Hector had Bradford Curry on his mind, Akbar’s was calling. On entering the premises at 16.43 I was greet warmly by the waiter who has come to know me from my three previous visits. The reception turned cold. I was informed that they do not open until 17.00 (so keep your doors locked!) but was invited to sit and wait. Knowing that it would take a further twenty minutes to prepare my dish I decided that there is more than one Curry House in Glasgow. I left.
The Café Salma next door would certainly be open but the a
utopilot took me south, not east.
The Shenaz (17 Granville Street, Glasgow, G3 7EE) is one of Glasgow’s longest established venue dating back some fifty years. I knew they would definitely be open as there is a permanent banner advertising a pre-theatre deal. Why more places are not open late afternoon remains a mystery to Hector. The Village do a steady trade all afternoon. It is much healthier to eat before meeting The Chaps than it is to consume late evening Curry.
Table cloths make the statement that this remains a restaurant above the basic. The bar no doubt sells the usual array of liquid that many desire, Sparkling Water remains my preferred mouthwash. I was shown to the same corner table as on my last visit. I had time to consult my own Blog entry, the last visit was during the Easter Vacation as was today, Marg was away as she is today. I had just found The Tiffin Rooms not to be open at 16.40, the same venue as Akbar’s now is, the same problem, same solution.
The menu as was written last year had three options to sustain a Hector. The Lahori Gosht with Lamb on-the-bone was excellent on my last visit. The Lamb Karahi was tempting but in a mood of experimentation I opted for the Lamb Desi. This of course could be anything. Two Chapattis (£1.20 each) were the Accompaniment of choice; I am actually starting to miss Rice. ‘That’s all?’ was the quizzical question posed by the waiter. Who can eat more than this in a Glasgow restaurant?
A different waiter brought the bits: main course, Chapattis, and two trays with fresh Tomato, Onion Chutney, Coconut and Pineapple. Is there an African influence?
The Masala looked impressively thick with the Ghee forming at the base of the dish. Fresh Green Chillis were very much to the fore so there was a pleasant, but not excessive, kick. The flavour of the sprinkled fresh Coriander provided moments of pleasure. This was an enjoyable dish but did not have the wow factor that I recorder on my last visit. Next time it will be back to the Lahori Gosht.
Chapattis have been featuring prominently in recent reports. Today these were good sized with suitable girth. Two was the perfect quantity. The Fresh Tomato turned out to be the perfect solution to consuming the last spoonfuls of Masala after the very tender Lamb had been consumed. If the Lamb had been cut smaller it may have lasted a bit longer but there was no criticism of the portion, this was enough.
I was offered Dessert when the remains were removed from the table but informed yet another waiter that ‘Curry is my thing.’.
The Bill
£14.20. This is 30p less than a year ago, oh I had Rice then.
The Aftermath
I showed my Calling Card and the waiter came around the counter to get a better look at my HTC. He was pleased to see that he had been mentioned and hopes to see me back soon. However, the infrequency of my visits to this establishment is simple to explain: Café Salma, Punjabi Charing Cross, Panjea, (Koh i Noor) and now Akbar’s are within one hundred metres of each other. Difficult.
Hector has now read The Herald review for Akbar’s, 5/10 is a shocking score with a place with so much potential.
Had similar reception at Akbars Tuesday. Curse of the Herald McKenna reviews perhaps. They appear already to think they are doing customers a favour by being there. Hassan was somewhat more welcoming.