And the rain never stopped…
The ritual visit to Haworth was marred by incessant rain, the quietest I have ever seen this Historic Town. The initial disappointment that Diesel Locomotives would transport us was more than made up for by the discovery that this was the start of the KWVR Beer and Music Festival. The £5.00 train fare, as opposed to £20.00 plus, was also welcome. Hector did not miss – Steam.
Sheesh Mahal (6 St. Thomas’ Rd, Bradford, BD1 2RW) was tonight’s venue in the second of four days of Curry. Entering @21.00 things were in full swing but no tables upstairs were occupied. I spotted, so I thought, Omar disappearing into the kitchen as we entered. There was no sign of Taj, Mein Host, or Uncle Sadaqat.
The Menus were brought, for once I can report no price increase at a venue I only get to visit occasionally. I have finally started studying this document, recent visits have led to Curry containing pieces of the Dreaded Green Vegetable, this must be avoided.
Poppadoms, a more than Modest Salad and Generous Portions of Dips were brought without fuss. If – The Omar Special – has seen Capsicum sneak in then I had to see – The Man – to prevent this. Our Waiter approached to take the Order, I asked for Omar who I was convinced was present. A phone was thrust in my hand, it was Omar, a night off, he is well. So who was the Doppelgänger? Meet Cousin – Amar. Amar would look after us this evening.
For the Chaps it had to be Lamb on-the-bone. The – Handi – section of the the Menu is one I had not previously considered. Lamb On Bone Handi (£24.95) would suit Dr. Alasdair and Hector. At three times the cost of a Standard Lamb Curry, one was hoping for – Something Special – and lots of it.
From the – Flame Grill – section, Marg chose Lamb Chops (£4.90). Margie ordered Chicken Dhansak (£7.95). The inclusive Chapattis would be the Accompaniment. Someone mooted an order of Samosa (£2.30). This never came, which may be just as well as we shall discover.
On the same sizzling griddle as one presents Lamb Chops, Amar brought something else – Liver Tikka.
This is from Omar.
Liver Tikka? Omar knows I hate Liver.
Five years ago, Our Man in Bradford arranged a Lamb and Lamb’s Liver Karahi for himself, Hector and Dr. Stan. I endured it before accepting defeat. Liver is one of the few things I cannot eat. This evening, my Fellow Diners were well impressed.
That’s fantastic – uttered Dr. Alasdair. He’ll never get this again.
Omar’s remote generosity was not over, some pieces of Chicken Pakora was also presented. Small pieces, the leftovers perhaps. It was time for Amar to get in on the act. Once The Mains were set before us, including a huge pile of Chapattis, a very large Garlic Naan was brought to the table – this is from me! – said Amar. The Naan was Thinner than most, and in no way Doughy.
No fuss was made regarding the missing Samosas.
Lamb On Bone Handi
This was to share between two. Two other sets of cutlery from across the table would also pay visits.
Initially this Lamb Handi tasted of nothing special. Under-seasoned and with traces of Capsicum, I was thinking I should have stuck to my normal Methi Overdose. It was only when I abandoned the impressive Garlic Naan that the Bradford Curry Taste emerged. Note to self: stick to Chapattis when in Bradford.
As I ate, so the Curry became more and more impressive. I swallowed a bone, Oops. I trust I shall see it again? – I asked Dr. Alasdair. He answered in the affirmative, I ate on. A – Perfect Portion – for two, the Bones scraped clean. I watched the last pieces of Naan disappear.
Lovely flavour – remarked Dr. Alasdair – a robust Curry, lots of flavour, wasn’t so spicy, Lamb was lovely, larger bones (than yesterday at the International).
Why was the price higher for this compared to the standard?
Has Dr. Alasdair already embraced Bradford prices? He was correct of course, however, I think we were getting our money’s worth.
There’s more:
We couldn’t do the Chapatis justice, there was so many of them. I loved the Chicken (Dhansak) and thought the Liver was excellent; I’m not a great fan of Liver.
