Hector dining in the Merchant City? It is nearly three years since Hector and Marg dined at The Dhabba, by invitation. Three new venues have opened in that time, Madha was reviewed in 2018, Swadish will have to wait. Tonight it is Green Gates Cafe (24 Candleriggs, Merchant City, Glasgow G1 1LD) following on from last week’s most enjoyable return to Green Gates (Renfrew). On our first visit to Green Gates, the staff told us of their plan to open a second restaurant, Gibson Street was mentioned, that would have completed Hector’s Curry Circle. Instead, it’s Candleriggs which may now have more Curry Houses than Gibson St. had back in its heyday.
I phoned to make a booking just in case the Candleriggs Cafe was going to be as busy as the mother restaurant was last week. My bid for 19.00 was accepted. We arrived a few minutes after.
Having used the hand gel at the door, we were greeted and asked to wait momentarily in the seated area to the immediate left. The premises are decidedly linear, tables down the right, bar on the left. I sneaked a photo of what was a busy restaurant for a Monday night, but then, how many of us were out for an extraordinary Monday night Curry courtesy of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme? Our table was the last on the right, Marg had the view of the restaurant, I could watch the activity in the kitchen.
All the serving staff wore face coverings, the sign in sheet was brought to the table. It seemed like a good idea to use our own gel having used the communal pen. Who always puts gel on their elbows? People initially laughed at my ritual, now they see the sense.
Two menus were brought, the – Tandoori & Healthy Menu – raised a smile. What? No gallons of Oil? The Main Menu has a section labelled – Curries – there’s a word the reader will struggle to otherwise find in Curry-Heute. Only the two Lamb Dishes: Lamb Kadhai (£11.95) and Rara Gosht (£11.95), what if they both featured the evil Capsicum, I would have to ask.
Having had the Butter Chicken (£10.95) at Renfrew last week, Marg was up for something different. Marg too found the Menu to be limited and so announced two Starters and no Main Course as her plan for the evening. Marg reckoned that she has not had Vegetable Pakora for some time, I assured her that it can be made at home, anytime. Veg Pakora (£5.50) it would be and Lamb Chops.
If Marg thought she was going to order Lamb Chops and not give me one she was very much mistaken. How many in a portion? Three has sadly become the standard. I suggested Marg take advantage of the – Tapas – portion, the Rara Gosht (£7.95) – small – came into play. However, the seed had been planted, Lagan Ki Chops (£8.95), Hector would have his Lamb Chops. Note the plural, also the price is double that charged at Akbar’s (Charing Cross).
Readers in Bradford should skip this paragraph to avoid apoplexy, those in Aberdoom may miss the point. A Tandoori Roti (£2.50) for Marg and a Naan (£2.95) would complete the food order. £2.50, for one Roti…
Just the one? – Hector is often asked in many a Glasgow Curry Cafe.
A Roti, it’s flour and water!
The order was taken for the litre bottle of Sparkling Water (£4.00), the young chap serving then admitted he could not answer my crucial question regarding the Lamb Kadhai, today was his first day. Mein Host stepped in.
On asking if the Lamb Kadhai had any Capsicum, green, yellow, or red Peppers, Hector was covering all eventualities, Marg jumped in with – it doesn’t matter if they are blended into the sauce…
What?
I was assured that none were present, Peppers were not used. The perfect answer. Hector will continue the fight to have this contaminant erased from all Curry recipes.
As we took our seats, I had noticed that a young girl had a little pot of (Spicy?) Tomato Soup before her. Hector Holmes deduced, wrongly as it turned out, that this complimentary offering which features at Green Gates (Renfrew) would be forthcoming. The complimentary Poppadoms and Spiced Onions which also featured last week in Renfrew did not appear either. That’ll be the Merchant City then.
The goblets, which are also a feature of Green Gates (Renfrew), were again on the table. This was Marg’s preferred vessel for the Sparkling Water.
Veg Pakora
Five pieces, a £ a piece, ouch. The garnish was accompanied by a Spicy Sauce more suitable for the Lamb Chops, we swopped. One piece came my way. I devoured it quickly, the Lamb Chops were waiting and so I did not study the composition. Marg mentioned – Cauliflower and Potato – which I challenged. Cauliflower in Vegetable Pakora? Not impossible, unlikely in a mix.
Quite filling, and doughy – was Marg’s verdict.
No Gram Flour, no Pakora.
Lagan Ki Chops
Three Lamb Chops, four is always better, someone has to lose out when sharing. The Chops were appreciably larger than the norm, even Akbar’s I’ll admit. Well cremated, Spiced and still succulent. Great Lamb Chops, – four would have been better. This may become a new Curry-Heute mantra.
The garnish is worth a comment. Marg took the Mint Sauce, not an accompaniment Hector would ever have with Lamb Chops, then wondered if it was Mint. Did it have Spinach? The Rice baffled, certainly not Basmati, maybe not even Rice, Barley was mooted. More Olives please, one is certainly never enough. Have I mentioned Lamb Chops at Akbar’s? … but then they sneak in Capsicum with the garnish.
For the record, we were asked by two different staff if we were enjoying our Starters.
