When Kenneth and Hector first set foot in Prague back in ’92, we were home early every night. Perhaps, for those who know, this may have changed. After a Splendid Day with the Bier Guru, Fred Waltman, Hector was back at Andel, the Taj Mahal Express (Mozartova 942/10, 150 00 Praha) was only metres behind the Ibis Mala Strana.
The lights were on, somebody was home, but inside there was no activity. That the Taj Mahal Express was closed was expressed very quickly. The dining area was in darkness. A Takeaway was offered. Why not?
No Bread
Mein Host, Russell, was quick to tell me that no Bread was available, If there was a Tandoori, this was charged down. Russell?- the Calling Card was issued almost immediately as we began our amusing chat. It was clear that Hector needed Curry. Russell was happy to serve. The Hector Curry was described. Lamb Rezala (185Kc) was apparently The Dish. With no Bread, the Special Fried Rice had to be The Accompaniment. The usual request for – Dry, no Capsicum – was accepted. Russell was through to see The Chef.
Less Sauce, make it thick. The Spice Level was discussed. Three Chillies was agreed.
The term – Papa – was heard from the kitchen.
The Bill
230Kc. (£6.09). Hector can afford this.
The discourse continued whilst the Curry was prepared. Soft and Strong Drinks were offered, gratis, and refused. Why spoil a Perfect Day’s Bier Drinking? Staropramen was the Bier on Tap, never drink this. Russell, Calling Card in hand, guessed where else I had been. Curry House was first up. I had to admit to my visit earlier today. Who reviews two Curry Houses in one day?
Taj Mahal Express has only been in operation for ten days. Other Sources show an Indian Restaurant at this locus, but here we are, Curry-Heute is at the cutting edg
e.
Ten o’clock is the closing time for every (Indian?) Restaurant in Prague. Chaps come out to police this, I was told. The entire visit was therefore in semi-darkness. Russell’s Lady was there to wait, patiently, that smoking was suddenly permitted caused concern. There is either a rule or there is not.
Russell’s son was The Chef. He brought the Curry, the Photo was mandatory.
The Chef assured me that if I returned, he would cook – Something Special. Why not tonight? OK, churlish, he wanted to go home.
Meanwhile back at The Ibis
The Complimentary Plastic Bag had three containers, the Rice, The Rezala, The Chillies (four). Hector was charged an extra 10Kc for the Chillies. (?)
Now what? I had no plate, no cutlery. In the UK they at least supply a spoon. My next Kebab will be in Düsseldorf next Thursday, surely Hector would not be reduced to Kebab Eating Mode? Indeed.
Improvisation was required. There are no more Photos.
The Aroma was Mouthwatering. The Masala in the Rezala was Creamy. After some time Peanuts came to mind, there was as a Nut Flavour to this Dish. This was not a Satay, but the Overall Flavour was – Creamy and Nutty. Pleasant? Hector was enjoying this Curry then realised there was more Rice than Curry.
Peas dominated the Special Fried Rice, the Rice had Flavour too, success. I had mentioned Herbs, extra Coriander was the oft mentioned ingredient. Green Cardamom was to the fore. There was Genuine Flavour emanating from this Curry. The Fresh Green Chillies were addressed as required, The Kick. The Minimal Lamb was Tender, why so little Meat? Not enough Meat!
Overall, a Late Night Special. Appreciation for staying open to serve. The Curry was certainly Good, not Outstanding, there was Genuine Flavour. The temptation to return was established, but being this close to the Ibis will work against it. The Taj Mahal Express is not open early enough for Breakfast Curry, and is closed too early, KFC may be the easier late night option.
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.
Somebody, somewhere suggested a trip to Bradford. It was not Hector, but Hector could not sign up quick enough. Would Our Man in Bradford actually be in the country? He said so. And so RickFest 2015 was born.
