Like a shoe that wouldn't drop, I have been poised to write about the Raja for some time. It is a well-known Indian Restaurant and Take-Away at 224 High Street, a business which has been established there for a long time. Many people in the top end of the High Street and the Village get their Indian take-ways from the Raja. This evening, a Friday, when I walked past on the way back from a visit to a local pub, it was empty of eat-in diners.

I have picked up the menu however and am able to affirm that they still do free delivery, though this is on orders over £14, which is a bit more than the £9.50 minimum at the Bengal Curry House, which services the other St James's Street end of the High Street, but which will deliver throughout Walthamstow.

The empty Raja was a bit of a surprise given that they offer vouchers for a 15% discount for eating in. Maybe the recession really is biting hard.

So, for those of us who are not eating out in restaurants these days, the Raja offers an Onion Bhajee at £1.60 as a starter, Vegetable Pakuras, Tandoori Chicken or Aloa chat at £2.50, and the usual range of curries: a basic Chicken Curry is £3.70, Chicken Madras, £3.80, Chicken Vindaloo £3.85 and Chicken Dupiaza for £3.95. They also offer a chicken curry dish called a Chicken Kashmir, (which for some reason contains banana) for £3.95.

Like many places, they offer a thing called a 'meat' curry, which they go through the usual range from curry, starting at £3.80 up to a 'meat pall (extra hot) at £4.50. This may contain lamb.

The rice to go with these would cost an additional £1.60 for plain rice, £1.75 for Pilaow, with various additives up to £2.95 for a Prawn Pilaow.

The Piloaw rice comes inclusive with the Dansak dishes, chicken costing £5.50, and dishes such as Meat Sali, at £5.80.

Their menu offers a range of fish dished, though most of these are prawn. They do have a Fish Bhoona and a Tandoori Trout for £5.95.

Compared with the Bengal, their vegetable side dishes are a bit more pricey, the Sagh Ponir at Raja costing £2.95 compared with the standard the Bengal charges for all such sides £2.15. Most at the Raja are £2.20. They do pip the Bengal on the cost of some bread breads, a being 10p cheaper for Peshwari Nan at £1.65, and a Chapati costing 95p compared with the £1.05 at the Bengal. Plain Nans cost the same at both places at £1.40.

On Tuesdays and Wednesdays they offer the eat in experience of a gourmet night, when people can choose a Starter, Main dish, Side Dish, Rice and Nan for £8.95, or have the same combinations without the Nan for a pound less. There is an extra charge of £2.50 for ordering duck, mixed grill, king prawn or trout as part of it.

The Raja is willing to cater for comedians, selling dishes like Fried Chicken and Chips at £4.25 or a Plain Omlette for £2.95, for those who fancy some bland.

Raja is open 7 days a week from 5.30pm to midnight. Tel 0208 520 2927 or 0208 520 7597. Next door to Darussalam bookshop.