North India Flavour – Street Food (537 George St., Sydney NSW 2000 Australia) was spotted on Monday evening when we did our recce round Sydney’s city centre. A Curry Cafe with the fayre on display in kettles, a la Manchester, inviting. Instead of Curry on Monday, we had the Spiciest food ever embraced at Spice Paradise – Hunan in Chinatown.
We returned this evening at 19.30 on one of the wettest days ever experienced. Sydney, a place of extremes? Stools along the shelf at the window were the only seating. Takeaway was the main focus of the business, and people most certainly did. The stream of customers was constant, so either the food was good, or this was proof that – location – is all. 
Rice and Three (A$14.98), again very Manchester, felt the way ahead, especially after Doris showed me the containers. The Daal Makhani looked so inviting, but if I was having only one Vegetable option, it had to be Aloo Gobi. Marg chose Aloo Gobi (A$8.90) as her solitary pot, no Rice. The Goat Curry was on-the-bone, not to be missed. Lamb Rogan Josh brought up the rear, the reddish colour suggested the traditional interpretation, not the Creamy nonsense which is popping up everywhere.
A sensible Rice portion
A Masala Tea (A$2.97) completed the Order.
The Mixed Vegetables was never going to be ordered.
The Bill
A$27.18 (£14.33) OK, dearer than Manchester’s equivalent.
The wooden cutlery was not used. Hector has acquired a plastic set, much better.
Aloo Gobi
As – Dry – as a Curry can be, some of the Cauliflower had turned to Mash and was making the Masala even thicker.
There was a – Wow – moment when the Seasoning hit. Three portions of this would not have gone amiss. Well Spiced, Seasoned and the Potatoes had absorbed the Flavour from the Masala, this was as good as Aloo Gobi gets. Marg has more to say:
I would have liked it to be hotter. Warm and tasty vegetables, smothered in a spice flavour which was prominent in both the potato and the cauliflower. Had it been hotter, it would have been more of a meal.
Indeed, we both like our food to be served – hot.
Lamb Rogan Josh
The Masala was standard – Curry, brown, thin and well Seasoned. Unlike recent Masalas, there was no sense of this having come out of a packet. I was even more impressed when a piece of Cinnamon Bark revealed itself. Unsurprisingly, of the two Meat choices, this was the lesser.
Goat Curry
This animal is featuring often in this trip, and each time, served on-the-bone. Curry Leaves and Star Anise were in the mix, quality. The Masala was otherwise the same as the Rogan Josh in appearance but this was packing way more Flavour.
The Meat was on the edge of turning to pulp, so definitely Tender then.
Had I started with this I would not be writing – less well Seasoned, less Spiced, however, the Aloo Gobi not only set the standard, it stole the show.
For the first time in a while, every morsel presented was eaten. Marg did put her tuppence worth in at the point of serving – not too much Rice.
Whose Curry was it anyway?
Whole Spices, well Seasoned food, yes it could have been hotter in temperature, but if I was a Sydney resident, I would be coming here often.
There’s more.
The Masala Tea: I feel it’s good for your digestion, sweet and warm.
Hector drinks his Tea without milk or sugar, Masala Tea is therefore an anathema.
The Aftermath
A lady had sat throughout our visit on the corner stool, see second photo. Wearing polythene gloves, I deduced she was staff having a break. Her attire suggested management.
Indeed it was she who received the Calling Card, and with some enthusiasm.
Despite being in Sydney for six nights, there will only be two venues appearing in Curry-Heute. Both impressed.
It was only after booking the accommodation adjacent to Darling Harbour in 
We entered an empty Lal Qila at 13.45, one hour before the reported end of shift. Mein Host greeted and informed us that today, at lunchtime, it was Buffet. 
Having studied the menu, I believed Lal Qila had so much more to offer, this did not deter, I announced we would be back this evening – for real Curry. 
Naan has proved to be an issue in 
Day 2 in 
Lamb Karahi (A$30.90) served on-the-bone, a Signature Dish, I still had to verify there was nothing undesirable in there. On showing Mein Host 
Marg found her favourite, tonight it was called – Mudhi Keema (A£26.90). The Tondoori Roti (A£4.50) was actually spelled correctly in the blurb. Hector asked for the Plain Naan (A£4.50) to be served – whole. Butter was declined. 
