The Silly Season is upon us, that time of year when our usual Berths at t’Local are occupied by Screeching Wumin. City Centre Pubs are a – No-Go Area – for the discerning Ale-Supper. It is a Friday Night, an Opperchancity to venture to one’s Local Takeaway – for Curry-Heute!
New Kismet Tandoori (311 Drumry Rd, Drumchapel, Glasgow, G15 8PA) is Hector’s nearest venue, just across the Glasgow City Boundary.
How are you? asked Mein Host as I entered.
I was here this same Friday last year – I informed him. Three Takeaways in twelve months, they will not make millions waiting for my business. Actually, New Kismet does very well.. Pizzas, Donner, Munchy Boxes and even – Curry – were flying out the door as I waited for my order around 17.30.
Having read the entries for New Kismet in a Reliable Curry Website, I took care to get the Order precise, an optimal Hector Curry.
Lamb Karahi (£6.50), Extra Methi, Extra Green Chillies, no Capsicum, in as Thick and Dry Masala as you can provide. Special Rice, again, no Capsicum. The latter request was insurance, Special Rice (£2.30) comes with – Fried Mushrooms, Onions and Peas.
The Bill
£8.20. A Hector Price.
The wait was appropriate, the Curry was prepared out of sight; meanwhile I was amused at the Quantity of Donner which was placed on a Naan. Enough to feed a family of four?
Mein Host presented Hector’s Order – I have given you Poppadoms and Spiced Onion too.
Farewell bade, a flat tyre, great. Fortunately there was a pump in the boot.
Home Alone
The Takeaway was still hot enough to eat immediately despite the momentary hiatus. The Standard Plastic Trays are deceptive. Look at the Quantity of Curry and Rice, nobody could eat all this, surely? Two thirds was decanted, more later, tomorrow even.
The Rice was almost the Full Bhuna itself. Wonderfully prepared Pilau, Fresh Mushrooms, the required Diversity of Vegetables.
The Masala was Thick. The Quantity of Meat was indeterminate, Double Figures would not do this justice. The Ratio of Meat to Masala was weighted towards the Solid, Impressive.
The Green Chillies gave the required – Extra Bite – this Karahi was suitably Spicy. The Seasoning was Marginally Under what could have led to the – Wow. Topped with a Soupçon of Herb, there was not the Quantity of Methi hoped for. In a Restaurant where one is a Regular, the feedback could be given and sorted for next visit. This is more difficult with a Takeaway, unless Mein Host has time to read this. Hector is becoming Regular, an ever increasing number of visits per year.
Each piece of Tender Lamb was double the size one would be served in most Restaurants, one could taste – The Lamb.
Back to the Rice. Long Strips of Onion were contained therein, this added to the Micro pieces of Onion in the Masala. Fortunately this was far from the Large Square Chunks that feature too often in Karahi, Onions served as they should be.
This meal was a Delightful Combination. A pity the Intensity of Flavour associated with – Desi – cannot be obtained at New Kismet, however, they are serving Curry which is very enjoyable. Curry, of course, is only part of their range.
In Deutschland, Herb-rich Curry tends to be served in a Creamy Masala, this is less common in Scotland. The Lamb Methi at 
A few weeks ago, The Rickmeister raised the matter of a Barrel Party on this very day. Few knew of this, especially The Hector who ended up as Host. Pyraser Landbier (Pyras, Bayern) was the main event, with a smaller barrel of 
With no Ladies or Babies present today, there was the Opperchancity to up the Spice Level. Hector had not sampled his Creation at any point prior to giving The Man from Bradford a Soupçon.
Hector met Gordon some thirty five years ago. This evening we dined together for the first time, though for a couple of the early years we did eat regularly under the same roof, complicated. Part of the reason why we met up this evening will be revealed below. Having flown across The Pond from Florida, only the Very Best of Glasgow Curry could be consumed. 
The 
The two Karahi were presented with Sizzling Oil and Masala, always an impressive sight, where is the audio? The Chapattis were too hot to handle initially, no way could the Meat be tackled until the Sizzling has ceased. We both scooped the Minimal Masala from under the Lamb on to strips of Chapatti, even for The Hector after seventy-plus visits, this never ceases to amaze.
