A delightful day for a Curry-Heute

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Hector

It is always a delightful day when Mother comes to call.  This is the lady who cooked the vast majority of Hector’s first 500 Curries.  The Final of The French Open (tennis) would keep her entertained as would the presentation of Hector’s current Curry-Heute.

Of late Hector has been experimenting with Tamarind.  The pressed variety looks like Dates but has a very bitter taste.  This is similar I conclude to the newly discovered Karela that has impressed of late.  The meat was a kilo of Lamb on-the-bone obtained from the re-opened KRK who have supplied Hector with his Halal meat requirements for years.  Mushroom and Potato were added towards the end.

On a variation from the recipes printed in the menus above, I made the Masala in the Karahi and cooked the Lamb in mixed spice, which I had ground myself, in a separate pot for an hour before bringing the two together for a final fusion.

Hector admits that this was the most inferior of the three Curries consumed this weekend.  Marg and the dear Mother ate all that was set before them and made all the correct positive comments.

The Doorstep Challenge

Hector awaits a comment from Robin…

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‘The Friends of Hector’ storm the Karahi Palace

Posted on June 4, 2011 by Hector

Sitting in Café Salma last evening I thought it better to warn the New Karahi Palace (53 Nelson St, Tradeston, Glasgow G5 8DZ – just along from The Village) that up to ten of us would be descending upon their premises mid afternoon.  Hector also wished to confirm that the upstairs restaurant would be made available to us as it does not normally open until later in the evening.  Communication was achieved but then I kept being passed to other colleagues who appeared to be trying to extract from me what the order would be.  As they would be cooking to order this would save time, alas we were not that well organised, for the majority this would be their first visit, and most certainly not their last.  Hector was worried that he may have ordered a takeaway for ten and not a table at three.

Curry Before Bier, for some

Hector was first to arrive, and pointing upwards I received the nod.  There is a wonderfully large table in the upper room which is designed for such a gathering as The Friends of Hector.  Some were to be reminded of the Turmchen, aka the ‘Station Bar’ in Traben-Trarbach.  Howard and Tracey were next to arrive, they were not first time visitors.  Dr Stan strode up the stairs and took his place.  One could see he was amused.  Craig, Yvonne and Mags ambled in via the other place and some Jaipur.  This set Craig on his choice of meal; he would have something Jaipur based.  In the end, his Baby Curry was to prove to be the only disappointment of the day, it was too mild, even for Craig.

The Karela Handi Gosht was a revelation on Hector’s last visit.  It was not on the menu, having only been on the board downstairs   It was available.  ‘Dr Stan and I shall share one kilo please’.  This was my decision, Dr Stan was happy to trust my judgment.  We were promptly told that it was not available by the kilo.  Moments later there was a confirmation that it was , here we go.

Yvonne ordered a hot Karahi Gosht, Mags a Tikka Gosht, Howard a Handi Gosht, and Tracey her now favourite Keema Mutter.  Boiled Rice, Mushroom Rice, Paratha and Chapattis were ordered as accompaniments.  No starters, but the complementary salad would appear.  We were told twenty five minutes; Yvonne showed her protest by stealing both my napkins.  In the end it took an hour to prepare this array of meals.  Nobody made any comment.  What would Robin have done?

Where were Jonathan, Alan and John? Ah well, they will never know what they missed.

The Salad

Two plates of Salad were presented after twenty five minutes with a bowl of hot red sauce, a small bowl of Raita and a huge bowl of Raita with chopped cucumber and who knows what else.  This was for Tracey who had raved about the Raita after her last visit.  We were all allowed some.

The meals arrived and pretty much together.  It is annoying when one or two meals or sundries appear to have been overlooked and nobody feels able to commence.  One could sense Yvonne’s unease with the fact that Craig had ordered something totally inappropriate, his error as he freely admitted.  The rest of us got tore in.

