It was Eleanor who informed Hector at the start of the week of the Pharaoh’s Feast offer at the Nur Egyptian Restaurant (22 Bridge St., Glasgow, Glasgow City G5 9HR). A table was booked, sorted.
Hector arrived first and was offered a traditional table in the downstairs area or the Cushion-Seats upstairs. The latter felt more authentic. I was the only Customer, so far. Marg made her grand entrance by which time the was not convinced The Pharaoh’s Feast would be enough for two. Lamb Chops may be a necessary addition, but at £15.95? Just how many Lamb Chops for this?
Now this is not a Curry House, so why is the Nur appearing in Curry-Heute? They sell Kofta, Lamb Chops and Beef Curry. Falafel would also make an unexpected appearance too. Hector loves Falafel.
Having chosen the Kofta from the Starting choices, I let Marg choose the Main. Chicken and Potato. Que? Marg felt we would have enough Lamb. Que? The Waitress established the number of Chops, I was emphatic that the price was excessive but would give it a go. We both love Lamb Chops.
And so the various Bits started to arrive. The Kofta were flat and appeared to have been Grilled. In my recent trips to Egypt I have gone out of my way to avoid Restaurants that only sell grilled food. At least tonight our Meze would be varied. The Kofta were very Burger meets Frikadeller, Pleasant.
The accompanying Salad also included Grated Carrot, very Kibbutz-like, Olives too, even Cucumber and Radish.. The Lamb Chops numbered eight. They were decidedly Chunky compared to the standard set in a typical Curry House. All the Flavours emerged, Cumin, Coriander. These were Excellent Lamb Chops. The price still hurts.
The Bread was poor, too Crispy too soon.
Two very flat Falafel were brought with accompanying Dips. These were very Dry and nothing like the standard set in Tiveria. Tel Aviv old ‘New Bus Station’, the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem, and the man street in Tiberias are the locations Hector has devoured Falafel over the last thirty odd years. These were nothing like the Israeli versions so loved by Hector. Marg has never learned to appreciate any Falafel.
The Chicken and Potatoes stood proudly at the far end of our Feast. Marg was all for taking it home. Hector was still in Hungry Mode and so the Chicken was started.
Now regular Readers of Curry-Heute know that I would never order such a Dish, tonight proved why. The accompanying Sauce was pretty nondescript. Red, Mild, nothing to get excited about. The Potatoes were well done, and much appreciated. Hector likes Potato in his ‘Curry’. The Chicken was in quite large pieces. The interior was void of Flavour, the Texture far too Fibrous. This was Halal Chicken? In the end I had to give up. The required quantity of Saliva required to eat the Chicken could not be produced. Half the Chicken Dish and one Kofta went into The Doggy Bag.
The Bill
£39.94. Twice what I set out to spend. Did I mention how overpriced the Lamb Chops were? The Sparkling Water was also only available in small bottles.
The Aftermath
The Calling Card was presented but never made it to the Counter by the time we left. Pleasantries were exchanged. Marg reckons this would make a worthwhile venue to take Mother.