The Bill
£24.60, however, it should have been – £20.50 !
The prices at the till should be the same as the prices listed on the menu, Banana Leaf (192 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5SG) are putting themselves in a difficult place, hopefully the new menu will appear soonest. Being realistic, prices relative to portion size were a bit low.
Given the benefits that occasionally come Hector’s way, no need to make a fuss.
Marg joined Hector for the traditional Monday Curry. There was a warm greeting as we entered at 14.00. With only two other diners, a corner table at the window was secured, finally, a decent photo of the premises.
Lamb Chukka (£5.50) (menu prices) and a Parotta (£2.00) were a given. The substantial Chukka is technically a Starter, no way was a full Curry going to follow this.
Instead, another Starter was considered. Some were clearly the fayre of places east of India, one day, perhaps. Mushroom Pepper Fry (£5.00) should be as – Dry – as the Chukka. It was the Lamb equivalent at the original premises that led me to discovering Chukka.
Marg resorted to type, Butter Chicken (£8.00) with the inclusive Rice option.
Your favourite one – said the waiter as he noted the Order. With beards de rigueur, this may or may not have been Vasanth. I mentioned the young Indian chap who greeted me on Saturday afternoon. A former employee was mooted.
Everything served together – was the hoped for outcome, however Hector’s two Starters inevitably arrived first.
The Malabar Parotta was as wonderful as ever, possibly larger than served here previously, so maybe worth the extra 40p! A few strands of the multi-layered, stretchy Bread would remain after the Hector had finished his share of the food, but not for long.
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Lamb Chukka
This is the business, and how this is a Starter still puzzles. With Curry Leaves aplenty, and the much revered Dry Red Chillies peeking out, spot the lack of liquid on the plate. This is the definition of a – Dry Curry, so it’s ironic that the Curry section of the menu is all – Soup.
Mushroom Pepper Fry
Beneath the Coriander lay sliced Mushrooms, I would have preferred larger pieces. The Black Pepper was prominent, not so the quantity of finely chopped Onion mixed through the Mushrooms. Marg took the lettuce.
The plan was to temper the anticipated intensity of the Chukka and provide the always welcomed – Diversity. A Hector needs more than just Meat and Masala, not that there was much of the latter on show in either plate. The Mushroom Pepper Fry was transferred to the Chukka plate, they were sampled alternately, towards the end, a bit of mixing.
The Seasoning in the Lamb Chukka registered immediately, with the Spice not far behind. No prisoners, this was a Spicy Curry. The Meat was at the the limits of remaining solid, pulp was not far away. Consequently the required amount of chewing was minimal.
The Peppery Mushrooms lived up to the description. Here the Seasoning was significantly below that of the partner Dish. The Peppery Flavour was somewhat one dimensional in comparison to the superb Chukka.
The Mushrooms stretched the Chukka meaning that the pleasure there was prolonged. A decent combination, and one Parotta proved to be enough. A worthy meal.
Across the table, Marg was coming to terms with the quantity of Basmati that sat before her. She knew from the off that there was more Rice than she could manage. Inclusive Rice/Bread, no holding back then.
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Butter Chicken
The creamy Masala was described as – thick – on the menu, compared to the other Masalas, possibly. It was still – Soup. This is how Banana Leaf serve their – Curry.
I sampled a Soupçon, interesting, more below. Marg cleared everything she had on her plate.
When I decanted the rice I felt there was too much. The bowl of creamy Butter Chicken soaked well into the rice. The sauce was spicy and left my lips tingling. A good portion overall, with some of Hector’s Mushroom Pepper and lettuce added texture to the dish. Enjoyable.
The last strands of Parotta were put to good use. The Curry bowl was duly wiped clean. And so what must be the Spiciest Butter Chicken found yet, was duly noted. With pronounced Seasoning, this was far from the customary, relative blandness associated with Butter Chicken.
Marg made no comparison with her new baseline – Butter Chicken at Caxemira (Lisboa). Marg did blow me away with her final comment:
Chicken is a bit boring.
The Aftermath
Your photos make me hungry – I was told as I paid.
Marg produced her Oppo, her sister visited the Taj Mahal this morning. Not the real one that Marg and Hector visited in 2016 with scaffolding on three of the towers…