Mags was overwhelmed by the quantity, especially when compared to the neighbouring venue where I shall comment again, if the portions become any smaller one will have to order double.  Of course sharing a kilo is a guarantee of satisfaction. Dr Stan was making positive noises from across the table.  Tracey was thoroughly enjoying her Mince and Peas, Howard his Handi.

Hector was in his element.  The Mushroom Rice itself is a standout accompaniment.  The bitterness of the Karela, a dark thread strewn through the Masala, complements perfectly the natural sweetness of the Lamb on-the-bone.  This is a distinctive taste and a thoroughly pleasant one.  With this even better replica (?) of the great meal presented on my previous visit, I have no hesitation in adding the New Karahi Palace to my list of Recommended Curry Houses.

 

 

The Bill

The Bill was ordered whilst Dr Stan was still eating.  I think his share of the kilo was bigger than mine.  He kept spooning more and more meat from his clay pot.  £86 between seven, and allowing for the fact that two of us had effectively eaten an extra Curry – great value.  The waiter brought a tenner back up to us to verify that this was not an error.  The meal was worth it and the Chef was applauded as we left.

We shall most certainly be back.

Tomorrow is payback time…

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Cafe Salma, Pendragon and Andy Sears!

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Hector

This is the start of a busy weekend of Curry, Prog Rock and the Sunday lunchtime payback.  Hector Naypals was once again the lone diner at Café Salma (523 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow, G3 7PQ).  Hassan was not at his usual post, though his very beautiful young lady assistant beamed her usual gracious smile. The face was put to the Glasgow voice heard on the last visit, a new greeter.  He was keen to give the customary Café Salma welcome though it is evident that our new Assistant-Mein Host knows sod all about Prog Rock.  Pendragon are in town, their third Glasgow gig in the last couple of years after a gap of over twenty.  Things are looking up on the Prog Front, the Glasgow Curry Front does not have to worry.

The menu was scoured to avoid any embarrassing cock-up on my part. This time concentration was to the fore: ‘Hot, and on-the-bone’, I forgot this in my haste the  last time I ordered. The Lahori Karahi is Hector’s favourite meal at Cafe Salma , and with Mushroom Rice gets the weekend off to a fine start.

The Complementary Poppadom, Onion Chutney and Dips were consumed whilst aforementioned sub-host engaged me in conversation.

The superb dish arrived in good time, well who else was the Chef preparing for?  Sizzling hot in the Karahi, a magnificent creation, and why I eat so much Curry.  Other food pales in comparison.  There was a mass of Mushroom Rice but this proved no problem for Hector whose appetite was honed for this moment.  The meat was piled on; three pieces of bone the rest the tenderest Lamb, the Masala thick with a hint of sweetness.  Who needs The Village?


Hassan appeared, still no hug, well I was eating

Hassan was pleased to inform Hector that that Chef #1 is back from vacation in Pakistan.  This is a relief for Hassan as there is sense of trust the subordinates have apparently not yet achieved.  The sun was shining in this late evening as Hector departed for the Bon accord to await Marg and the rest of the proceedings.

Pendragon in Glasgow, how I love to write this

Pendragon are one of Hector’s favourite all time bands.  I was in an audience of less than ten one late night at Barrowlands over twenty years ago. They played to us as if we were a crowd.  Pendragon never returned to Glasgow for a very long time…  In the meantime I saw them in London (Marquee) and Rotherham (Classic Rock Society).

I asked a very helpful bar lady at The Ferry what time the band were coming on.  She didn’t know but said she would go and find out.  She came to find me with the news that the support were on at 20.30 and Pendragon were on at 21.45.  Support? Ugh!   ‘Andy Sears’ she said, ‘Andy Sears’! said Hector.

