Hector is on his travels again, the penultimate Continental Trip of 2015, the Reader will be kept in suspense as to where the Hector will pop up next. On the train in from Crawley, Hector had time to read reviews of many Curry Houses in the City of London and environs. With over a thousand to choose from not an easy task. Some must be poor, some must be outstanding, reading other people’s rants does tend to dismiss a venue very quickly. There was one venue within the area I was prepared to consider that stood out. Agra Restaurant (137 Whitfield Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 5EL, England) is apparently the fourth oldest Curry House in London, located behind Warren St. Tube Station, it is in the area of London where Hector has eaten most of his London Curry over the years, just down from Euston. London Curry does not feature extensively in this Blog, the Crawley Distraction has been too strong, however Hector needed Lunch before meeting Lord Clive for his late Lunch Break.
Arriving minutes after Noon, Hector was the first diner of the day. Mein Host asked if I wished to face out or face the kitchen, I chose to face the action inside.
The Menu was not overlong, the Main Dishes were well covered. Lamb Methi was the standout, there was a distinct lack of Hector’s Favourite Herb in the Prague Curry served up last week. The Bhuna said it was a drier Masala, so I asked for the Methi to be served as Dry, or Drier than a Bhuna. This was not a problem. Just in case I asked for Green Peppers to be withheld, this was acknowledged and noted. No clue was given as to whether – The Offending Ballast – would have appeared. Bread should accompany a Dry Curry, however Hector was in the mood for Rice. The Special Vegetable Rice was ordered, at over £4.00 a Portion this had better be good.
As ever, the replacement Trusty Samsung kept Hector amused during the wait. Looking around, this was not the biggest of venues. Seating around thirty max one would imagine booking would be necessary at peak times.
The presentation of a plate announced the arrival of the Curry. First impressions were good, I had made it clear I did not wish Shorba , this was far from Soup. The Rice portion was easily enough for two to share. London Portions? This was far removed from what Hector has been served up since the 1980s. Strangely, a single Poppadom arrived once the Curry and Rice had been set down, it was never touched, too late and no Dips.
The first taste caused a – Wow, Methi! – this was a winner. The delicious Green Herb tasted slightly burnt, a nod towards – The Bradford Curry Taste. Yes folks, the Lamb Methi was this good! The Spice Level was not demanding, the seasoning 
was fine, the was a Fully Flavoursome Dish.
The Lamb was amazingly Tender, and counted into double figures, just how ogod was this for London? Then there was the Rice. With Peas, Eggs and small pieces of Onion stirred though this was substantial. Despite the fact that Hector should have had Bread with this Curry, today this Rice was the perfect accompaniment.
Mein Host came over to ask the Customary Question.
How is it?
It’s perfect, exactly what I asked for.
We try our best.
Indeed, this was an impressive Curry.
Curryspondent – Methi Freak – remarked the other day that he is pleased at how willing I am to keep trying New Venues. One always hopes a New Gem will be uncovered. Agra certainly comes into this category. I shall definitely return here. What about the other nine hundred and ninety nine London Curry venues? It will take a while…
The Bill
£15.00, exactly. I was intrigued by the roundness of the tally. The Sparkling Water was £1.50, the Rice £4.75, the Lamb Methi £8.75. For London, these are Good Prices, and remember the portion size impressed too.
The Aftermath
A friend of Mein Host entered the premises wearing the garb one might see in Bradford. Salaam – was his greeting. Hector concludes this was a Punjabi Restaurant.
Four very Pukkah (Retired!) Diners joined the fray. Lady Doris was clearly a regular. She guided her Company through the Menu. Chicken Tikka? Oh well….
Now to walk to Farringdon to meet Olive.
It was only yesterday that the words Pakistani Restaurant caught the eye. The green exterior of Mailsi – Pakistani Restaurant (Lipanska 1, Praha 3 Czechia) must have registered on previous trips to Praha, the realisation that this is exactly what I have been looking for in my travels all year hit home. Those who follow this Blog will known that Hector’s Curry Tastes are towards the northwest of the Indian Subcontinent, the closer to Afghanistan the better. That Hector has favoured Punjabi Cuisine all his life was never fully appreciated until recent times. The 
The Keema Mutter also brought a smile to the face. I ask for – Dry -, I write about – Dry -, this was DRY! There was no Masala, none. No Oil would collect at the base of the Karahi either. This is officially the Driest Curry The Hector has ever been served. It was Mince and Peas, no more. One might dream of finding Methi, but not in Czechia, yet. Moderately Spiced, and not – Hot – as the Menu claimed, this was going to be a challenge. It was the Volume. With no Masala or Vegetable Ballast, this was a Karahi full of Mince with Peas mixed in, an enormous amount of Curry – writes the man who orders half kilos…
With a slightly later opening time advertised today, Hector arrived at the Curry House (Novákových 893/7, 180 00 Praha 8, Czech Republic) after Noon. The same Young Waiter was on duty. I asked for Mamun, – not here today. I left immediately. No I didn’t, Hector had crossed town to get here, Hector would have his Curry.
