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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Mr India – Thali for Breakfast

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Hector

If it’s this cold here, what will it be like in Aberdeen?

Before heading to the frozen north, Hector was duty bound collect his dear lady from the end of her sporting fixture on the South-Side. Breakfast on the hoof was called for and where finer than a quick stop at Mr India – Thali (470 Paisley Rd, Glasgow, G5 8RE). John has been highly complementing the Lunches/Tiffin on offer here. This was the perfect opportunity.

Hector presented at 11.50, Abby was once more in attendance. I could sense he vaguely remembered my last visit. By the end of the meal he was able quote Curry-Heute, so a good impression all round then.

I shall not dwell long on the offer of a Burger after I informed Mein Host that I only required a Snack. The Thali steel plates were on the counter – I enquired and the words Chicken and Chickpeas were forthcoming. OK, let’s go for this.

Robin would smile

Time was limited so it was very pleasing when within ten minutes the presentation arrived – it looked splendid. Indian Tapas! A stainless steel goblet of water was part of the array. The cutlery was not an issue this time. This looked most appetising.

This indeed was Curry for breakfast, and why not? The Chicken Curry portion was not particularly outstanding but the Chana dish was tremendous. Hector is not a big fan of Chickpeas yet loves Falafel. This was easily the best (non Falafel) Chickpea dish I have ever tasted. I must make a point of having this as a side with any future Curry ordered at Mr India. The Lime on the Raita also made me finish all of the Chapatti even though I had probably eaten enough for this time of day.

At £4 this was a splendid way to start the day.

But this was only Curry-Heute #1

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Glasgow – Cafe Salma and Comedy of Errors

Posted on May 20, 2011 by Hector

This is a busy weekend – the Curry is calling too

Hector leaves Helensburgh and heads to The City. Meanwhile  some of The Chaps have left The City and have gone to Helensburgh. Wot Bierfest? This is Curry-Heute night and Comedy of Errors are playing their first gig in  some 20 years this evening. Abel Ganz (again) and Credo are the other attractions. Prog lives!

The table at the window is the preferred seat of Hector, especially when the place is quiet and one dines alone.  An entire family with weans, prams, the lot, entered and were well known to Hassan.  The regulars are no doubt genuinely regular.  I am still going through the process of getting to know the new staff; there is even a broad West of Scotland voice active in the cooking area now.  The Kaftans appear to be consigned to history but the Fez is still sported by the waiters.

Garam Masala, I have not had this for a while.  I ordered it hot but in the excitement forgot to ask for the Lamb on-the-bone.  The customary chat with Hassan (still no hug) between the complementary Popadoms and Chutneys this evening included plans for a mass visit, indeed an occupation of the entire downstairs area later this year.  Time will reveal the numbers and the purpose.  Hassan in stage whisper instructed the Chef to make my meal special: ‘there is a Curry Connoisseur in the house.’

One could immediately tell this was Garam Masala, the powdered Spice was most evident having been sprinkled over the dish at the time of serving.  On my first visit this dish was more powerful in taste than my now normal Lahori Karahi.  I suspect the latter now has evolved in the past year to the special dish it has become.

This is still a very enjoyable dish with the thick Onion-rich Masala revealing the familiar Village/Café Salma smooth, rounded flavour.  The Mushroom Rice was as ever massive, always enough to share and permit an order of Bread of sorts.  Alas, the solo diner cannot justify ordering this as a serious quantity of food would be wasted.

Scottish Prog Night at The Ferry

Arriving (with Marg, via the Bon Accord) at 20.00 the doors were yet to open.  One can gain an early entry by buying – the meal deal, why – do they serve Curry?  Jim Johnstone the keyboard player, and now only writer of the Comedy of Errors material, was outside being greeted by the loyal following.  Loyal?  It is twenty years since last I saw them play, though I did chat with Jim at a recent Pendragon gig and he revealed that something was in the pipeline.  A new CD – gosh!  Mark Spalding on guitar was first spotted as we boarded the boat.  You haven’t changed at all! – was my greeting – who the…?

Mobile phones, Laptops  – these were not part of our lives when last they performed

The new material sounded ok, but it was the sections of The Student Prince that made the night.  There is another song, not played, which has been my favourite since I first saw them some twenty five years ago – but as the vinyl is secreted somewhere upstairs – this saga ends here.

Fortunately it was the full version of Abel Ganz who played this evening, not the cut down acoustic variant.  Always a pleasure, and I really should buy another of their CDs.  Credo are a band I did not even know were Scottish – are they, no. I bought a CD by them again some twenty years ago and thought nothing of it.  They played a couple of songs tonight and we left.  So nothing has changed there.

Photos may well appear after Marg’s camera come s into my possession.

 

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Karahi Palace, Upstairs/Downstairs

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Hector

Background

There has been a number of Saturday ritual Curry outings at The Village a few blocks along the road; they have all ended with a procession past the New Karahi Palace (51-53 Nelson street, Tradeston, Glasgow, G5 8DZ).  The venue has been on the radar but it looked pretty much like a dump.  Hector’s head has popped  in on occasion just to verify the authenticity of the menu – they do serve Curry, but also Pizza, Kebabs, even Burgers and the odd customer.