Chicken Dhansak
I have seen many a Dhansak in the company of Lord Clive of Crawley. Chicken is not a Meat I would order in a Curry. This interpretation was unlike anything seen before: this was Dry, Seriously Dry. Chickpeas are visible in the photo, the Masala almost non-existent. The verdict took Hector aback:
This is the best Dhansak I’ve ever had – said Margie – it was different, there was Pineapple, ideal. I loved the consistency.
This was the second time someone has said these words to Hector at this venue with regards to Dhansak, the first time it was Lamb Dhansak.
Cooked through – said Dr. Alasdair – with reference to the Pineapple I believe.
Lamb Chops
Five Chops is always way better than four. Marg can only eat four, so some of the fifth came Hector’s way – Mmmmm.
They were succulent, very flavoursome, and I enjoyed the Burnt Onions on the Griddle.
There was no stopping my Fellow Diners this evening:
I also enjoyed the Garlic Naan. I also stole some of your Lamb Handi, to get moisture.
She could have ordered Lamb Chops Karahi which I know Marg loves.
*
With the table cleared, Marg made a most apposite statement:
If Omar was here, there would be Dessert.
No sooner had these words been uttered when a plate of Sweet things arrived – courtesy of Amar. The Ladies were pleased.
The Bill
£37.80. Curry-Heute does not normally post photos of – The Bill. Tonight there had to be an exception. Thank you Omar, and Amar!
The Aftermath
Had the rain stopped? Finally!
Sadaqat was outside taking a break, where had he come from?
Hector has visited the Sheesh Mahal five times in 2017. The next visit will be in February 2018.
Bradford, The Curry Capital of the UK, and the climax to to our twelve days of indulgence. The next four days will include Curry – Noon and Night, it is written, or will be as soon as.
Lorraine was Front of House and gave us the customary warm welcome. Our evening Curry would be at the 
Hector received three Kebaps, a Bonus Portion. Well Seasoned with a Modest Kick and an Earthy Flavour this did the job. What I interpret to be a Tomato-based Sauce was as suitable accompaniment along with the Modest Salad Garnish. 
Marg enthused about her Chicken Shami Kebap immediately. She prefers her palate not to be assaulted by Spice when she commences eating food from the Indian Subcontinent. With Raita as her Sauce, a fine cooling sensation was achieved.
After our afternoon at the National Media Museum we crossed over the road to the 
On Hector’s last visit to the 
The Lassi was consumed, the Poppadoms and Dips didn’t last long. It appeared we were hungry, it was a long movie. Androids may dream of electric sheep, Hector still dreams of the Perfect Curry. Six years ago this was served at these very premises – Lamb Karahi Methi. Six years ago.
This is a Bizarre Curry.
As the Kofta had only recently been added to the Lamb Curry Base they retained their own Flavours. The Fried Egg offered a strange Diversity, the Chilli was approached with some trepidation even though Large Chillies are usually not a challenge. The Quantity was – The Challenge – this was quite a meal. In the end some Egg had to be left, too cold to eat. This – Curry – is quite a departure from the norm, well worth a try.
This looked Wonderful. Had I not enough on my plate, I would have had a sample. The Meat was Larger than the Bradford norm, the Masala was so inviting, a glorious colour. Marg found the Spice Level to be a shock at the start but eventually was able to take it in her stride. 
Served in the classic – Bucket – this Balti did not look dissimilar from the Krahi Lamb. There was little choice but to decant to a hot plate. Ginger Strips were at a premium. 
The large Karahi impressed, this was certainly a – Welcome to Bradford – Curry. Lamb Desi, Krahi Lamb, I can see why I have dined at the 
Dr. Alasdair was impressed with his first Bradford Curry though did express a concern about the size of the bones. I saw no splinters, however, one must take care always. Exactly what were the differences between this Curry and the previous two? Dr. Alasdair sampled all three and so was able to make comparisons, careful notes were taken:
The Bill
I asked Mein Host – You now do Lamb on-the-bone? This was confirmed. 
A metal tray containing a Modest Salad and two Dips was placed on the table. The Breads arrived in Baskets, one very appealing Chapatti and one Perfect Paratha served Whole! The Paratha was Thin compared to the Wholemeal versions I have experienced of late. This had the – Correct Flour – and was suitably – Layered and Flaky – and almost too Hot to touch. I would have to take care not to overdose on this, Hector had a Large Curry to deal with.
Served on a plate, the absence of Peas made this Curry appear naked. This is what Marg wanted, straight Mince. 
There was more Meat than I could count, I stopped at thirty almost Bradford-small pieces. A strip of the Paratha was dipped into the Dark, Herb Rich, Thick Masala. Mmmmm. I could taste the Lamb was – Lamb, a point always worth making. There was an underlying Sweetness which puzzled given the Methi content. This was not the Overall Flavour I have enjoyed here previously. The Spice Level was more than Sufficient but in no way Extreme. Seasoning v Sweetness was the dilemma. I would have preferred more of the former and less of the latter. 
The Aftermath
Two nights in Milano, there had to be one Curry-Heute. The usual array of Restaurants-proper appeared when doing media searches. The Punjab Restaurant (Via Errico Petrella, 19, 20124 Milano MI Lombardia Italia) became the focus of my attention, could it follow yesterday’s Outstanding Soupçon at 
Not being put off, and determined to find Quality Curry this Lunchtime, Marg and Hector set out after noon. Punjab Restaurant is/was close to Milano Centrale. Given the Roman Model, if there’s one venue there could be more as is the case near Roma Termini. We passed one closed Curry Source before arriving at Via Errico Petrella. Here we found three Curry Houses adjacent to each other sharing the same address, that is how it can be in Europe.
Marg had no problem facing up to the quite Impressive Salad which had copious Cucumber Strips, Lettuce, traces of Red Cabbage and a whole Green Chilli. Suddenly one Salad had two Chillies and the other none. Marg took some of the Rice, there was plenty. The Rice contained Egg which had a red hue, it had been cooked in Chilli Powder. As we both discovered, this gave the Rice a decent – Kick. Peas and Onion were in there too, Marg kept coming back for more Rice taking it from my plate as I ate.
It was logical to decant the Lamb on top of the Rice. This was an Outstanding Portion of Curry for €5.00. The Meat was well into double figures, a large piece of Bone made me take further note, two more small pieces of bone were spotted. Hector had – Lamb Carry on-the-bone!
I do not believe I would have availed myself of this Quality of Curry in a Mainstream Milanese Curry House.
Bombay Tandoory Ristorante Indiano (Via Solferino, 1, 25122 Brescia BS Lombardia, Italia) was chosen for 
A Restaurant? Hardly, this was a Kebap Shop but much more, but then do the best Curry Cafes in the UK not have Donner Kebap as the most obvious feature? 
Marg is also on this trip. She had spotted Samosas, her usual when Hector is indulging. I ordered two Samosas and two bottles of Sparkling Water. I remained standing at the counter as others before me had done but was invited to join Marg at the far table. The Order would be brought.
Hector had plenty of time to take in the surroundings and take one or two surreptitious photos. I felt I better be more subtle after my bold entry. In seven years of Blogging, I have only used the term – Surreptitious – twice previously, I’ll try not to use it again. Other Curry offerings were advertised, photos of opperchancities adorned the wall, a Frieze of Curry. I was already planning a return to 
I counted four pieces of Meat, just. Two were seriously large, hold it – on-the-bone! There was rejoicing then the realisation that Bone means less Meat. Had I been alone I would have gone up to the counter and ordered another portion.