The Menu was studied, there is a clear code to state the Ingredients so that all allergies are covered. There was no Lunchtime Menu today, this may explain why there were only two and a half fellow diners. The Half was making enough noise for ten.
The Waitress had brought the Menu, however it was the Waiter who came to take the order. No Capsicum – was his first utterance. The Bangladesh Mach (265Kc) was noted with a Paratha Aloo (75Kc) to accompany. At around £7.00 for a Main Course, this was pushing the boat out in Prague.
The room started to fill. Three Chaps, followed by Three more, a Solo Diner. Some looked in then presumably sat in the outer room. When the original customers had departed we were still a dozen. This was impressive for a Suburban Curry House in the North East of the City.
The Fish was Carp, most unusual for the Fish to be identified, usually – Masala Fish – has to suffice. There was a lot of it. Remember this was some two and a half hours before Hector’s preferred eating time. The Bones were prominent, the Fish had been cooked on-the-bone, great care was taken in the eating.
The term – Dry – is used frequently in these pages to describe Curry which does not have Excessive Masala. One could say there was no Masala here, not in the usual sense. Tomatoes and Onions were visible, the Onions were semi-pulped, as I ate, the term – Carmelised – came to mind. It is possible this was so, whatever, this Curry had a set of Flavours which Hector has never experienced. As is often the case, Hector can offer little description. The Spice Level of the Dish was barely on the scale, yet this was a Curry. It was a Fish Curry and seasoning was not an issue this time.
n to wedges, always a disappointment when one cannot tear off pieces to suit. The Bread may have been Limp, but it too was Tasty. If there was Potato inside, it was but a Smear. There was enough Paratha to share. By the time the Potatoes in the Dish were tackled, the full Mass of this Dish had revealed itself. There was a lot of Fish, a struggle in the end.
e.
Improvisation was required. There are no more Photos.
The Young Waiter showed me to a table for two in the back room where most were sitting. I had counted thirteen diners, more kept coming, especially Chaps dining alone. A Lunchtime Menu was on the table, however the Main Menu had much more choice. If one takes the Lunchtime Deal then no doubt one will be eating for pennies.The Mains at around 200Kc were very favourable.
Regular Readers can skip the next few lines, you know what is coming. The Waiter was happy to withhold the Green Peppers but then asked if Red and Yellow were acceptable. We agreed – No Capsicum! His English was certainly impressive when he confirmed – Water with Gas – as – Sparkling Water. At this this point Hector could have been more assertive in – Suggesting – an Alternative Interesting Vegetable. When – Dry – was confirmed, we agreed that a Single Chapatti (30Kc) would be sufficient accompaniment.
When Chefs cannot give Capsicum as Ballast, they tend to overload with Onions, no surprise as to what was presented. That the Dish was topped with Fresh Onion Rings was somewhat Overkill. A bit of Imagination could have been employed here. Beneath the Mass of Onion was the Lamb, it was Chunky and there was plenty of it. There was little need for the Ballast. Counting Meat through the Onions, Nine, maybe Ten, good-sized pieces of Lamb were present. An Elegant Sufficiency.
This Korai was very much a Stir Fry, truly Dry with the most Minimal of a Tomato dominated Masala-Mash shrouding the Lamb. As I ate I realised that the Masala certainly had the Quality that makes a Karahi standout out from simple Stir Fry. The Tender Lamb also gave off Spice, this was not the usual Sauce poured over Meat, Hector was rapidly warming to this interpretation. The Base of the Karahi had the telltale Mash oozing Flavour from the Oily Residue. No way was this up to the High Standards set in the UK’s Best Curry Houses, however, the Onion Overdose aside, this was a Tasty Dish.
Ordering a Single Chapatti was a bit of a risk, what came was Substantial. Lightly fired it did look a bit Pale, but there was a slight Fluffiness to the Chapatti, it did not Crisp and retained its integrity. A good Accompaniment.