Drinks were mentioned, the bottle of tap-water brought to the table with four Poppadoms and a Raita should be sufficient. Pappadums (A$5.90) were listed in the Starters section. One assumed that having brought them, these Poppadoms were complimentary. 
We settled down for the wait, sorting photos from this afternoon. A group of young ladies were given a table in the raised seating area well into the interior. In the near empty restaurant, securing photos of the layout was not an issue. 
Whilst Hector was touring the venue, Marg was devouring the Poppadoms. I asked her to leave me one half of the four. Crispy, toasted, I stopped being excited by Poppadoms ages ago, Marg likes them:
A waitress brought the food, what a lot for the Aussie Dollar. The Breads were both served – whole – as asked. The Naan lived up to its promise, risen, puffy, blisters and a sensible size. Delightfully soft, the only – more – I could have asked for was – the Tandoori teardrop – not – round. 
This smells like 
With the Oil separating towards the base of the karahi, I stirred up the Mash, here we go again. The bone count was significant, which was just as well. There comes the point when the realisation hits, no way was Hector going to finish this. Surely the Buffet penalty does not apply here?
After 
The Keema was full of crunchy small pieces of vegetables mixed with mince. A good hint of ginger and coriander was very satisfying and the meat went well with the hot Tandoori Roti. I ordered a second. 
We both hate wasting food, a Doggy Bag was not an option, no means of reheating. 
Marg had already informed Mein Host earlier in the day that there was a Curry Blog. The Calling Card was duly presented and the – 
There was an early rise, today we got to see some of what makes 
Goat Curry has been appearing regularly of late, here it was again, and on-the-bone. Lamb Rogan Josh would have had me repeat 
Meanwhile Marg was happy to have her Indian snack: Samosa Chat (A$13.00). A bottle of still water and can of fizzy orange completed the Order. 
The lady spooned more Rice than a Hector would manage on to a paper plate, then added some very runny Goat Curry and the thicker Bagan Da Bharat. She then handed me something warm wrapped in foil, the Butter Naan. Marg fetched me a wooden spoon. Wood again. Beverley has supplied me with plastic utensils, but stupidly, these were left at the hotel. Wood no more. Bring back single use plastic, stop cutting down forests. 
I unwrapped the Butter Naan. Beverley had stated earlier today that Australian Curry Houses do not serve proper Naan. This was so thin it resembled a wrap. What’s-more, 
The Aubergine in the Baingan Bharta had been cooked-in and was therefore part of the melange of Vegetables. Peas were obvious, was that pieces of Potato that I found sporadically? The dark, rich Mash of Vegetables was well-Seasoned, and despite being defined as – mild-medium – packed a decent – kick. Here was a satisfying, full on, Earthy Curry. This was excellent, and the Hector was well pleased with himself for choosing the Veggie option.
The Shorva gave the impression that it was made from – mixed Spice – the packet stuff. I have no way of verifying this, but when I see such a watery Masala I deduce it is totally lacking in Onion and I have to wonder what the base of the sauce is. 
The Meat was on-the-bone, always a plus. How much Meat was there? Nowhere near enough! This portion was either miserly or a con, the bone count does not disguise the lack of Meat. One piece was chewy, two more suitably Tender. That was it. If this was – large – I’d hate to see – small. 
The Samosas on display did look past their best, not the most inviting of pastry. The Dish that was presented was nothing like the photo on display. Where was the mound of food? Why was this so – wet? It’s about time food outlets were brought to account for this. Neither of us could identify what was sprinkled on top.
The Samosa was overdone. I liked the chickpea and found the sauce to be tangy and Curry-flavoured. 
That’s not even cooked!
Punjabi Palace (135 Melbourne St, South Brisbane QLD 4101 Australia), an – Authentic Indian Restaurant – unlike back home in 
Day 3 in Brisbane and the rain has finally stopped. The downpour which greeted us on our arrival was worse than being in Glasgow. Frontal rain passes, Tropical rain kinda lingers. 