A reliable 
The Lady Host let us choose any table and brought the Menu which proved to be extensive. Meat Dishes are available in Lamb, Beef, Chicken, Duck and Pork. Already I could guess that the Meat and Masala could not possibly coexist if Chef was to maintain this array of Curry. Maiale Saag (€10.50) – Pork with Spinach, seasoned with Garlic, Ginger, Onions and Tomatoes – was – The Choice. How could Hector pass up on a Pork Curry? Also, the 
Marg was not ready for Curry this early, indeed even later would be an imposition. We have to eat Italian Cuisine in the evening despite my frustations about the prices here and at home. It costs pennies to produce what they serve, the profit margins must be enormous. Marg chose Mix Pakora (€5.00) which would include – Aubergine, Cauliflower, Chicken and Potato in Chickpea Flour.
I have taken care writing Maiale, as Biala Malpa keeps coming to mind: in Polish it of course means something quite different. The Palak Pork was placed on a candle heater, the Dish was Piping Hot as the rising vapour in the photo of Hector shows. We like our food served – Hot. When ordering Saag/Palak in Europe one always fears it will be simply a mass of Spinach, little in the way of Masala-proper, and Creamy. The Interpretation at Saffron Elephant impressed, here was a Thick Masala and not to Excess. The Rice would most certainly absorb any extra liquid.
A Soupçon of Fresh Coriander lay atop the Masala with something white, I should have paid more attention here. I was keen to decant and count the Meat, eight, nine ten pieces in all, a Decent Portion. The Greenish Masala had only a hint of Creaminess thankfully. The Menu description may have said – seasoned with … – alas the Seasoning did not include much in the way of Sodium Chloride. Mild and Under-seasoned, what chance had the Flavours of emerging? It took time, a Pleasant Curry but not demanding in any way. Eating Pork in Masala was a decidedly different experience to my normal – Mutton. This was far from the 
The Bill
Marg and Hector find themselves in Manchester for an evening en route to, well why spoil the surprise? We were too late to have Curry Lunch and Dinner, this did not stop me popping into 
We walked past 
A shiny New Menu awaited us complete with prices higher than January. Marg dismissed the Delhi Achari Lamb (£8.30), the first time she has told me she is not fond of – Pickle – even though 
The Calling Card was simply left with my debris on 
The Bill
This was a Hector Curry.
Beneath the Toppings was the Thickest of Masalas. From the first dip the Seasoning hit hard, then the Spice. Whoever had prepared this should be congratulated already. With the Methi to complement the finely Chopped Tomatoes and Onions, this Masala had an excellent consistency. The abundance of Tomato Seeds suggested that this could well have been a Tomato-based Masala.
The Masala looked distinctly – 
Very good – was an early remark from Marg. The Ginger Strips were adding to the overall experience.
The photo captured something that was only realised afterwards. The Chop was floppy, Tandoori Chops tend not to be like this.
Not another Curry-Heute, Hector? 
No Lamb, only Lamb Chops – he advised me. Lamb Chops Karahi (£9.70) it would be and a solitary Chapatti (£0.70). The extra charge reflected th
It has been a while, yet some have suggested this is all I ever eat. The Masala was familiar, Thick-Dry-Minimal, Herb-rich, Magnificent. The Chops were initially too hot to touch and so dipping strips of the not so Hot Chapatti started things off. I then took a spoonful of the Gritty Masala, the Temperature, Spice Level and Seasoning were bang on, a slight Tang developed too. Green Chillies were strewn through the Masala Mash, some were almost – Whole – adding a further – Kick. Ginger Strips kept reappearing as I dug down, occasional Stems too – Fresh Coriander. There was Methi in here too though difficult to identify, Mmmm. This is how I prefer my Masalas, no blending here, serve it as is cooked. Dark and Rich, I can replicate the appearance but not the Overall Flavour.
The Tandoori Chops had a different Texture to that which is normally enjoyed on these premises. Tandoori Lamb is Tougher but gives off so much Flavour. Again the Seasoning was all, the tongue tingled. I could not tell at the outset how many Lamb Chops were present. Each was thoroughly enjoyed, in the end I was left with one and three discarded bones. Never have Four Chops entertained so much. I have not enjoyed anything as much as this in the past month. Was the last time when I was at 
I asked if anyone wished to comment:
