Darbar Grill (140 Allison St. Glasgow G42 8RP) is not where Hector planned to have Curry-Heute, however, it proved to be a worthy fallback.
It’s Wednesday, and the chaps are meeting – inside a Glasgow pub – at 18.00. Wee Nippy – said back in October she was closing pubs for two weeks. The last eight months has been the longest fortnight Hector has ever endured.
Wednesday and Saturdays, Kofta Anda day at Sheerin Palace, also on Allison Street. Arriving with Marg, just before 17.00, only three Meatballs were left in the tray, no Eggs. The customer before me may have purchased the last portion. The serving chap smiled as he told me it had gone. Hector was not amused, if Kofta Anda is sold out before teatime, then surely they need to prepare more?
We had parked near Spice Haven, worryingly, the shutters were still down, and they claim to open daily at noon. I haven’t seen anything from them on a certain social medium lately, surely not, again?
We walked round to Calder Street in the off chance that Yadgar’s renovations were complete. Not yet. Shkoor assures us he will announce when they are open once more for sitting in.
And so to Darbar Grill, reliably open all day, to see what was on offer. Ahmed, once the Chef at Sheerin Palace, cooked a very fine – Desi Style Karahi – for John and Hector last month. I do not recall ever seeing Kofta Anda here.
There was Chicken Keema Aloo (£5.00) on display which became Marg’s choice along with the usual Chapatti.
For Hector it was once more back to basics. Ahmed’s son talked me through the other trays on display. Aloo Gosht (£6.00) it would be, with Basmati (£2.49) to accompany. Hector still feels Breaded-out. The Daal looked irresistible, I asked for a small portion.
One other diner sat at the rear, to give him space, we sat in the main room. Darbar still has the appearance of being not quite finished décor wise. A jug of Tap Water and a Modest Salad were brought to the table.
The reheat did not take long, the Chapatti was freshly made.
Chicken Keema Aloo
Chicken always looks pale in comparison to Lamb Mince. This Keema was suitably – Dry – and so was served in the authentic Desi-style. No sooner had Marg begun when a second Chapatti was brought. OK, she might manage a bit. When the third Chapatti arrived, it had to be declined. Fine, we were being well looked after, but we do try not to waste food. Marg’s verdict:
A notable change of flavour with the Chicken Keema, a coriander kick, but will not change my preferred minced lamb. It was tasty enough, OK. I was hungry, I ate it all.
Aloo Gosht
Five pieces of Meat were visible as I decanted the Lamb and Shorva. Having done so, a sixth, and sizeable piece of Lamb on-the-bone was encountered. This was a larger portion than I have been served here compared to a couple of years back when bringing Mother here was a semi-regular occurrence. Two large bits of Potato were also included which means that by rotating the plate, I managed to make it look as though the Hector was not diving back into an indulgence in Lamb, just yet.
The Lamb was melt-in-the-mouth, so well cooked. The Seasoning was below my personal preference, however, the Spice and Flavours from the Shorva were up to scratch. As hoped for, the Potatoes had absorbed so much Flavour from the Soupy Masala, they were excellent.
There is always an inward wry smile of contentedness, if not contradiction, when I order a Shorva. Serve me this in a Mainstream Curry House and I would be tempted to throw the toys out of the pram. Take me to a Desi Cafe and all is well. The traditional, if not now – old-fashioned Curry taste – is still appreciated.
Daal Makhani
I’m calling it – Makhani – due to the colour, a straightforward (Tarka) Daal would be lighter, closer to the colour of Marg’s Keema. Marg took a Soupçon, that was enough for her. Cough – this had a serious – kick. With the Earthy Flavour, what a beautiful accompaniment this was to the Aloo Gosht. Two simple Dishes working in harmony, and despite Rice and Daal probably being a – no-no – with the Shorva, all was well.
The Bill
£14.00 One day there will be a printed Menu and I’ll be able to itemise the components. The online Menu would have included four Roti with the above order.
The Aftermath
We had only seen Ahmed briefly today, his son did look after us well and remarked that he looked forward to reading my review.
Something I picked up, almost by chance. This makes two Curryspondents who have written to Hector in the last couple of weeks to approve –
Succinct, moi?