The premises are bright, shiny and spotless – even enticing

The events of last Saturday at The Village prompted a new observation; the Karahi Palace looks as if it has been done over. A fresh facade (?), I grabbed a menu featuring photos of the restaurant? There is an upstairs?  How many Karahi dishes?  Handi?  Curries by the Kilo…  promising, to say the least.

The Visit

There are two doors to the Karahi Palace both of which take the diner straight into the main café area.  However one is clearly intended more as an entry to the upstairs restaurant.  This Hector was determined to see and so with a voice presumably calling me back I went for an inspection and to grab the photo.  Garish – is how one might best describe the décor.  Someone has a sense of humour.  For a private function this place could be excellent.

Returning to the ground floor I took my choice of table, from three.  Once more Hector was the only customer for a Curry-Heute.  There were four staff in attendance, already I was wondering how this place survives – or is it possible that the Curry is sensational?

A young waiter approached with the menu which I deliberately ignored.  I prefer to get the staff to tell me what they have to offer and how they might entice me back.  We agreed on a (hot) Karahi Gosht with Mushroom Rice.  There was no Sparkling Water and so a lemonade would suffice.  The eldest member of staff burst into action – there was the sound of scraping and sizzling.  The meal was being prepared, from which stage of near readiness one could not tell.

A Mini Robin

The wait was not a long one.  In the meantime a modest Salad and a Raita was presented. I spotted the Rice first – a huge portion, certainly enough for two.  The Karahi was brought to the table – the sound was exciting – I was nearly in movie clip mode again.  The Curry looked very familiar, I felt I knew the taste before I began – the Clydebank Taste as I have described before.

The Masala was very thick and red suggesting a dominance of Tomato Puree.  There were large Onion pieces as well as the dreaded Capsicum.  (I checked later on, all their Karahi come with Capsicum.)  There was plenty of it – two Lamb Chops and other assorted pieces of meat.  This was significantly more than served along the street.  The Lamb was perfection, I kept waiting for a dramatically new taste to emerge but it failed to do so, initially.  There was a hint of the rounded smoothness I associate with Café Salma. The Clydebank Taste was evident but not dominant.  This was thoroughly pleasant – not the best Curry in Glasgow by any means but way better than one might receive in a mainstream Curry House.  And not a single table cloth on the premises.

The Service

The best way to eat Lamb Chops is with ones fingers.  The solitary paper napkin provided was reaching the end of its usefulness.  The young waiter spotted this, caught my eye and confirmed I needed more.  They came immediately.

On completion of the meal I felt I needed to use the facilities.  I thought I had spotted a partially hidden door that could be the locus and stretched my neck to see an ‘out of order’ sign on the door.  Typical, I thought.  Again the waiter clocked my needs and said across the counter that it was ok to use.  Here we go.   Spacious and clean enough was the verdict, everything worked.

The Bill

Ten Pounds please.

Fine, thank you, I shall be back.  Next time I shall try the Handi.

The Desi Revolution

It should be evident to the readers of this Blog that the Café Curry Culture in Glasgow is taking off.  Or is it because in the past year I have gone out of my way to visit them that now makes me so aware?  These places should be visited.  One feels that the very safe 1980s menus serving the same tired Curries in the mainstream outlets must be challenged.  The Desi Revolution is coming.

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KRK is back!

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Hector

The Footae

Today has been a day to celebrate on many levels.  Firstly there was the magnificent result from Rugby Park tinged with sadness as we say farewell to (Sir) Walter.  Hopefully Mr Cowan will have the opportunity of smiling next Saturday but not next Monday.   There was then the chance to wind up Paul at the Bon Accord.  He claims he had a bet on 0v5!  Marg the ever dutiful wife collected Hector from ‘Glasgow’s Finest Alehouse’ and unusually decided that Woodlands Rd was the best route west.  Prepare for another moment of serendipity.

KRK

The main cause for celebration today on the Curry-Heute front was the discovery that KRK, the best Asian grocer north of the river had reopened.  Officially they re-open on Thursday but the shelves were being stacked this evening and a small army of chaps were pricing every individual item.   Most importantly, the butcher shop was back in operation.  Marg marvelled at the care taken to prepare 1kg of Lamb on-the-bone.   I couldn’t see a price list to ascertain the price of Lamb in its various forms.  Hector will be in the case soon.   The faces here were new, where are the regular guys?  Hector has been told part of the reason why the place went into decline in recent months.  It was good to see Mein Host back behind the counter, so at least there is some continuity.

I related how I was forced to purchase Lamb at a neighbouring outlet recently and that it had turned to pulp.  There was a shaking of the head and a dismissive comment.

St Louis and the Coriander King

Steve and Ian were performing at St Louis this afternoon.  We had timed it perfectly to arrive immediately after they had completed their set.  Could today get any better?  It did.

Hector was introduced to Juliet’s father – Monty.   He is the self titled Coriander King, once being the man behind the delivery of Coriander Seed to the UK back in time.  East Africa and the Black Sea nations were the sources of this fine commodity.  London, Leicester and of course Bradford were his main supply points.  I have long been intrigued as to where the actual plant is reared within the UK in order to guarantee a continuous supply of this very fine herb on a daily basis throughout the year.

Life without Coriander, unthinkable.

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