The Village “Curry House” (119 West St., Tradeston, Glasgow G5 8BA) have been promoting the addition of Peri-Peri Chicken to their menu. There is even added exterior signage, Mr. Baig, Mein Host, is taking this seriously.
Peri-Peri Chicken is available on every high street, now as common as Donner Kebap. This was not always the case.
Nando’s was established in the UK in 1992. Back in 1994, in a previous life, Hector was marched to their second outlet in Earl’s Court, then Camden Town as the business blossomed. No cutlery, no plates, one ate from the greaseproof wrapper, the only way to eat Chicken. In the first days of Curry-Heute, after an arduous day on a mountain, Marg treated Hector to Peri-Peri Chicken. It is written in these pages – Nando’s, NOT a Curry!
Marg and Hector arrived at The Village just before 14.00, the waitress greeted with a smile, she has been here long enough to recognise us. Mr. Baig, Archie, acknowledged us as we passed his office.
You have advertised it, we have try it.
As it happened, there is no new menu, the waitress had to recite the options.
Quarter Chicken, with either one or two Sides.
Half Chicken … ditto.
No mention of the Peri-Peri Chicken Rice Bowl (£4.50).
What are the Sides?
Rice, Peri-Peri Chips, Salad.
For Marg, a quarter Chicken with Salad and Chips.
For Hector, half Chicken with Rice and Salad.
Hector rarely orders Chips, after a few, boring. And Mayo is a must.
Spice Level, now we’re talking.
Mild, Lemon Herbs, Spicy – is how I heard heard it.
Lemon Herbs for Marg, Spicy for Hector.
A jug of tap water completed the Order. Today, no taste of bleach. New glasses.
A familiar face in the kitchen acknowledged our presence. He has to be the elder brother of Mehran and Kasif.
Coming to The Village, and not having Curry, the things one does for Curry-Heute. I note that specialist Chefs are being sought. The wait was appropriate.
Quarter Chicken, Salad, Chips
The Peri-Peri Chips covered a third of the plate. Suitably dusted with Paprika (?), one assumes frozen Chips, another reason why Hector avoids them. Can people not peel Potatoes any more?
Two pots of Dips, I assumed Raita was one, it turned out to be Garlic Mayo, the other pot was a Spicier Mayo. A fine accompaniments for the Chips.
The Salad, again with a dusting of Spice, was Tomato, Cucumber and Onion.
Marg commented on the size of her Chicken leg, larger than Nando’s. Comparisons with Nando’s have to be made, they set the standard.
Marg: We did not wait long. My Quarter Chicken was the leg, and I was able to pick up the joint and eat all the chicken off the bone. The lemon was sharp but the herb did not stand out.
My Salad was full of onion, chopped tomatoes and sliced cucumber. A refreshing side to go with my Peri-Peri Chips They were hot, and I was able to dip them into the two sauces. I preferred the white mayo with garlic I would have preferred my chicken to have been hotter in temperature. Well I didn’t mean it to be spicier. An enjoyable change.
Half Chicken, Rice, Salad
I had to wait for the Salad and so was staring at the mass of Rice for quite some time.
The standard Pilau at The Village, no bits, not that exciting. I always have Mushroom Rice (£3.95). Nando’s serve a Spicy Rice, dare I write – with Capsicum.
But – Nando’s is NOT a Curry!
When the Salad arrived, a proper plateful. The Mayo would work well with the elements of the Salad, but Rice and Mayo? Not for the Hector.
Cutlery abandoned, time for the Chicken. Lightly grilled, minimal burnt extremities. The Chicken itself was superior to anything had at Nando’s in recent times. Larger, more moist, initially at least. This had to be Halal Chicken, it makes a difference.
Blindfolded, I would have picked this out as Nando’s, the same Spicy, Citrus Flavour, but below the – Black Flag- Spice Level.
The Day Manager Adam (?) came over to check on our progress.
It does taste of Nando’s. We have a tradition, at Nando’s, Marg pays, in Curry Houses, I pay.
He’s paying – Marg interjected.
As is always the case with Chicken, the skin had been impregnated, what lay below was just – white Meat. The limitations of this agenda were now exposed.
There is no such thing as a Chicken Curry – has been written oft in Curry-Heute. In terms of absorbing Flavour, all is superficial, lets get technical. Chicken, the Meat, is made of tightly packed muscle cells, so marinades penetrate only a few millimetres. At the molecular level, Salt excepted, the compounds which give Herbs and Spices their Flavour, are too large to diffuse into the Meat. Scoring can increase the surface area, constant basting is therefore required to make any impression. So it goes.
The denouement: at Nando’s one can help oneself to bottles of Peri-Peri Sauce at ones preferred level of Spice. Today, this was missing. For half of my meal I had Plain Chicken and Plain Rice. Mayo and Rice was not what I sought when I came in for Peri-Peri Chicken.
The Bill
£20.00 Now we can see the prices.
The Aftermath
As we paid, Archie, came over to ask for a verdict.
Can I make a suggestion?
Archie instructed the waitress to grab a pad.
He has been coming here for thirty years, take a note – one Mayo, one Peri-Peri.
Mr. Baig assured me that the composition of the Rice is under review. He appreciates that it needs something more.
This was confirmed.
But then, this wasn’t Curry, so The Curry-Heute Campaign could be relaxed in this instant.
Tharas Takeaway (55 Woodlands Rd., Glasgow G3 6ED) opened in 2025, it was Curryspondent Stewart who informed Hector that there are two tables. As with the comparable 
Fish Curry was confirmed, but what to have with it? Anticipating a Curry way more Soupy than Desi-Punjabi fayre, I enquired about the Masala. The serving chap seemed to suggest that there was a degree of flexibility, however, the Hector was keen to establish the Tharas norm. Boiled Rice (£3.00) was deemed to be the better option.
I was given a glass and returned to my seat. Water was on the table already, so unlike 
A full twenty minutes plus had passed before I was summoned to the counter. No table service.
Two bits of Fish were decanted from the dark, somewhat viscous, Masala. The interior of the Fish would be revealed as white. Rohu/Carp was my best guess. The bone content would prove to be significant, this would not be easy eating.
Both Onion strips and larger blobs of Onion had a major presence in the Masala. Whole Green Chillies, Onion Seeds and Curry Leaves were in there too. Quite a busy Masala.
With still no sign of the Chef-server, how to announce 
How time passes,
During the thirty minutes of chilling, the ingredients for the
For once, maybe, the Hector would stick to the precise measurements given in 
Whilst the 
This afternoon, I phoned 
Are you sitting in or Takeaway? – I was asked both by the serving chap and a customer in the queue. 
Wendy appeared with two large platefuls of Vegetable Pakora. These had been fetched from 
Peter had prepared Boiled Rice in the traditional way, i.e. a pot. For this I congratulate him, the Hector has never achieved this quality of outcome. A microwave Rice cooker is simpler, and always gives the desired outcome.
Sweet Potato, Chickpea, Tomato, a Vegetable Cury. Chana, I do not rush to, and this is certainly the first time Sweet Potato has appeared in these pages. Not a vegetable the Hector has ever purchased. There’s a simple reason for that.
There was but a threat of Spice, the Seasoning was low. Flavour, still waiting.
When cooking for company, one has to cater for the lowest common denominator, else, one isolates a Baby Curry portion. Kim cannot tolerate Spice, so it goes. 
The Oil took me by surprise. The Masala had separated, a bit of stirring required. The Lamb was on-the-bone in part, as ever Marg’s magic spoon would find the Boneless Lamb.
For Hector, let loose on a mass of Lamb Curry, and having deliberately limited the intake of this Meat in recent times, a challenge. Two pieces of Lamb and the Esophageal Dysphagia struck again. At least there was a Doctor to hand, a proper one for a change.
At the end of 2022,
Arriving at 14.15, we walked through the impressive reception area and were greeted at the entrance to the vast dining room. Mein Host was sitting at a table, busy on his laptop, and with his back to the door. Maybe later. We were taken to a table in the extreme far right corner of the room. Not much of a view for Marg, but perfect for 
Hector to spot the wean whose parents were happy to have it bang a spoon on the table for as long as its heart desired. Beyond, another family group with three weans, who of course improvised some running events, more appropriate for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games. The time of day for a family outing then, beware.
Spinach Paratha and Keema Paratha were Hector’s Bread choices. Limp, not flaky, already past their best, if indeed they ticked all the 
Next a Potato Curry which took me by surprise: Aloo Achari with its distinctive blast of Pickle. This I most certainly liked.
Across the table, Marg had helped herself to the Keema Paratha and the Cheese Paratha. The latter was certainly the least oily of the array. Marg reported minimal Cheese. Marg’s selection of Sides also included the Keema Aloo plus Chana, the Chickpea Curry, plus the Daal and Tarka options. She also took the Anda Bhurji, essentially Scrambled Eggs. This was mentioned in dispatches, and so when Hector went up to fetch a further Soupçon, this was sampled along with the Cheese Paratha. 
Marg: 
textures, and the Aloo Dish had a spicy tomato sauce. The Scrambled Egg had an interesting taste and was very enjoyable. The crispy onions (Tarka) were an ideal accomplishment, along with the Raita-yoghurt. My only regret with the buffet was that everything was cold. I did manage to go up for two fresh pieces of Paratha which were piping hot. I like my food hot. To end the meal I had the Karak Chai with no sugar which was the perfect ending to this experience. 
I had to agree with Marg re the lack of impact made by the Cheese Paratha. This is not a – go-to – Bread for Hector. I recall the first exposure to a Cheese Naan courtesy of the staff at 
A waiter came over to advise it was – last orders: the Chai & Paratha Buffet ends at 15.00.