Having had a substantial lunch, care would be taken not to over order. Definitely no Starters. The menu was standard, mostly the same Dishes as one finds in any British Indian Restaurant, but no Karahi. One Curry stood out: Goat Curry (A$24.95), Meat on-the-bone, it had to be. Beneath this on the menu was Mutton Keema Curry (A$24.95) with a choice of – Lamb, Goat or Beef. Marg could not resist her usual Keema, Lamb – seemed logical. 
Marg mentioned Roti (S$4.95). The Hector was keen to see their Naan (A$4.95) which, at the same price, was surely better value? 
A jug of chilled Tap Water had already been brought to the table, Hector would have his Sparkling Water (S$4.20). 
has to be careful. And where was – Umami? Cinnamon, for example, is a Spice which has a recognisable – Flavour – but is not necessarily a – Taste – as such. 
The food arrived after a respectable wait. We each took enough Rice, some would remain. Yellow Basmati with Cumin and micro pieces of Onion, enough Diversity, hopefully. 
A dozen or so, quite large pieces of Meat sat in a viscous Masala. A Herb, Coriander presumably, had been mixed through the light brown Masala. Appearance wise, there was a hint of Yoghurt. 
Once arranged on top of the Rice, I added a bit more Masala and as ever, retained some for later. The first dip of Bread in the Masala revealed – Seasoning! Salt – to confirm one of the defined – tastes. The Hector was impressed already. 
Initially I felt no Spice sensation, after a few minutes this grew. Medium – is all that was attained, enough to know this was – Curry. The food could have been much warmer.
This was an enjoyable but decidedly – Mainstream Curry – experience. In a restaurant, one can hope for more, but the Curry Cafe is where the Hector is more at home. 
This was a remarkably – wet – Keema. Minimal, if any Masala, defines this Dish. The consistency of the Masala proved to be contentious. On decanting, Marg produced big pieces of Boneless Lamb. What was happening? 
With more Meat on her plate than she could handle, a piece of Lamb crossed the table. This was superb, super-soft Meat, and here there was the pronounced sense of the Meat giving back. Marg’s verdict at the end of the meal:
Very tender pieces of lamb in a thick sauce, but no hint of minced lamb as expected. Plenty flavour, and a filling dish with the rice. The Naan was flat, not puffy, it was OK. I’m full.
Hector blogging about a Punjabi Curry Cafe, nothing unusual there, however, this is the first ever review from Australia. Hector posting a – selfie? The last act of a desperate man, or the first act of Henry V? 
Hector is dining alone, Marg has gone to an event at a Brisbane primary school involving seasonal bonnets, not Scotch Bonnets, else the Hector may have shown some interest. Having seen Marg off at Brisbane Central Station, who knows where she’ll end up, Punjabi Rasoi (401 Edward St, Spring Hill QLD 4000 Australia) just happened to be up the hill from there. This is the type of venue I failed to discover in 
Arriving at 13.50, they close for the afternoon at 14.30, a chap came out to take my order once I had studied the kettles. Goat Curry, Lamb Rogan Josh with Rice, plus the inclusive drink.
I was handed a buzzer and invited to take a seat, time to get my bearings. A Curry Cafe, but with a banqueting hall to the rear, so much more then.
Four large pieces of Goat Meat served on-the-bone sat in a standard Masala. Less Meat than on the other side of the plate, I wonder why.
Nine pieces of Meat, and with lots of Rice still to go the realisation that the plate would not be cleared. I could not put the fork in my mouth to clear the abundant Rice. 
The Aftermath
Day 3 of the trip
With sleep developing a split shift pattern, it was into the middle of the afternoon before we headed off on the MRT, two stops down from Rocher on the Downtown line to Promenade. Following the – blue dot – we found ourselves in Suntec City, a mall. Google don’t do three dimensions, after ten minutes of searching all upper floors we were told to go to the basement. There – Kebabchi – stands out.
Being located in a mall, it was no surprise to find ourselves seated near the doorway. The next family to arrive were nearly placed beside us, but somehow sense prevailed and they were given a table opposite. Window dressing. The – QR code – was brought to our attention, we had to order thus. So much for service. Staff were consequently hanging about doing sod all. 
B
ottled Water (S$2.50) and two cans of Fanta (S$3.00) were entered first. At 33
With the freedom to move around Kebabchi, an array of photos was secured. One wonders if it ever gets busy enough that the overflow seats on the mall passageway have to be brought into use. 