Full of Flavour, the Spice and Seasoning also hit the mark. Any discerning Curry Lover could not fail to be impressed by this interpretation of Karahi Gosht. The lack of Ballast sets the Standard that the majority of venues fail to reach. The Lamb was a mixture of Chops and Other Cuts, as Tender as Lamb could be. The pile of bones were set aside, there was still a Mass of Meat to be consumed. By eating directly from the Karahi, the temperature of everything was maintained. Why decant to a cooler plate?
It has been a long, long time since The Hector and The Man from Bradford had Curry together. Hector has even questioned if Ricky still eats Curry given his poor showing at 
Karahi Palace
Naveed was introduced to The Man from Bradford. From Swansea on Sunday, Bradford today, people are travelling some distance to dine here. Naveed brought two warm cans of Fanta and a small ice bucket. These were instantly exchanged for warm Mango Rubicon (£1.20). The fridge had broken down.
The halved Naans and the Large Karahi arrived in good time. The Naan immediately impressed, Light and Fluffy with a sufficiency of Well -fired Bubbles. This has been Hector’s Bread of choice in recent visits. One suspects The Bread Chef was working this shift.
The Sucky Bones were Marrow-rich. The Lamb was Tremendously Tender. The Intensity of Flavour from this Dish was why I brought Ricky here, it is Unique, a Standout, a – Wow! – on every visit. The Spice and Seasoning were spot on, everything about this Meal was Perfect.
We had enough, as ever, Hector managed just over half of a Naan. Ricky thought the Naans could have been larger, but was happy to take some of the Hector Remnant.
And so it came to be that as promised to Ikram at the Desi – Curry Palace two weeks ago, Hector has returned to sample the Fayre at their new sister premises – 
Two Plates of Basmati were set before us. Mother always touches the side of a plate to check the Temperature. Stone cold – was her immediate observation. This she hates.
The Two Curry Portions looked Generous, the Masala was Standard Purée in appearance, however, expectations were more. This is the 
The Salad came into its own. The Lettuce, Tomato and Cucumber added Variation in Texture, the monotony of Meat and Rice was broken, what has Hector been doing all these years? I blame the Germans – who frequently serve Seductive Salads ages before The Mains arrive.
Mother was introduced and the tale of 
The Traditional Veg Pakora came in two Portions of Eight good sized pieces. The Irregular Shapes was down to the fact that the Potatoes had been cut as Small Chips. The Pakora were decidedly Fresh and Tasty, the Chilli Dip was the Perfect accompaniment. A Starter then a share of a Handi Gosht, just as well Hector had nothing to eat prior to this. My fellow Diners were similarly starved.
Naveed brought the Lamb Chops first. The 
Lovely, lots of meat, a rich sauce – was Marg’s take on the three Chops she managed before admitting defeat. Half of her ample Chapatti also remained. Hockey had left her Hungry, not Ravenous.
The Signature Dish at 
The Masala was Delightfully Thick and full of Flavour. Cloves are what came to Hector’s mind, Marg took a Soupçon and said – Ginger. She confirmed that her Masala was similar to that presented here. Mark confirmed that this was entirely different in Taste to what he had experienced before, the reason we were here. Five Bones were contained within the Melange of Very Tender Lamb and Masala, all Sucky Bones.
Naveed came to ask, twice, if there was anything else we required. Marg ordered another, collective, Mango Rubicon.
That was pretty good. – was Mark’s effusive comment. He ranked this Dish at 
Update – Monday Lunch
The Mystery of a third Indian Restaurant – Haveli – at Dumbarton Central Station continues. This former Pub was re-branded over a year ago, there has been no sign of activity since.
From the Chef’s Specialities, Lagan Ki Boti (£8.95) – Try a little tenderness, melt in the mouth diced lamb simmered slowly with ginger, chillies and our chef’s secret garam masala with exotic punjabi spices – devine! (sic) – was already Hector’s Choice, a Paratha (£2.50) to accompany. Lagan Ki Boti is not a Dish one encounters often. This Dish featured last year when Marg and Hector returned to 
The Pakora was presented soon afterwards, eight pieces per Portion. The Pakora was full of Flavour, Fresh Coriander to the fore. Very pleasant tasting – said Eleanor. Marg gave the highest praise – Nearly as good as the 
The Machi Masala was the first Dish placed on the table. A Thick, light-coloured Puréed Masala, I sensed another ingredient I try to avoid. Coconut? I said to Marg. This she confirmed. Marg was quick to assure me that the Coconut was not dominating. A Soupcon came my way, the taste of Fish was much to the fore, as one would hope. Sweeter than The Hector seeks, however, it was Marg’s Choice and she was well impressed.
