mamanucas for the likes of ‘Uncle Dan Costello” and Reg Raffe, who were pioneers of the trade in the islands .
He gained great prominence with his famous Cardo’s Steak House in the lane just behind McDonalds in Suva.
This became a mecca for steak lovers and a legend grew up about Cardo’s grandfather being shipwrecked in the Koro Sea with a whole boatload of magnificent cattle .
They were some unkind suggestions that Cardo might have started this legend.
Cardo was one of the first people to see the potential in Denarau and he built and operated the Wet Mongoose restaurant and Bar, where the Port Denarau Marina is now.
When the Denarau shopping complex was being built Cardo moved in and grabbed the best site there.
His business has now been operating on this site for over 17 years and is world famous. His children have now grown up and are very involved in the business so Cardo decided to start a new venture.
And, typical of Cardo, it was something new.
Cardo owns a large piece of land close to Denarau, on the road in, where he had been selling imported terracotta pots for a number of years.
It is right opposite to the proposed site for the Casino, another bit of Cardo good luck. So he built a restaurant from the ground up.
It’s called the Bombay Curry House and Beer Garden and it is fast becoming the in place for the local Nadi and Denarau residents.
The food is an extensive choice of Indian dishes with a specialty of goat curry. His Rogan Josh is also getting rave reviews.
There is a full menu of condiments and a nice range of Nan, freshly baked to order. A new innovation is a pizza wood fired oven with a range of typical Indian tastes to choose from. Again, all pizzas are freshly baked to order.
The Curry House will also let you choose the degree of heat you want in your curry, ranging from mild to “you’ve got to be joking”.
The drinks list is surprisingly well priced with a Fiji Bitter long neck at just $6.00. Cardo has a well thought out wine list and again the prices are sensible.
Mains start from $15.00 with the top mark of $25.00. Most people comment on the reasonable prices and the high quality of the food.
There is an indoor dining room and a very large outdoor verandah with timber trestle tables and bench seating.
There is also a nice open-air cocktail bar and there is heaps of free parking. The whole restaurant has the Cardo touch of quality and price.
You can also spend a couple of hours with friends in the beer garden and not be asked to order food.
In summary, a really good place if you are an Indian food lover. It comes with friendly atmosphere and good service.
nJohn Ross is a prominent Nadi-based advertising and marketing specialist