The Calling Card was offered to the Young Waiter at the time of payment. A Mature Chap returned with the card, this was Mamun, Mein Host. I quickly showed him the range of Countries visited then narrowed down to my previous 
Hector was The Lone Diner initially, another Chap entered and ordered Lamb Chops as a Main Course, Six Chops made up the portion. Hector was able to photograph his dinner, crazy. But what for Hector? The Handi was tempting, but the Lamb Lahori Karahi (£8.45) proved irresistible. A Tandoori Roti (£1.75) would accompany. The Menu also listed the Drinks prices, the Sparkling Water would be £2.25. Akhtar approached the Kitchen Hatch – Lamb Lahori Karahi Desi, no Capsicum. He returned to establish the Spice Level. Above Medium – was agreed.
There was an Abundance of Tender Lamb cut Large. The very familiar 
The Spice and Seasoning were at an acceptable level. Topped with Ginger Strips, the Masala was also rich in Ginger. When Akhtar came to check I did point this out. You like it that way. True, but it did tend to dominate. Somewhere in this Curry was a Semblance of 
Akhtar had taken my phone to the Kitchen whilst I dined to show the Chef the photos of 
After the shakiest of starts
The Mains came after a suitable gap. Sizzling in their respective Karahi, way too hot to start eating, time enough to take a 
Tracy’s Chicken Tikka Karahi intrigued. It did not look a whole lot different. Tracy admitted to not being that bothered about the Chicken, she would have been just as happy with the Masala. The Masala is what makes this Karahi, the Mash is so far from the Mainstream Curry Sauce this has genuine Character. If one has not been here to try it, then why not?
Hector alighted at 
The First Chap to greet me was Usy, the – Director Manager – he showed me to a table at the far end of the room. Not the largest of Venues, but more on this later. Next to show was Nick the – CEO – who made careful note of what was required. His upbeat enthusiasm was remarkable, one had to wonder what the Taxi Driver had said to him. The word – Chicken – was mentioned frequently, I had to ensure that Lamb was coming my way. Nick went out of his way to assure me that they do not simply have a One Pot System for every Curry. They would serve me Authentic, Asian Style Curry. Dry, Thick, Minimal Masala, these were all words Nick was happy with. We were talking the same language.
A Poppadom and Dips were brought. Nick then brought a Fourth Dip, a Spicier Raita. Nick informed me that Sagra was the first 
Marg phoned just as I was about to get stuck in. I asked for a telephone rain cheque. This Curry looked the part, Magnificent in Appearance, the Liberal Fresh Coriander topped the dish. I don’t do scores, but this Curry ranks among the Best ever eaten. What more praise can Hector give?
The distinctive Bradford Flavour was there. The Flavour was so Intense, this was Bradford Curry and more. One does not achieve – The Wow – often. The Lamb was cut Small a la 
For my next visit, Nick asked me to give him notice and he will prepare a Special Chicken Karahi on-the-bone. Chicken Curry? For Nick I would eat Chicken Curry, but the Great Curry Heute Test is – You have served me an Outstanding Lamb Masala Asian Style, please show you can repeat it.
There is one thing normal about a Holden Tour, we don’t all arrive at the same place by the same means of transport, at the same time, and we absolutely never all end up in a Curry House. The Rickmeister disappeared off to see Bradford FC, Three of the 
The Menu was presented, normally Omar is on duty and this is dispensed with, He knows. Omar currently works days as was reported a couple of weeks back. Dr. Stan ordered a Kebab Starter – Seekh Kebab. Having had 
The Lamb Balti was smothered in Dry Methi, exactly how I love my Curry. The Bradford Curry Flavour sat beneath the Methi, so it is definitely not Methi alone as was concluded a while back. Hector remains in the dark as to what the Chefs in this part of Yorkshire do to create such a Distinctive, Addictive Flavour. Yum.
Meanwhile our Young Waiter was revealed to be Omar’s Younger Brother, seventeen? He looks about twelve.
The Masala Mash shrouding the Fish was exactly what Hector had in mind. What sort of Fish? Masala Fish! Full of Flavour, indeed – beyond full – Fish adds a Flavour Overdose, Intense, just what the Taste-buds need at this time of day. Sausage, Bacon and Eggs, Beans, Hash Browns? No thanks.
The Chapattis numbered three, the Bradford Norm. Smaller than served in the equivalent venues in Glasgow, these were more typical of the Traditional Chapatti. Two were sufficient.