The Lamb Adhraki looked the part. Topped with Ginger and Fresh Coriander, the Masala was also Light in Colour, I liked the singed edges of the Masala in the karahi. The Boiled Rice was enough to share, Marg benefited from this. There was no need to ring the Alarm for 
The Lagan Ki Boti was the last Dish to arrive, the Paratha moments later. The Paratha was a Disappointment, Served in Quarters, it was Thin and Greasy, not the Layered and Flaky – whole – Paratha – The Hector seeks.
*
Mein Host was keen to tell us about two Chicken Dishes – Tava Chicken – Pieces of chicken cooked with capsicums & onions in a ginger garlic sauce with green chillies in a cast iron tava garnished with mozzarella – and – Murgh Khali Mich – A hot peppery chicken dish with an onion, tomato, garlic & freshly ground black pepper sauce. The Hector could one day consider the latter, but at the risk of exhausting the point, see the 
Restauracja Indyjska Shivaz (Mielzynskiego 16, 61-829 
Grey – was Steve’s observation. Far too Creamy was mine. This was as far from a Desi Korma as a Curry could be. The Masala visually was as described, a Thick blend of Nuts and Onion. What happened to the Spice? There was no Spice in this Korma at all. On a scale of one to ten, this was zero. The Seasoning was there, or was this still the Poppadom coming through? A Sweet and Mild Curry, what was this to set before The Hector? At least there was no Coconut. It made a change.
Can I have the Blandest thing on the Menu? Next time I shall read all the reviews on Curry-Heute and order – 
The Lal Gosht, as it should be called, had a slightly Creamy Masala. When I mentioned the lack of Spice in the Korma, Steve concurred, his Curry was lacking Spice also. What was Chef thinking about? Was it a lack of communication with the Waitress?
There are 144 Curry Houses in Berlin according to one Source, Hector has championed 
Marg was straight up with Gosht Subzi (€11.40) and had the Waiter verify the Main Dishes were served with Rice. This was written on the first page of the Menu, in Deutsch. A Salad would accompany too. Realising that Bhuna Gosht would be Meat and Masala and Marg was about to have the preferred mix of Meat and Vegetables, Hector looked for a Vegetable Side. Aloo Gobi Masala (€9.10) was a Main Course, I asked for a Half, not a problem. Our Waiter was most biddable, there was a tacit acknowledgement that we knew exactly what we were about.
During the wait there was time to reconfirm our rendezvous with Steve and Louise later at the Berlin Hofbräuhaus. There might have been an assumption that we would dine there together, however, after last night in Augustiner, Hector needed Real Food. This is what I attempted to put away yesterday, proof if required that I eat other than Indian Cuisine, or attempt to. Ridiculous.
Marg was well under way with her Gosht Subzi. The tenderness of the Lamb was remarked upon, twice. Cauliflower, Carrots, Peppers, Courgette, Onions and Peas were her – Interesting Vegetables. Marg had chosen well, there was certainly enough here. That she scraped the last of the Masala from the karahi then cleared every grain of Rice from her plate shows she was hungry and appreciative. It was rare to see Marg clean up in this manner, especially when the Vegetables are in Big Blobs, not so here.
When faced with two different Curry Dishes on the same plate with Rice, does one mix or eat separately? Both the Bhuna Gosht and the Aloo Gobi Masala had to be evaluated. From the first mouthful of the Bhuna Gosht, Hector was impressed.
The Aloo Gobi Masala was described on the Menu as being – Panjab – style, Regular Readers know of Hector’s preference for Punjabi Cuisine. Peas were present along with the expected Potato and Cauliflower. The Main Vegetables were cut Large, as Marg had already noted, the Texture was Firm, who wants to eat Mush? The Masala may have looked the same as the Bhuna Gosht, this did not have the same Intensity of Flavour, time to mix. There was sufficient Masala with the Bhuna Gosht to drown the Masala on the Aloo Gobi, success. I was able to remark:
When told we were from Scotland he acknowledged that this was where – Chicken Tikka Masala – originated. I related the Apocryphal Story, Mein Host was amused. He also mentioned Leonardo de Caprio who had visited Edinburgh earlier this week to dine. Leonardo did not have Curry in Edinburgh.
ling Water – €5.50. Expensive Water.
