The tour of the Southside Curry Cafe venues continues. Towards the end of last year, in passing, I spotted the new signage at Ambala (11 Forth St., Glasgow, Scotland, G41 2SP). It was hard not to.
Arriving with Marg at 13.30, I was relieved to see the high sign had survived Storm Éowyn, but was not expecting to find a complete redesign inside and out. The extended doorway, including an electric interior one, leads to a new counter, where Takeaway can be ordered/collected and payments made after dining in.
The dining area is definitely more formal, Ambala is now definitely a restaurant, no longer a cafe. The booth table, oft occupied by the local – Asian dignitaries – has gone. Have they relocated to DumPukht?
Power sockets aplenty, but no USB capability, heaters everywhere, even air con. Marg and Hector would dine in comfort, well in terms of temperature, at least.
We were shown to a window table, where else, and issued with the new menu by the waitress. Already the heart had sank. A chap sat at the adjacent wall, the only other customer, i.e. dismissing the two weans, both in high chairs. Had Marg not been with me, I would probably have walked. There was no sign of a mother, the inevitable screaming competition got underway. And it was not the Hector doing the screaming, yet.
The already well-worn menu had a new layout. Prices have increased since my last visit a year ago, as expected, and mostly justified. But £1.99 for a Chapatti, come on.
Gobi Gosht Lamb (£12.99*) for Hector, the – Phool – has been dropped from this Dish’s moniker. Pilau Rice would accompany (£3.99), and would also feature Peas. Marg went back to her roots: Keema Karahi (£12.99) with the – Pea – option, plus her customary Chapatti.
Having spotted Kashmiri Tea (£3.50) this was also requested. The waiter who took the order gave the bad news. No Kashmiri Tea. Desi Tea (£3.00) was offered instead. Knowing the Tea could take while, it was agreed it would be served as and when. We were advised that there would be a twenty to twenty-five minute preparation time for the food.
A bottle of tap water, and the traditional two Dips were provided.
This gave plenty of time to capture images of the new layout. The facilities have a new entrance, they too may have been upgraded. It was Marg who spotted the bit of humour… Refuge from the weans?
At 14.00, the chap was served with Donner on a Naan, still no mother. A phone-call, and moments later two mothers arrived. I don’t know what pub they might have been hiding in, as if. More food arrived, they ate, called for containers and were gone at 14.23.
I recorded the precise moment when Marg and I were allowed to dine in peace.
Having eaten so little of what they had ordered, why not just have Takeaway to start with? Little did I know of what was to come our way.
When the food arrived, we were both staring at defeat. No way could we manage all this.
Decent portions and outstanding value, may be another way of reporting this.
The Rice was a Euro-portion. I put more on my plate than I knew I would manage, loads left. This Pilau is to share, just as well we hadn’t ordered two.
I’m sure there was more Rice at the end than at the start.
The Chapatti, served whole, and despite being Wholemeal, did not look as though this flour was overdone. The Chapatti suited Marg, even the Hector might have enjoyed it.
Gobi Gosht – Lamb
If anyone had ordered this anticipating a – Curry – they would have been surely taken aback by the wonder that was presented. This was – Karahi – as authentic as it comes. The minimal, Tomato-based Masala was devoid of any sign of – red, so much so that Namkeen came to mind. This was backed up by the specks of Black Pepper which smothered both the Lamb and the Cauliflower. Yet this was not the simplistic – Namkeen – but a much more complex creation. The Meat was almost a grey-brown, a Karahi, and with Karahi I have Bread. Why had I ordered the Rice?
With the Ginger Strips, separating Oil, and a Bullet Chilli halved lengthwise, this had me won even before the eating commenced. I decanted around half of the bowl, there was no point even pretending that I could manage all this food. A late night dietary supplement was already being considered.
The Spice and Seasoning were a la Desi Karahi, a sufficient level of potency, satisfaction guaranteed. The Flavour of Peas had permeated the Pilau, the Masala was giving off its own, and all this before I actually started on the Meat or Cauliflower.
My love of Aloo Gobi is well recorded in these pages. This Cauliflower was stunning. Enough firmness, not al dente, – mush – should not even appear in this sentence. The Cauliflower had absorbed the Flavours from probably both Meat and Masala, glorious. I can write with authority, the Ginger had most certainly been absorbed too. Had there been no Meat present today, satisfaction would still have been attained. A – Gobi Wow! – moment.
The Lamb was suitably tender, the right amount of chewing. Initially, the depth of Flavour was revealed, way more than just – Peppery.
Latterly, as I flagged, more chewing of the Meat was required, and there was still so much of it.
Let’s not overlook the contribution to the overall experience by the Peas and even the Bullet Chilli. Variations in Texture, what the Hector particularly enjoys.
I felt as though I had eaten a mountain of Rice, yet as the photo shows, it appears to be hardly touched. My plate remnants were returned to the serving bowl. Surely, that’s more than I started with?
*
*
Keema Mutter
Again, Ginger Strips and the separating Oil may be what registers first. Consider the Mince itself, Minimal Masala in the extreme. This is how a Keema is meant to be served. Today, there was no Hector Soupçon, Marg, as is now her custom, had more than a few words to add:
It took over 30 minutes to prepare and I was hungry when it arrived. A large plate of tasty looking Keema with a fresh Chapatti. The Keema was spicy and I enjoyed the strips of ginger on top.
This large portion was too much for me to eat in one go. I was able to enjoy the mince with all of the Chapatti and left about half for a future date.
After the food, I received my Masala Tea which helped my digestion and completed the meal.
The waiter came to check on our progress. Seeing how much was being left, he was evidently worried that the Spice Level was too much. Yoghurt was offered, declined. Marg was offered another Chapatti – We have Rice – I pointed out. Not that Marg was going near it.
It was another lady who dealt with the leftovers. Three plastic tubs, still plenty of eating.
The Bill
£36.96 The Gobi Gosht was charged at £14.99*, naughty. Previous versions of the menu had always made it clear that Lamb would be charged at an extra £2.00. I do not see this on the current version.
The Aftermath
The waiter, whilst taking payment at the new counter, said he had remembered me. He thought I worked for a newspaper. I showed him the – Ambala – page on Curry-Heute. The staff photo featured therein is from 2016, long before his time. However, he did confirm that the same Chef was in the kitchen.
Eight hours later…
Half of the leftover Rice was microwaved, the Gobi Gosht reheated in the air-fryer. (Never reheat Curry in a microwave.) Every grain of Rice would be eaten, at last, a sensible portion.
The Spice maintained both in terms of heat and Flavour, yet the Masala had all but disappeared. Bread with Karahi. Still, this was as – Dry – a Curry as I could hope for. The plate was cleared, finally, I had done this Gobi Gosht justice.
A year since my last visit, I wonder why? Much of the menu is not Curry, perhaps there are Desi Dishes I can do without: e.g. Paya (£11.99) for one, and definitely Mugguz Karahi (£14.99). For Hector, it’s a – no brainer.