The background music, if indeed it was – background – was familiar. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s photo was on the wall. I went to capture the image thus paying homage to the Quali Maestro. The wait for the food was in excess of twenty minutes, less and I would have been concerned. 
A reddish-orange Masala, this Karahi appeared to have more in common with – Charsi. I didn’t see why this was presented as a Black Pepper Karahi, Tomato, or worse was giving the colour. Tomato was listed first in the description, Black Pepper last. Shurely shum mishtake (sic)? It was what it was. 
A large dish with plenty sauce and seven medium – to large pieces of lamb. A rich and sweet flavour with a kick, not too strong for my liking. I enjoyed dipping the Naan bread into the sauce and finished it all. A satisfying meal. 
Well it certainly wasn’t – green. And thank * for that. Full marks for presentation of this simple creation, the karahi sat in a basket such that one could adjust the angle to suit one’s eating position. 
The first dip of Naan in the Masala took me back to the 1960s. There can be few readers who ever had a British Indian Restaurant Curry (BIR) in those halcyon days. Was that distinctive – Earthy Flavour – down to an inability to source all the present day Spices, or was Curry just less tempered back then?
Given the quantity of Masala, Rice would have been the better option. Having this again I would wish to share the Vegetarian Biryani (S$12.00). 
Postponed from 2021, we all know why, Marg and Hector have embarked on – The Big Trip. The tour polo shirt reveals enough for the moment. First stop is 
Entering the street level restaurant at 13.30, we were shown upstairs, this evidently is where the tourists are sat, more pukka by far. A waiter showed us to a table right in front of the bar which had two taps, one a Weizen. 
Marg did comment on the length of time it took the food to arrive.
Dear reader, please have sympathy for the Hector. This was a Marg Curry, not the Desi Korma hoped for. What’s more, who has a Mutton Korma, if one is going for – bland – it may as well be Chicken. 
The Naan, served in two pieces did cheer up the Hector. This was a proper Tandoori Naan, thin-ish, risen with an array of puffy blisters. The size was well judged, I ate the lot, most unusual. 
The handi had a false bottom and so the quantity appeared to be much more than it was. Otherwise, there would have a gallon of Masala to get through. This Korma was very much a Marg Curry, she took some Masala to accompany her choices, that went down very well. 
Six good sized pieces were accompanied by a Tamarind Dip and Raita. The dark colour as ever suggested – double frying. One Pakora crossed the table. The Seasoning was excellent, the contents the customary mash of Potato and Spices, any Onion was less obvious. This was decent Pakora.
The two whole Green Chillies remained untouched. The slices of Radish were novel. Three rounds of Onion were also abandoned. Marg’s comment:
The Bill
Monday afternoon, it was time for something different, Starters at 
As it happened, Hector would not be the only sit-in customer, my first fellow diner took the opperchancity to have his Takeaway in situ. The second would tear in as though food had not been seen for yonks, a shift-worker possibly. Having enquired about today’s Vegetable Curry, I placed my Order at the counter: one Chapli (£1.75), Fish Pakora (£6.00) and a portion of Aloo Gajar Matar (£5.00).
No Bread, it’s a British thing – I proffered. The chap standing beside me gave me – the stare. As the other staff member put the chairs in the proper place, so Shkoor brought a can of the traditional Mango Rubicon (£1.00). 
In the past I have gone for the full portion of two Chapli Kebab then struggled with what followed, especially when Bread was involved. Hector has learned his lesson, one Chapli, no Bread. 
The Potato, Carrots and Peas Curry arrived before I had finished the Chapli. Better to have it before it cooled. Oh, the Carrots, the oh so distinctive – 
I was still ensconced when this arrived, cooling did have a negative effect. On the days I have timed Fish Pakora straight from the kitchen it is truly spectacular. As the second photo reveals, this was a reheat. The superb Haddock remained unaffected, the batter may have lost its punch. Still, with the remaining Hot Sauce, a pleasure of course. 
With the three plates cleared apart from some lettuce. Mr. Anwar Sr. came over to engage. He wished me well. Watch this space. 
