Day two of three on the east coast, today Storm Francis arrived which made for quite a miserable afternoon for Hector, but Marg enjoyed consecutive coffee shops until it was declared Bier o’clock and The Curfew Micropub came to the rescue. So called summer in the UK, the Mediterranean this is not.
Time was passed amiably until our 20.30 booking at Berwick-upon Tweed’s other Curry House – Amran’s Indian Kitchen & Grill (19-21 Hide Hill, Berwick-upon-Tweed England TD15 1EQ). We arrived punctually but had to wait some thirty minutes to get our table, the place was stowed, so many people taking advantage of the Government Scheme to get us out dining. This gave us time to study the Menu. It looked like the prices at Amran’s are appreciably lower than nearby Magna Tandoori where we were fed last night. The Main Courses here cost less than some Starters at their competitor. Rather than have Starters then Mains, Hector suggested a three Main Course strategy, in this way if either of us was disappointed with our choice, there would be something else.
Moshori Lamb (£6.95) looked ideal for Marg – Cooked with lentils and cream. A sweet flavour with coriander & garlic. Methi Gosht (£6.95), Roshon Kora (£6.95) in Lamb – Lots of garlic, black pepper, fresh herbs in a spiced sauce – looked a good bet plus Special Bhuna Gosht (£7.10) again in Lamb – Lamb seasoned with fresh herbs and spices. Fairly Hot.
We were admitted to the restaurant at 21.00 but did not take our table until 21.06, Marg and Hector both disputed that the table had been properly wiped down after the previous customers. At the time of writing, Marg remains convinced that it hadn’t been. Taking no chances, Marg set to with the gel and cleaned it herself.
When the Menu was brought it became apparent that there were many more Dishes to choose from, some exotic. Only the Moshori Lamb survived from the above choices.
Desi Lamb (£9.95) was just too tempting, it would be served on a Salad with a Nan which otherwise would be £2.50. Special Duck (£11.95) was very nearly Dish #3, but then when will I ever see Sag Duck (£10.95) on a Menu? The Special Duck came with Chef’s – Special Rice (£4.95)
At the time of ordering, the usual question was asked, no Capsicum would appear, this was not a problem. The Sag Duck came unaccompanied, and so a Mushroom Rice (£3.50) was added along with a Tandoori Roti (£2.95) for Marg, expensive Roti.
Two small bottles of Sparkling Water (£2.25) completed the Order.
Were we the only people in the place not drinking bottled Cobra? I do not often comment about – The Facilities – but the toilets at Amran’s were well above average. The place was too busy to take decent photos of our surroundings, however, I did record the progress of preparing the adjacent tables for the next customers. It was 21.35 when our food arrived, quite a delay, but this was no ordinary evening in Berwick-upon-Tweed. Marg reckoned some of the staff looked knackered, actually she said – tired.
The Mushroom Rice was topped with Caramelised Onions, there was easily enough to share. If there was any excess in our Order, it was this. The Button Mushrooms looked too perfect, tinned? The Wholemeal Roti was most certainly substantial. Well fired in parts it looked the business. Marg remarked on the – softness – of the Roti, this did not turn to – crisp – as too many do.
What Naan could follow last night’s – Wonder Naan – served at Magna Tandoori? Served in two bits, always a mark down, this was also an excellent Naan, but last night’s was even lighter and puffier.
Moshori Lamb
Yellow Soup – how else could one describe this? Topped with Fresh Coriander and Syboes, Marg soon unearthed slices of Garlic. Marg described the Meat as having a good quantity. Hector was busy elsewhere by this time, though time was taken to dip some of the Masala, far too sweet for this palate.
Only Marg would order a Curry such as this, it is simply not Hector’s cup of tea:
The colour was off-putting – remarked Marg – but the sauce had a good flavour of garlic and coriander. The lamb was very tender, the dish worked well with the mushroom rice. The Tandoori Roti was soft and allowed me to pick up the lamb in the rich creamy sauce.
Desi Lamb
The pedigree of this Curry was there for all to see, the thickest of Masalas shrouding the Meat, nothing excessive or runny here. The presentation screamed at the customer – don’t even think about Rice with this Dish. The impressive Naan was therefore the correct Bread to accompany.
Tonight, Hector witnessed another of those moments of extreme pleasure. Looking at Marg – expletive deleted – the pleasure that eating this Curry was about to give was relayed across the table. Where did this come from?
This was clearly – Desi Cuisine – the richness of Flavour gave instant gratification. Small, but whole, Green Chillies were mixed through. The Spice Level was taken care of, and the Seasoning, oh yes! Umami, the Meatiness, the Lamb was beautiful, Soft but requiring the correct amount of chewing, night and day compared to the dubious Meat served at Magna last evening.
This is what Curry-Heute is all about, discovery. This Curry could not have happened by chance, this was created by an expert who has found the secret of employing the same Spices and Herbs as every other kitchen, but achieving a standard that is off the scale. Yes, this Desi Lamb was that good.
Two portions of this would have been even better. Marg, on seeing my pleasure, let the Hector gorge on this. How could a Spinach Curry possibly follow this Meisterwerk?
Sag Duck
Hector always hopes for a Masala with Spinach, not a mass of Herbs with next to none. This Curry was very much in the middle of the two extremes. Again, this was as Dry a Curry as one can expect to encounter which suits Hector who eschews – Soup. Whole Green Chillies were again present, these kept Marg at bay. The Seasoning was – sound – the usual bitterness that one experiences with Spinach was not there, again Hector was impressed. I couldn’t taste the Duck, but then realised I hadn’t eaten any. Six pieces only, but each of these was huge requiring to be halved or more, plenty of Meat. As with the Desi, a good texture, so definitely quality Meat at Amran’s.
As I ate both the Duck and the Spinach, so this Dish grew. Hector was well sated at the end.
The Bill
£22.65 after a reduction of £18.15. Same as last night as it happens. Long may this offer continue.
The Aftermath
I had to introduce myself to Mein Host and ask the burning question:
From where did you get that Desi Lamb, I was not expecting that quality on a high street Curry House.
Our Chef is very good, nobody complain (sic) about him – was the reply.
There were further congratulations. On asking where we were from, he told us he knows Bangladeshi people in Glasgow. Strange, to Hector’s knowledge there cannot be many. There had to be a photo, ridiculous as this time necessitates.
A return to Berwick-upon-Tweed could be called for after the days of the virus. To settle into places without booking, to actually see more of the town and sense its history, and of course, to return to Amran’s Indian Kitchen & Grill for more Desi Lamb.
Menu