The head waiter came over to greet, sticking very much to his script – so proud and happy to have us – evidently being his stock phrase This, we had heard already, as he served the two chaps at the next table. They were dining a la carte. He made it clear that the elements of the Buffet would remain available until we had finished eating.
With nothing else of significance happening today, and the Hector left to his own devices, why not cook? 
The array of Spices a la 
And so, in went the Lamb on-the-bone.
Two more ingredients: Garam Masala and Yoghurt, before the grand moment: adding the fresh Coriander.
Dark, Thick, a splendid Masala in terms of appearance. I have admired this consistency of Masala for decades but have rarely manage to produce it.
In terms of Flavour, three distinct sources: Star Anise, Clove and Pickle, maybe to this, add a hint of Smokiness from the Black Cardamom. A combination of intense Flavours. I wonder how many could endure this? 
Today’s Holden Tour took us Moorthorpe and Chin Chin Brewing. On realising that our train would go via Wakefield, it was decreed that
Dr. Stan, Howard and Hector entered 
Poppadoms (£0.95)? – asked the waitress.
The Order relayed, Habib was back over to catch up. Photos of previous visits, masks and all, were produced. Gagan, the head waitress this evening, was also keen to see them. 
Hot plates were brought to the table at 19.26, the food arrived momentarily.
A Lemon slice, Bullet Chillies, and almost sprigs of Coriander topped the mass of Fish Curry. The Spinach, having been a bespoke addition, prevented the presentation of a Herb Mash. With Tomato strewn through the Masala, such as it was, a most inviting Curry.
Hot food, minimal Oil – were my first tasting notes, followed by – big Spice, Seasoning might be more. However, with – Fishiness – to the fore, this was exactly what I sought. Even with the added Herb, this remained very much a Fish Karahi.
Having finished – yay!- and celebrated my Curry with Habib, I added:
In terms of appearance, almost indistinguishable from the Karahi Fish, the Prawns were well embedded. Larger pieces of Onion were the tell, Howard likes – Big Onions. 
A Soupçon of the Fishy Masala crossed the table – wow! Tonight, Howard had won the watch.
Fish Curry features a few times when I go out. Over the years there have been good ones most notably 
The abundance of Meat then Minimal Masala, put this Karahi firmly in the 
Interesting Vegetable mixed in. As a fan of Aloo Gobi, I appreciate the extent to which Cauliflower can absorb Flavours from a Masala in addition to giving off its own. Dr. Stan was happy with his choice:
The Bill
Curry in the small hours at 
We entered 
The days of Hector being recognised by the staff, and receiving the red carpet treatment, have long gone. The transfer of ownership, and changing staff front of house, means that Hector is just another punter. Once upon a time, Omar served Steve and Hector 
The portion was substantial. Defeat stared us in the face from the outset. With nowhere to take the surplus, it was a matter of doing as much justice as we could. One may ask why a Hector, who has been avoiding such quantities of Lamb for the last few months, was talked into this. It was a case of not letting Colin down. This is Colin’s first appearance in 
The Seasoning in this Lamb Balti was off the scale, yet this Curry was certainly not Salty, the epitome of Karrah! The powerful Masala had fully penetrated the Meat. Sucky Bones had added their marrow to the mix. A well pitched Spice Level, not demanding, enough. 
Colin – good thick Curry, fair size portion, as well the balance of flavours. Was well done, nice and rich, with a medium chilli heat. Textures were also good, as were the Naan and Chapattis. The Curry was a little oily and was down to the Lamb either not been cooked long enough, or not of high quality; almost like it might have been a Staff Curry for the next shift. In the Chef’s defence, they didn’t expect someone asking for Desi at midnight.
It was downhill to our respective accommodation. Worryingly, we have an early rise in what will still be – this morning. Welcome to
Breakfast at 23.00, hardly ideal, this was very much at the end of a dislocated day. Having had
Unsurprisingly, there was only a handful of customers. The staff were watching the match on a device behind the counter. 
This year’s 
The 
As ever Poppadoms were declined, and none arrived. The halcyon of Khalid and Ali have long gone. 
This was a classic Dry – 
There was a big 
A different waiter offered to pack what was left, but with nowhere to take it, this would have been pointless. The appetite simply was not there. Six hours previously, this Curry would have been wolfed down. Across the table, Howard was similarly struggling. We had become so hungry, our appetites had vanished.
Four large Lamb Chops, plus additional pieces of boneless Lamb, sat in quite a Soupy Masala, the texture of which Hector rarely achieves in his 
Over to Howard:
My heart wasn’t in it. Any comments on my Curry at 
Brunch in 
A Modest Salad with pot of Raita was brought to the table, along with a carafe of chilled water. A rehydration break duly followed.
Josh had plant
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A manageable plate of Mince with more Masala than expected. Spot the Mushrooms. Once uncovered, they were not abundant, and could well have been tinned.
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