I have enjoyed Ahmed’s cooking over the years but have never experienced anything from the Darbar Grill (140 Allison St. Glasgow G42 8RP) – Darbar Special – or – Desi Style Karahi – menu. The full Menu appears online only, I phoned Ahmed yesterday to arrange the kilo of his Lamb Karahi (£29.99) for 15.00 this afternoon. Chapatti John was happy to be part of this meal of discovery.
Having taken a seat in the recently installed booths adjacent to the Curry on display, the son of Ahmed, who would be our waiter today, invited me to move further into the premises, away from the open door. I established that the Order had been phoned in already, three Chapattis (£0.70) seemed like a good number to start us off.
I had time therefore to photograph the most recent décor, gone are the colourful pictures, instead, plain stripes. I liked the powers sockets at each table with a USB facility, handy for those whose phone charge does not last the day. There was a sense of the setup being not quite finished, time will tell.
John asked about the origins of Darbar Grill, a lengthy story which is outlined – here. He also asked if – boneless – had been an option. I could only answer that it would come as it comes, this was an untried Karahi. Ahmed did not emerge from the kitchen prior to the serving of the food, there appeared to be quite a cluster of chaps in the kitchen, lots of activity.
Our waiter, who I first encountered back in 2016, brought a karahi and a single Chapatti with the promise of two more to come. He had already brought a Jug of Water and a Modest Salad plus Raita to the table.
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Lamb Karahi
This looked magnificent, topped with Ginger Strips and Coriander, but this could not possibly have been the full kilo. When the two Chapattis were presented, it was admitted that this was only a half kilo. We asked for the same again. Did Ahmed believe two chaps could not handle the kilo? He had asked – for how many – when I placed the Order.
The Lamb, on-the-bone, sat in a distinctively brown, thick Masala. The bone count did not appear to be such that my fellow diner would be raising the issue of there being enough Meat. Sucky Bones, all was well. On decanting, sliced Green Chillies were revealed. The Flavour was immense, how could it not be? I have been enjoying Ahmed’s Lamb Curry and Aloo Gosht for years, always a treat. This Karahi was clearly something else. The Seasoning was right up there, the Chillies were doing their job, this Curry had a serious – kick. The Flavours were correspondingly intense, classic Desi Cuisine, this was a Curry that quite simply is not available in the Mainstream Curry Houses of Glasgow, or across the UK for that matter.
Knowing of John’s propensity to devour the odd Chapatti or six, I held back a bit, using the Bread to mop up the Masala, tackling the sooo-Tender Meat with my spoon.
A taste explosion of fresh ginger – was an early remark by John. He would further clarify this by mentioning that the Ginger Strips were not uniform, the chunkier bits most certainly won his approval.
Chana Daal
On the house, we had to try this – was the explanation when the son of Ahmed brought it to the table. Here was the required Diversity, the Interesting Vegetable. Piping hot, with a decidedly – Earthy – Flavour, this was a fine distraction.
Unsurprisingly, it took us no time at all to clear the first karahi, the second came soon after we were finished along with two more Chapattis. In the interim, John had got stuck into the Salad:
That salad is really good, cold and crispy.
Hector showed restraint.
Ahmed managed a brief appearance, apologising for not being able to spend more time with us. He had a significant order for later, hence the activity witnessed throughout our stay.
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Lamb Karahi #2
The heat gave a boost to the proceedings. Had the whole kilo arrived at once, the end game would have been cool Meat and Masala, this was a moment of reinvigoration.
The Seasoning was a tad down, so maybe not the impact of Karahi #1, but still totally in the style. I had wondered if replication was possible at such short notice. Some of the Meat here was a bit chewier, still, taking one’s time extends the enjoyment.
John eventually declared he was at his limit, a situation worth noting. A Soupçon would go north of the river.
Exceeded expectations – why’s this? asks Hector – a lovely balance of spices, hit the mark, Chapattis a good size, definitely be back.
The Bill
£35.00, my Dad says make it £25.
We’ll split the difference, make it £30.
This was particularly generous on Hector’s part, John had already declared that this was my birthday treat.
The Aftermath
We bade farewell, Hector was not finished. Having parked on Calder Street, there was no way that Yadgar would be ignored. Four Chapli Kebabs were captured. This was also another opperchancity to observe the new seating. New tables were mentioned, hopefully the setup will work better than the moveable furniture at Kabana (Manchester).
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Friday, May 7
Chapli Kebab with Yadgar’s hot Chilli Sauce, Zaytoun Salad courtesy of Marg.
Mmmmmmm.