Hard Acts To Follow
In recent Glasgow outings, Hector has had some outstanding Curry. Karahi Gosht is regarded as the – King of Curry – in Curry-Heute. DumPukht Lahori has been championed throughout Lockdown. Ambala are now serving up a Karahi Gosht which exceeds all previous expectations. Hector has been spoiled of late and so is trying to alternate Desi Curry with the – Mainstream, even Hector cannot live by Karahi alone.
The Naan was presented whole, always a plus. Marg remarked on the buttery sheen, it wasn’t Garlic, thankfully. Light and Fluffy, with suitable burnt blisters, Marg took a piece and said – Crispy. Maybe that bit, for Hector this was the perfect Naan. All but a tiny scrap was eaten, a sensible size then.
With the appearance of having Wholemeal Flour used in its creation, the Tandoori Roti was substantial in size and girth. Marg made short work of the Roti before coming to help out with the Naan:
Very crispy, and a good size for the portion (of Curry).
Lamb Kadhai
Served in a black kadhai/karahi, Ginger Strips and the tiniest sprinkling of finely chopped Coriander topped the Masala. The Oil was already collecting around the periphery of the kadhai, so a Curry certainly not from the – Healthy Menu. (smiley emoticon understood)
The blended Masala looked to be fairly standard in appearance, no mysterious Seeds to interpret. Eight large pieces of Meat were present, four of these would be halved, a decent portion.
The first dip of the Naan into the Masala provoked an unusual reaction, an – Oh!
This was different, unlike anything I have ever tasted, and thankfully nothing like my one and only Curry served a few years back at nearby Obsession of India. This Curry wasn’t nasty, it would just take a few mouthfuls to adjust to.
I decided it was – Clove – which was the dominant Flavour in this Curry. It is Cloves which give the Desi Curry served in Manchester the Flavour that relates to that city. There was nothing subtle about this Lamb Kadhai, this was – in your face. The taste-buds were working overtime to discern other Flavours. A sense of – smokiness – made me think – Smoked Cloves. Perhaps Chef, in the classic South Indian style of preparing the Spices, had dry fried them, to excess? Had the Masala been burnt? In time, Tomatoes came through. At Green Gates (Renfrew) last week I particularly enjoyed the reduced Masala, this was nowhere near as good. I managed not to bite into the solitary Green Cardamom. Strands of a Herb were encountered towards the base of the kadhai, my turn to speculate about the presence of Spinach. Clearly, it was not just – Cloves – which had given this Curry such a powerful and distinctive Flavour.
The Meat was certainly up to standard in terms of Texture. Given the limited choice of Lamb Dishes on the Menu, I would deduce that the Meat and Masala were not strangers. Bread and Masala alternated with Bread and Meat, I thoroughly enjoyed the Lamb.
New experiences are what trying new restaurants is all about, else I would be spending the next few months jumping between Ambala and DumPukht Lahori with the monthly visit to Karahi Palace inserted in between. When does Yadgar re-open as a Restaurant? I ate the lot, the palate had adjusted, in time I had to admit to quite enjoying this strange Curry. The Lamb Kadhai was far from being horrible, but would never make me want to order it again. See the aforementioned venues for better, way better.
Rara Gosht
Topped with Coriander leaves and stems, this is a Curry first encountered years ago at The Downsman (Crawley), a pub/restaurant which is thankfully open again after their enforced individual Lockdown. A mixture of Lamb and Keema, a Curry Marg should have more often, she loves – Mince.
The Rara Gosht was served in a familiar – bucket – used for Mains, this was the – small. OK, it wasn’t filled to the brim and the geometry was such that nearly the same quantity again could have been accommodated. This proved to be the exact quantity which Marg can eat after a Starter, so the plan worked.
Presented in the ideal Keema-style, the Masala was minimal in the extreme, there was no surplus Oil, the – Healthy – option. A piece of Lamb crossed the table, none of whatever Masala was present accompanied it. Hector’s taste-buds registered zilch, no chance during the Kadhai. Marg was not in raptures, but having had Hector’s usual preference for – on-the-bone – thrust upon her in recent outings, she enjoyed the change:
I enjoyed the Keema as well as the chunks of lamb. A hint of mint…
….or was that leftover from the Starter?
For the record, we were asked by two different staff if we were enjoying our Mains. I did mention the Cloves to Mein Host as being such a dominant Flavour.
Marg was not finished, a glass of Mango Lassi (£4.00) rounded off her meal.
The Bill
£47.80 … reduced to £27.80. Thank you, Chancellor Rishi.
When one dines in the Merchant City, the norm is paying appreciably more for what one can get outwith. Marg keeps saying it’s all about the ambience, for Hector it will always be about the Curry. One can expect quality fayre in the Merchant City, and the service to match, however, is the Curry significantly better than what is described throughout Curry-Heute as – Mainstream?
The Aftermath
The Calling Card was given to Mein Host as I showed him the review of our first visit to Green Gates (Renfrew) on the new, and so far, trusty – Oppo. He then remembered me. As I scrolled down to the staff photo, he pointed himself out. Tonight I had no chance of recognising him behind the face covering. I declared that the Renfrew branch could become our local if the bridge from Yoker is ever built. We await this, patiently.