He loves it – was Yvonne’s report on Craig’s progress. Craig was siting two to my left, I could only watch. Craig’s Lamb and Potato Balti disappeared in record time. Craig had accepted Chapattis too, no Rice. Twelve Chapattis had been served, three Inclusive Chapattis with every Portion, this is how it should be. Mags enjoyed her’s too, but made comparison to the 
Yvonne enjoyed her Krahi King Prawn Masala, and some. The prawns are gorgeous, absolutely outstanding. The is – Wow – honestly brilliant. I don’t recall Curry-Heute ever recording such a positive set of comments from Yvonne.
Indulgence? Absolutely! Hector had been in Bradford for some seven hours without Curry. The possibility of a Late Lunch could have staved off what appears here. After the Ritual Photos were completed, Hector found he was unable to commence The Feast. Everything was Hotter than Everything Else. Chops have to be handled, this was impossible, The Masala equally so when dipped with the Chapatti. Time to admire the Ample Karahi, the Masala Mash was comparable to that served at the 
Omar brought two Hot Poppadoms and the Spiced Onions. Sometimes the Pre-Starters can be filling, pace required. Behold – The Fish. This is all for Hector, ridiculous! Normally two would share this, who was complaining? There should be Posters of the 
The surface had a Baked Crust of Herbs and Spice, underneath lay the Freshest of Haddock. One could eat this then leave. Indeed, this followed by the 
Feast the eyes. This is not simply some Vegetables stirred into Plain Basmati and served, this has Class, and needless to say – Flavour. It is ages since I have had this as Goshat Karahi et al lend themselves to Chapattis. Cauliflower, Peas and Potatoes are in abundance. When the Lamb and Turnip was spread on top so yet another Vegetable. I had a brief moment of alarm when I surveyed how relatively little Meat I had before me, this is what I wanted? Could Hector turn Vegetarian, is the Chicken Curry a matter of days away? Calm.
The
The Bill
Hector’s favourite Band of all time is CAN, from K
With Jonathan on my right and Marg on my left, we were treated to over an hour of Steve Hackett Solo Album Tracks. The Tour is entitled from Acolyte to Wolflight, the only two Steve Hacket Solo Albums Hector possesses. Spectral Mornings kicked off the show. The current album – Wolflight featured prominently, Out of The Body, Wolflight, Lovesong to a Vampire, The Wheel’s Turning. The vocals sounded more convincing – Live – than they do in the studio recording. From forty years ago came Ace of Wands, A Tower Struck Down and the end sequence to the Magnus Opus – Shadow of the Hierophant.
The Bass Player was blond, wore glasses and bright red trousers. That looks like Roine Stolt – I said to Jonathan when he entered the stage. The Band were introduced, – On Bass, Guitar and Twelve String – Roine Stolt from the Flower Kings. And Transatlantic, Mr. Hackett! Hector’s day was complete. I no longer cared which of my Genesis Favourites would be dropped this evening.
Get ‘Em out by Friday, Can-Utility and the Coastliners featured from Foxtrot so, no Suppers Ready. Only the title track from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, so no Chamber of 32 Doors, Carpet Crawlers, Fly on a Windshield. A rare performance of Cinema Show, we were told preceded the conclusion to the main set- Musical Box. By now people were settling in for a long night of Classic Genesis, and it was time for the encores already? Clocks-The Angel of Mons arranged such that it did neither piece justice, was followed by a true rendering of Firth of Fifth. We needed more of what Mr. Hackett did last year, or some form of Genesis Reunion. Time to go home. Marg said she knew none of tonight’s pieces, but recognised some. Maybe she has to see a Genesis Tribute Act?
As ever, Nigel was there to supply – The Usual Rubbish.
A Musik Machine played something that was Half Musik – Half Radio. The vocal interruptions were baffling. We were being invited to phone in to something dubious. The room started to warm up. The Decor still amuses, more Ice Cream Parlour than Curry House. Never be put off by the Spartan Ambience, Hygiene Legislation is strictly enforced in the UK.
Stewart and Hector were invited to have the odd numbered Chops, we happily complied.
ly enthralled by the Karahi Gosht.
Meanwhile Craig was eating, knife and fork in hand as ever. You take the man out of Edinburgh…