Scooping the prestigious title of “takeaway of the year” at The Nation’s Curry Awards was just the latest accolade for the Masala Bay team in Herne Bay High Street.

Last month they secured yet another nomination in the same category – this time at the English Curry Awards – having won the gong in the previous two years.

In short, this curry house is one of the most revered by its peers – and the customers agree, with an impressive 4.5 star rating on Tripadvisor.

One enthusiastic reviewer on the site deems it to be “not just the best Indian food in Herne Bay but the best in the whole wide world”. High praise indeed.

As a pair of curry lovers, my partner and I were keen to try this unassuming takeaway, just a stone’s throw away from the seafront.

With a quick phone call, Monday night is sorted. In a slightly-crushing blow though, I’m not in the delivery area so I slip my Crocs on and make my way to Masala Bay.

When I arrive, I only have to wait for a matter of minutes for my feast.

The red paint that adorns the walls is comforting and clean – and during my short wait, I count at least 10 trophies or framed certificates hanging from the walls, all celebrating the eatery’s achievements.

The food is piping hot when I leave and, rather miraculously, is still slightly too warm to immediately tuck in to by the time I get home 20-or-so minutes later.

Our two curries, a chicken tikka masala and a chicken patia, amount to £20 and rather curiously come in a pre-packaged container.

Many will flinch at my selections – after all, Fat Les didn’t sing about Vindaloo for nothing – but I decide a milder option offers the best chance of enjoying the meal as a whole.

Everything else, the vegetable samosas, the rice (including a bonus pilau), the garlic naan, come in the bog-standard takeaway boxes.

Regardless, every dish is presented as a hearty portion and there’s more than enough to go around. The extra serving of pilau rice they gave us proved to be overkill.

The tikka masala is creamy, well-seasoned and aromatic. My teeth tear through the chicken with little resistance, the sign of a job well done.

The egg fried rice, whilst not totally in the spirit of the true Indian takeaway, is genuinely satisfying. It’s cooked to perfection and gets the ratio of rice and other ingredients just right.

The garlic naan delicately teases its savoury and sweet undertones, each bite offering a variety of flavour to complement the sauce.

The pastry of the samosas is crusty and clean, with the vegetables inside slightly tangy and boasting their deliciousness.

Each flavour combines to create a well-balanced, versatile dance for the taste buds, embracing the spices and tastes generations before me have experienced.

I try a bit of the patia too and I’m pleasantly surprised. It’s sweet with a nice kick of spice.

My partner is a harsher critic than I, branding it “oily” and calls the chicken “hit or miss”.

I’m not sure I agree with that sentiment and by the end of it all I’m adequately satisfied – which brings its own mini-dilemma.

For something that has been nationally commended for its taste and authenticity, it’s not blown me away.

It’s hard to argue with the catalogue of awards that the Curry Gods have bestowed upon Masala Bay year after year. The industry experts can’t all be wrong, can they?

And by no means is this a takeaway struggling to separate their cumin from their coriander – these guys know what makes a good meal.

But based on the high hopes I placed upon Masala Bay, perhaps unfairly so, the Monday night meal has left me wanting a bit more.

Make no mistake though, this isn’t a bad review. I enjoyed the food and I’m glad I tried it. If you’re looking for a classic takeaway curry – there’s no doubt this place does the job.

Food: To call it the best Indian takeaway in the country feels a stretch but it was a good, warm, tasty meal ****

Drink: There was a decent selection at a price you’d expect to see from a takeaway – but I’d be inclined to buy my own at one of the many corner shops nearby ***

Decor: Considering it’s a takeaway, all I want is for it to be clean and look neat. They ticked both of these off, and a bonus point for the sheer number of awards they’ve got on show ****

Staff: Our limited interaction was perfectly pleasant and they got the order right which is more than can be said for some of the takeaways in Kent ****

Price: Two curries, two lots of rice, three samosas, a side of Bombay potatoes and a garlic naan for £35.60 is not to be sniffed at. Not far off a meal for family-of-four territory here *****