Andy Sears

Andy Sears, last seen by Hector and Marg in Rotherham a few  years ago when Twelfth Night emerged from the Prog wilderness.  The vocalist of this legendary band is touring with a solo project aimed at the release of his own CD, meanwhile with the aid of a mobile phone, he has ‘a backing band’ plugged into his keyboard to provide a bigger sound as and when required.  A couple of Twelfth Night classics were performed interspersed with some of his own new songs.  Does this guy give it all when he performs – Hector could not do this, Hector could eat Curry on stage if ever there was a requirement to do so.

Pendragon

Bang on time, Pendragon took the stage and kicked of the with the title track of the new album – Passion.  The crowd went wild, all 100+ of us.  The reception was appreciated.  Nick Barrett the main man, writer, singer, wit and guitarist of note must wonder what he has to do to perform before thousands.  In Poland, Pendragon do…

A superb set, not too overdosed with new tracks.  The back catalogue is now vast after over thirty years of recording.  No (Breaking) ‘The Spell’ which has to disappoint, but the main set ended with Indigo from Pure, surely the finest moment in this band’s recording history.  There must be a special mention of the other Clive, Clive Nolan, keyboard player, composer of epics – and Marg’s favourite Prog Chap more through his work with Arena.  When are Arena touring again?

And there’s more

The night ended with a check on my emails at the end of the concert: Frank from the Altstadt Café, Traben-Trarbach, has confirmed he has a room for Hector, Lord Clive and Lady Maggie for the Wolf Strassenfest in September.  Maggie does not mind sharing with Clive and Hector. Could a day be any better?

Posted in [Cafe Salma] | 1 Comment

Glasgow – Mother India’s Cafe – Dr Stan’s Birthday

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Hector

Two satisfied customers

It is a holiday; it is Dr. Stan’s birthday. Hector had a Horrible Curry yesterday, so what better way to celebrate than a visit to Mother India’s Café (1355 Argyle St, Glasgow, G3 8AD). Dr. Stan and Hector have never dined here together. On Hector’s last visit he announced to the World that the Kofta Palak was the best ever tasted, this was the objective for the day.  Today, there was no Kofta Palak. (Was there ever?)

Sadly the required dish was not available as one of the Specials today. They did have Vegetable Kofta, so we both ordered this. Dr Stan’s other selections were the Handi Chicken and Lamb Saag. Hector had his usual Machi Masala and Lamb Karahi. Four Chapattis to share were the accompaniments. The place was remarkably busy; Hector is not used to seeing so many people out eating at the same time. At 14.30 one may have anticipated peace and quiet, this place does a roaring trade.

Lamb Karahi

The Tapas portions arrived piecemeal; I was getting stuck into the excellent Lamb Karahi when the Vegetable Kofta appeared.

Vegetable Kofta

The balls were mushy; the Masala was light in colour – Soup! – is what best describes this dish. A very tasty soup it was too.

Chicken Handi

Meanwhile with my attention back on the Lamb Karahi, Dr Stan was trying to work out the familiar taste of his sweet Chicken Handi. It was two hours later when – Mango – was uttered form the maestro’s lips.

Lamb Saag

The Lamb Saag passed without comment, but the Machi Masala is always perfection. The best Fish Curry in Glasgow?

Machi Masala

The Bill  

£35.80, or 5p less than yesterday’s unhappy encounter in Cambridge. This included a litre of Sparkling water at £3.25 for the litre. This was quality food served by attentive staff, one could live here too.

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Cambridge – The Curry King

Posted on May 29, 2011 by Hector

The Bubble Bursts

Marg and Hector spent the day being tourists in Cambridge. This was Marg’s first visit and she had not actually seen the city centre despite having been here since Friday night, this was a little overdue.

Kings and Queens

It was the dear lady who spotted The Curry King (5 Jordan’s Yard, off Bridge St, Cambridge, CB2 1 UG?) as we approached the Cam with the objective of being punted. A splendid Meze at a Turkish restaurant nearby was the venue for lunch. We resolved to complete the symmetry of Curry House titles

Marg had to be reminded later of Hector’s Primary Curry Rule as the walk to the town centre from the accommodation loomed large before us.