Having read 
Salty Curry – Bulletproof Naan – Plastic Rice – Colourless Dal 
Drinks, it’s a Saturday night. One pint of Cobra (£5.50) would suffice for the Hector. The fellow diners had multiples of Cola (£2.95), Italian Birra (£3.80) and cans of domestic Cider (£3.80). The Cider was the best value. 
A thirteenth piece was on the plate. After the slivers of Tilapia served at 
The Fish, Haddock as Vini later confirmed, was spot on, proper Fish Pakora. The lightly spiced batter was beautifully fresh as it was on the Haggis. Why then does Vegetable Pakora always have to be double cooked? This assembled company all miss the 
Four, not – five or six – Dumplings sat in a Masala about which I can say no more. Nor can I identify the mystery fifth lump on the plate. 
Masala Fish Curry
Loads of Fish protruded through the orange, blended Masala which was already separating. The two whole Finger Chillies meant there would be no lack of a – kick. 
The Fish, again verified as Haddock, was into double figures, a meaningless term in this case. One may deduce a whole piece of Haddock was present, so no skimping. The white Fish was cooked to perfection, integrity maintained, then fell apart when a fork was applied. One is not looking for the Fish to absorb Flavour but give back its own – fishiness. This was not happening. That may have been my fault. 
With the Fish, Masala, Spiced Rice and Mushrooms in the melange, there was much more happening. As I approached the end game I concluded more Seasoning was still required, but the palate was definitely saturated. The Hector was in a happy place, every morsel was devoured.
This 
It was difficult to tell the two apart without decanting or digging in. Marg had the rest of the Mushroom Rice but would have most of the Naan. 
Marg had a splodge of Masala on top of her boneless Lamb. Neither participant made a special reference to the quality of the Lamb served at 
We don’t do OK – is the customary Hector answer to this question. The World is full of – OK Curry Houses – return visits are a sign of something special. Chimes of India has something more to offer than the Mainstream.
The Bill
I
A new 
Howard, Craig and Hector chose Fish Pakora (£7.95), a favourite of us all and never had at these premises. Yvonne opted for Lamb Seekh Kebab (£4.95) whilst Steve had a traditional Vegetable Pakora (£4.95). 
Five bits of Tilapia, not great value, eight quid for not a lot of Fish. Initially I wondered if these were small Fish or strips of a larger one. The latter was the conclusion. Freshly cooked in a spiced batter, there was a good kick, especially when the Chilli Dip was employed. Less shrubbery, more Fish please.
Two Seekh Kebab cut into four pieces. This did appear to be better value. 
This appeared to be the best deal among the Starters. A dozen or so pieces of Pakora, the dark colour showed they had been well cooked, and probably twice. 
The Breads were well received, Yvonne is a fan of Wholemeal Flour, so the Chapatti suited her taste. The Naan was good – Steve would tell me later.
The – portion – has had me asking myself why I hadn’t invested in the half kilo. £23.00 may be the answer. Sharing a kilo (£35.00) is a much better option. 
The Meat was decidedly more chewy than experienced here previously. However, it’s possible that having experienced the outstanding quality of Lamb served at 
This tastes of 
Chicken, Jalfrezi, we know what’s coming…
What sort of abomination was this? Craig and Yvonne wind up the Hector oft: a jar of Curry Sauce, poured over Chicken with big pieces of 
The saga continues. This was the first Chicken Karahi seen at 
How often have we had this at these premises? The yardstick. The same Toppings, similar Masala, but now there’s proper Meat. 
At the start, Steve was less than impressed, he wasn’t getting much from this creation. In time, he mellowed, the situation improved, he got it. Steve:
This may well be be Hector’s favourite – Curry. Stewart and Hector 
The revamped and renamed premises met expectations. Unusually for me I had a starter and a main with rice. The starter was fish pakora which is difficult to get wrong. This was good. My main was Lamb Korma Handi with brown rice. Most of the lamb was chewy but I’m fine with that. What stood out was that the lamb had flavour which is not always the case. For some reason I was reminded of a white (pepper) karahi. I will soon be told if I’m very wrong. The brown rice had flavour and was a satisfying accompaniment. Overall an enjoyable experience.
Moiz accepted the praise that was forthcoming, five happy diners. The hand wipes were accompanied by mint creams. Not ordinary mint creams as it happened: Elizabeth Shaw peppermint cream. Yvonne was well impressed: