This afternoon, Howard, Marg and Hector went to see – Kurt Vonnegut : Unstuck in Time – at the GFT. Thereafter we met up with Tracey at Punjabi Ibrox (560 Paisley Road West, Ibrox, Glasgow, G51 1RF) at 18.15.
Camera issues meant that I was last in. Jazzy was there to greet – It’s been a while.
Indeed, it is over three years since Marg and Hector dined here however, there were three Takeaways during Lockdown.
The Poppadoms and Dips were already on the table when I took my seat, Complimentary, I hoped. Tracey remarked that the Spiced Onions had no – red. She’s on board with The Curry-Heute Campaign no needless – red – stance. Back in the 1980s, this is where Tracey had her first ever Curry in the days of – The Modern Punjabi.
Pinta’ Lager?
Soft Drinks for all. I noted the universal £2.95 charge for all Soft Drinks and ordered a pint of Soda Water. Three quid for a can? This all seemed to be a bit steep.
Howard and Tracey were going to share Lamb Chops (£7.50). There was no way I was not having the Keema Padora (£6.50), surely the Signature Dish at Punjabi, and it’s only a Starter! Would Marg share? She agreed to have a quarter, this also meant that Marg couldn’t have a Keema Curry. She surprised us all by choosing Bindi Gosht (£10.95). Tracey opted for Chicken Garam Masala (£9.95). Howard and Hector were up for the Desi Lamb (£10.95), the only Lamb Curry served – on-the-bone.
Chapattis (£1.00) for three of us, Hector was in the mood for a Paratha (£3.00). And so the Order was relayed, no mention of Spice Levels, no mention of – Desi – or – bones.
The restaurant was empty when we arrived, the tables soon filled up. The Starters came in good time.
Keema Padora
The Puri was decidedly thicker than previously served either here or the oft visited and much missed Punjabi (Charing X). The Keema still had it. Rich in Methi, well Seasoned, Spicy, an absolute delight. Why wasn’t everyone having this? This was a blast! Marg’s quarter became three eighths, for once Hector wasn’t bothered, who could eat one of these and a Main Course?
Lamb Chops
The – red – from the Tikka Marinade and whatever, looked a bit much. The peripheries were suitably cremated. Howard was permitted three of four:
A bit fatty, but I don’t mind that. Not a lot of flavour, a bit disappointing.
They should have shared a Keema Padora.
Can we have a break please? – I asked the waiter who had joined the crew. We were duly consulted before the Mains were brought, but not before Tracey announced that she was wondering why they were taking so long.
The Chapattis were a decent size, light. The Paratha (right) was almost an abomination. Curry-Heute has well established criteria to rate a Paratha. Being served whole was the only box ticked. Layering was minimal, there was no spiral, flakiness was non-existent, and it was heavy on the Wholemeal Flour. In what way was this a Paratha? This was but a Wholemeal Chapatti variant.
The Curry was arranged on the table, the Masala looked pretty much the same in them all, this should not have been the case.
Bindi Gosht
Bhoona – said the description for this and the Garam Masala, this was decidedly wet for a Bhuna.
The Masala did appear to have a viscous consistency. With a piece of Okra protruding from the Masala, the discussion about the merits and demerits of Ladyfingers was inevitable. Marg assured us they were not – mushy. I have never known Marg to deliberately have Okra, it’s a matter of tolerance when I serve this Interesting Vegetable at home – having washed and dried them before cooking, as one must, else they go mushy.
Lovely Lamb, soft Okra , the Masala was flavoursome.
I would rave about the Starter.
Chicken Garam Masala
The same Masala, this time with Chicken solids. As is her custom, Tracey would eat to within her limits, the remainder would go home.
It was good, a different spice blend from my usual, but I enjoyed it. The chicken was very, very tender.
Desi Lamb
Where to begin? There were no bones. OK, had on-the-bone been available, Jazzy would certainly have said. The Masala was the same as served above, therefore nothing like the delights served here previously. A Dry Curry, Minimal Masala, Herb-rich is what one sees when clicking here, no resemblance at all to that served tonight. Where was the Coriander, indeed, no Toppings on any Curry this evening. Whilst close to the fabled Lamb Gurmeet may be what I had hoped for, this was no more than a Mainstream Lamb Curry.
Eight pieces of meat sat in the blended Masala, here, I believed I could see the expected Tomato Seeds. Dark Green Rings were mixed through, these I took to be cooked in deseeded Green Chillies. I started eating directly from the karahi then decided to use the plate.
The Spice was medium, the Seasoning would save the day. At least there was a sense of richness coming from the Masala, but nowhere near the hoped for level of intensity. The Tender Lamb was not giving much extra in terms of Flavour, why did Chef think this qualified as – Desi?
I had to abandon the Paratha earlier than is my norm, I simply didn’t like it. I can eat Wholemeal Chapattis, but prefer them them made from White Chapatti Flour. This Paratha was spoiling my Curry. When Jazzy came over to check on our progress, I had to mention the Paratha.
At the end, Howard’s experience was not dissimilar:
I was expecting some real depth of flavour, but never got that. Perfectly edible.
He also noted the dark green rings and observed that – there was something coming from there.
We had seven Soft Drinks in all.
The Bill
£73.50 £2.50 had been knocked off for the – Paratha.
The Aftermath
Back in 2019, Jazzy told us of the rapidly rising prices of ingredients. I recently listened to a Restaurateur in Köln’s – Royal Punjab give an almost identical spiel. This evening, Jazzy concurred. This was not just Hector trying to get Cashew Nuts into the conversation.
So it goes.