Maybe I’ll just have a Pakora – were the immortal words.

Marg opted for the Chicken Bhalti – Fairly dry, tasteful – cooked with bhalti sauce which is created from many different herbs and spices by Patak. Served in a wok with pilau rice separately. Hector’s mind had been made up earlier in the day from the menu on display at the door: Lamb Garlic Fairly spicy, not hot – Whole cloves of garlic deep fried in oil, then cooked with selected spice. Served in a thick sauce. I asked for it to be served hot, this was not a problem.

Overlooking the fact that the Balti came with Rice, we ordered a Mushroom Rice and two Chapattis.

The Drinks

At this point I should have anticipated what was to come later. For an undisclosed price (£2.95 per half pint) Marg ordered a Lassi. It was not Mango as she desired but sweet. The Sparkling Mineral Water was £3.50 a pint, the same price as the draught Kingfisher. There will be someone on the planet who can explain the logic behind this, I cannot. The beer was ordered, my first with a Curry for …. a long, long time. It was terrible. The water would have tasted much better.

A Micro Robin


The time it took you dear reader to load this page is commensurate with the time it took for the meals to arrive. This house must have the classic two pots of sauce. One may deduce that given Patak is mentioned on their menu, the subtle blend of Spice and Herbs is a paste out a catering sized tin? Marg did enjoy her meal, one suspects she is easier to please. Chicken? Who orders Chicken? The meat was perfectly cooked and cut with a fork. Hector does not order Chicken Curry as the meat is not porous. If I want Spicy Chicken I go to Nandos. I found the dish far too sweet; Marg had been content with the quantity she had eaten and so left me my usual taster. We both agreed that the Mushroom Rice was outstanding. Here endeth the positive.

The Lamb

There are times Lamb is so tough one suspects it could be bovine. The meat was cut small in the Bradford style, but that was the only similarity to the wonderful food served in North Yorkshire. The meat  was far too tough. The Masala was anything but the advertised thick. It was the Garlic that had attracted me to this dish, … the fond memories of Garlic overload on Pollokshaws Rd by the New Anand spin-off. The Garlic had been pre-fried, whole Cloves indeed. I found this to be quite unpleasant in some mouthfulls. Was the Masala so sweet it created a juxtaposition?

Hector has had a good run of late. This has to be reported as possibly the worst Curry set before me since the Zwarg experience in Bamberg last summer.  A major disappointment.

A Service Charge?

The Bill came to a surprisingly inflated £35.85 including a £3.50 Service Charge. This was either a flat rate charge or 10.8% of the core price. Either way in the true Edinburgh style they’ll have had their tip.

Hector will not be back.

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Cambridge – Curry Queen

Posted on May 28, 2011 by Hector

This is Hector’s third visit to Cambridge and his third visit to the Curry Queen (106 Mill Road, Cambridge, CB1 2BD). The first visit was outstanding hence the return which was not quite so memorable. Tonight determines whether this venue deserves to join the list of Hector’s Recommended Curry Houses.

After a day of excellent pubs and bland Bier in Norwich, we returned to Cambridge to find Jaipur awaiting us in the Kingston Arms. This must have been a good omen for Curry eating but not for Man Utd whom we watched succumb to the magnificent Barcelona. As soon as the presentation ceremony was over we left Bernard (in Cambridge en route from South America) and Craig and nipped around the corner for food.

At 22.00 or so the place was not so busy. We squeezed into our seats and declined the offer of Poppadoms. Marg announced she was having Lamb Palac, Hector nearly fainted. What on earth has happened to this dear maiden who never strayed from Korma? Hector could not identify any clear winner in the selection stakes and so engaged the young waiter. He immediately passed me to a more experienced chap who listened to me identify my requirements. Hari Mirchi Spice was what he suggested. At first glance at the menu this appeared to be a suitable solution. A Mushroom Rice and an Aloo Paratha were the accompaniments, for a change.

Well within One Robin

The meals were presented and Marg became very excited about her dish.

You would love this! – she declared. It had a kick, genuine flavour with Citrus to complement the Spinach. As Marg always leaves me some I knew I would have the chance for further comment.

The Hari Mirchi Spice had a strange green glow, well this is how it appeared in the viewfinder, but not necessarily in the flesh. Two large Green Chillies were floating in the Masala, this looked to be quite a treat. The Masala was wonderful, the request for – dry – had clearly got lost, but come on, when a Masala is this good it is worth celebrating. The only criticism Hector had about his meal was that it was Tikka Lamb that had been presented. However, this Tikka Lamb was done to perfection. The BBQ flavour was a pleasant change, the meat itself was decidedly succulent. It is rare to find Tikka Lamb this good. Crawley was probably the last time.

The Rice portion did not look huge but was deceptive. The Paratha was on the small side but despite having eaten little since breakfast we were still marginally defeated by the overall quantity of the meal.

Marg had left four pieces of tender Lamb. One can only speculate as to how much meat we had been given initially. Hector was determined that this was not going to waste. Marg ordered coffee, Hector slowly cleared the leftovers. The tender Lamb was slightly on the chewy side, the Tikka was definitely the better option.

The Bill

At under £30 with two soft drinks and a coffee, this was good value too.

The Verdict

Overall this venue has impressed again and so deserves to be the first Cambridge entry in the Recommended List.

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A Handi Karahi Palace

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Hector

The dust has settled after the awards evening and the word ‘fix’ has been read on many pieces of internet traffic that have been circulating.  Time to move on.

A weekend in Cambridgeshire may be on the horizon, however it is three days since Hector had his last Curry-Heute experience, too long.  The (New) Karahi Palace (51-53 Nelson St, Tradeston, Glasgow, G5 8DZ – just along from The Village) was once again the chosen venue – another chance to experiment.

A small group deep in discussion was blocking the doorway as I entered.  Were they about to eat, had they eaten?  They left, leaving Hector once again the sole diner in a Curry House.

The waiter recognised me and approached without the menu.  Hector had two objectives:  to sample the Handi and avoid the dreaded Capsicum.  I asked for the menu.

There were various options on the Handi list.  The Chicken was dismissed but these still left Lamb permutations. Chops – half kilo – Kerala (sic).  I took advice, well I tried to.  Nothing was being recorded and the young waiter was not giving much away.  The word Vegetable was uttered when the Karela was enquired about.  This was it – but I was then informed it was not ready and there would be a fifteen minute wait – perfect – cooked just for Hector!

 Karela v Kerala

Hector thought he was ordering a regional dish.  It now appears that this was no menu misprint; ‘Bitter Melon’ or ‘Bitter Gourd’ (how much?) is how Karela is described on other sources.  The advantage of the internet and hindsight.  It is ‘yon jaggy green vegetable’ I keep seeing in KRK and had no idea what it was or what to do with – though the shape does tacitly put images in the mind that are better never disclosed.

Fifteen minutes later

I had declined the ‘Salad and Sauce’, I had no intention of eating it.  ‘Chapatti or Nan?’  I was asked in the interim.   The Mushroom Pilau arrived – gosh – is this all for me?  Then a marvellous stone pot filled near enough to the brim with Lamb was set before me.  Not since the Alishan served their famed Pholan Devi in such a manner has a Curry looked so impressive.

The tender Lamb (on-the-bone) was dry and cooked to perfection.; the Masala such as it was, thick.  There was a thin layer of Ghee on the bottom of the pot.  The thickest Chapatti ever set before Hector was dipped into this melange – there are times dining alone can be frustrating and so dear reader you may imagine me punching the air. What a find!

Handi Karela Gosht

The super-taste that would put this curry top of my list never revealed itself; however, there was something decidedly unique about the flavour.  I now know what.  There was a stringy green-black Vegetable strewn through the Lamb – was this the Karela?  If so, I look forward to this experience again.

More bitter than Methi, cooked by a Chef who clearly knows what he is doing, cooked to order: this experience ticks many boxes.  At £10.90 (lemonade included) this is great value too.  I could not finish the Rice and left a third of the Chapatti.

How many more hidden Curry Cafe gems does Glasgow have?

Take another look, is this not simply perfect?

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The Spiciest Night of The Year

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Hector

The Big Day dawns…

Watching the TV Baftas last evening, Hector thought he had better practice his magnanimous in defeat facial expression.  Yes folks, today is the day that Hector will discover who has been awarded the title of Scottish Curry Lover of The Year.

I would like to thank…

Jonathan has been busy. He has completed the logo for this year’s Hector’s Horrible Holidays tour  t-shirts.  Today is the perfect day to unveil this wonderful piece of artwork.  Tomorrow it will take its place on the Homepage.

And so, Curry Awards anyone….

Hector is shortlisted along with Tam Cowan the media personality and surely the favourite, along with Trampy and The Tramp (Glasgow of Curry) who won this prestigious award last year.

Update:

Well, it wasn’t me, maybe next year?

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And the Winner is …

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Hector

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times

Overheard on the foyer before the evening commenced: ‘Tam Cowan is here, he wants to know where he is sitting.’  From that point onwards Hector knew there was only going to be one winner, the royal persona from the media.  Hector, Trampy and The Tramp plus guests sat together, our names were not even read out as nominees.  The first, the grand prize in the raffle, was also won by…Mr Tam Cowan. This evening was certainly not kosher.  Bitter, moi? 

On a positive note, the raffle did raise a mass of cash for the nominated charity – Scottish Spina Bifida.

 

The Scottish Curry Awards sponsored by… this is a non commercial, non profit making site and so no more plugs.

Hector had invited all those he thought would be interested in joining him at The Curry Awards.  Only Steve and Juliet accepted the invitation.  Yes, Steve and Hector wore the kilt.  The ladies looked splendid too (ouch!).

The evening was certainly an enjoyable experience.  Dr Charan Gill MBE did a magnificent job as MC for the evening.  The highlight for Hector was by far the time spent in the company of last year’s winners ‘Trampy and The Tramp’.

We discovered of course that we have been following similar paths around the Glasgow Curry houses for years.  We each have our favourites but it would appear that Café Salma currently is our common ground.  Our respective ladies, Marg and the future ‘Mrs Tramp’ have hatched a plan for a night out with the core of the two nominated websites.

The Cosmic Jokers

It has come to my notice that the Edinburgh based 5pm Blog as well as TATTGOC thought Hector was German.  Nicht var.  However, The Tramp and Hector are both astonishingly knowledgeable on 1970s Krautrock.   Manuel Göttsching who has featured previously in Curry-Heute, Can – Hector’s favourite all time band, and other stalwarts from this era were discussed at length.  What are the chances of these Chaps from the Borders evolving such identical tastes in food and music years apart?  Uncanny!

The Curry-Heute

Hector was on duty of course throughout the meal.  There was Curry served and so it has to be reviewed.

London Pink was the caterer this evening.  Hector can only speculate how it is possible to cook for 700 plus covers and serve them all to their satisfaction.

The Starters were the poorest part of the meal.  This was encouraging because it endorses the Hector philosophy of good Starters, poor Mains.  The Chana dish  was cold, sweet and wet.  If it had been served as a Dessert there could have been few complaints.  The Creamy Sauce had formed a skin, so this was not particularly appealing.  (If you want to enjoy Chickpeas go to Mr India – Thali at Paisley Rd Toll.)

Three main dishes were served initially.  A Dal Curry with Beans, an Aloo Curry and most importantly Lamb on-the-bone.  The first two bowls were passed around the table first, so one was not sure how far the quantity would go.  The plate was filling up when the Lamb arrived.  Unfortunately in Hector’s zeal to extract a decent sized piece of Lamb I ended up with bone and very little meat.  Chicken Curry and some Chicken Tikka (?) were also going round the table. A rather flat Nan and a modicum of Rice were the accompaniments.

There was a sense of a whetted appetite.  Marg got on the case.  A charming waiter asked if we wanted more, minutes later a charming waitress asked the same.  Having replied ‘yes’ to both Marg secured a significant quantity of Lamb both on and off the bone, and another  bowl of Rice. 

Let the party commence.  The Masala was of the ‘old fashioned’ variety, thin and oily but it has a flavour we were all brought up on – superb.

The Other Prize-winners

The Ashoka in Johnstone won the Team of the Year – fine if you like the mainstream.  Similarly the Restaurants of the Year by region and the overall winner were all big names.  Let the little guys get the recognition they deserve please.  This Blog insists that Mr Shah at Yadgar makes the best Curry in Scotland!  Hector is very interested in the Chef of the Year – Ajmal Mushtaq of Mushtaq’ Restaurant (154 Alamda St, Hamilton).  This place must be worth a visit.  In the true Bafta style, the winners of the two main awards could not be present, so they will not not even rate a mention.  It is my Blog, my standards.

Finally, the DVDs

Hector made a DVD presentation to explain why he should be Curry Lover of The Year as asked for by the organisers.  Trampy and The Tramp complied too.  Did the winner?  None were shown.

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Aberdeen’s Lahore Karahi

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Hector

Curry-Heute #2

Steve has been raving about the Lahore Karahi (145 King St, Aberdeen, AB24 5AE) which he now visits on every visit to this city. Marg and Hector met Graeme just after 18.00, who had moved King St this far from George St? It had been described to me as a cafe, but this was certainly more upmarket than the Glasgow-Manchester-Bradford style of Curry Cafe.

Graeme’s first remark was that the premises were not licensed. This is never a problem for Hector.  Graeme is one of only two people I would ever contemplate a Bier with over a Curry, but not tonight. They did not have Sparkling Water so there was no drink order from me.  Marg had a Mango Lassi.

The Methi Gosht caught my eye so that was me sorted. Graeme and Marg both went for the Lamb Karahi. There is the option of Lamb on-the-bone but an hour’s notice is required, next time. A stuffed Paratha, one Pilau Rice and a Buttered Roti were the accompaniments.

A Dippy Waitress

Hector was wondering if Marg’s assistance at Hannah Bakes Cakes tomorrow would last all afternoon thus permitting the intake of the on-the-bone Lamb Karahi.

‘What time do you open tomorrow?’

‘The same time as today’

At least she did bring the complimentary Poppadoms and possibly the meanest set of dips ever presented. A Chap appeared to ask how we wished our Paratha to be stuffed. The Keema was declined in favour of the more traditional Aloo.

There was only one other table of diners so our meal did not take too long to arrive. The food was brought by another waitress: ‘Saag?’ Now it always worries me when the staff even think the meals look the same.

There could have been more Methi in my Curry. This was enjoyable but nowhere near as impressive as Steve’s great discovery in München. Marg liked the fact that the pieces of meat were small. I did manage to taste a fair bit of Marg’s Karahi as the quantities served were certainly generous. This was perhaps sweeter than my Methi as one would hope.

Graeme enjoyed his meal and this was his first ever Paratha. This will become his new standard side as even he feels that Nan can be overwhelming at times.  The Rice did the three of us, so again a positive comment on the portions.

*

The Bill

£35 was very fair, but there was only one soft drink.

Hector will be back.

(There was a text from John in Munich this afternoon winding me up with messages that the Indian Mango was closed. I have emailed Mr Jolly to find out more.)

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