The train home tomorrow was chosen to permit one final lunchtime Manchester Curry. After this afternoon’s feast at Kabana (22 Back Turner St., Northern Quarter, Manchester M4 1LQ England) even Hector has reached his limit.
Steve and Hector arrived at 13.40, having let the lunchtime rush pass through. Seven diners, plus one thankfully quiet wean, were replaced by a group of students whilst we ate. Prices at Kabana must suit the student budget.
Rizwan, Mein Host, knew we would return, one visit per trip is never enough. Steve was going to have – something else – but even he could not resist the opperchancity to have a final Karahi Lamb (£5.30) on-the-bone – with Rice (£1.50) for Hector, a Chapatti (£0.80) for Steve.
Did you enjoy the Quails? – asked Rizwan. He had sent us to the sister shop – Kabana (Cheetham Hill) for their – Wednesday Special. This could well become a new ritual Curry.
My final Manchester Curry is usually with luggage. Instinctively, I went to the rear of the restaurant and squeezed on to the table. It was a squeeze. When Rizwan brought the Curry he moved the table, Steve’s turn to breathe in.
The – foliage – was brought to the table.
Karahi Lamb
What more can I say about this wondrous creation?
Enjoy the photos of the neat Curry, on Rice, and then each with the added foliage.
Karahi Lamb (on-the-bone plus – foliage)
Being hours earlier than our Monday visit, I knew the quantity would be a challenge. I took my time and savoured every mouthful. Steve was wiping his plate clean as I did a Meat count, still in double figures. OK, Rizwan spoils us.
I asked Steve for a few words:
The seat was uncomfortable.
It was, front of house in future.
A slightly different taste from the other day – he added – spicier, more intense.
Can the Karahi Lamb at Kabana actually get any better? What we have observed this week is that Steve’s Curry experiences with Chapattis have been different from mine with Rice. Rice definitely acts as a Flavour filter.
As I write this, I’m missing it already. Steve, Dr. Stan, Howard, Neil, when is our next trip to Manchester-Bradford?
The Bill
£6.80 and £6.10 respectively.
The Aftermath
I had noted the football scarf adoring the photo on the far wall.
R.I.P. George Booth, a life too short.
Having made the mandatory pilgrimage to 
A portion of Bateera (£6.50) was ordered with Rice (£1.80). Rice with Quail? Steve took the more traditional Chapatti option. Hector is not eating Bread with Curry presently. 
The – foliage – was on the counter, a fourth pot, brown seeds of some sort. I didn’t ask, Coriander, Green Chillies and Diced Ginger is quite enough. A customer overheard our order – what is Quail? – he asked. I will admit to – sparrow – being referenced in my reply. When I told him it was a – Wednesday Special – he was up for it.
Baterai is how I have come to call this delicacy in Glasgow. This pair looked substantially larger than those encountered previously. Spooning Rice over the Shorva did feel a bit silly. I immediately knew that half of the Rice would go to waste, a portion enough was to share.
After yesterday’s strange experience at nearby 
Brown meat, absorbent, in the way that the most popular White Poultry served in a Curry House is not. The skeleton bones were placed on the space on the Rice plate, quite a pile was forming, I felt almost apologetic for eating this poor animal. However, when the first was done, I was certainly happy to start on its partner. Peppercorns and pieces of Cinnamon Bark were carefully set aside, no more Cardamom. I couldn’t help but notice, across the table, Steve had none of these solids. As with yesterday at 
Steve mopped up all the remaining Masala with his ample Wholemeal Chapatti. The blue towel roll sat on the shelf beside us, handy. 
Come tomorrow for anything else
I managed to capture Steve’s – Mixed Kebab – before it too was smothered. I left him to it, haste became the order of the moment, home before the Salad cooled. 
Such was the level of added liquid, the Wrap itself stood no chance. On attempting to pick it up, it was obvious that disintegration was imminent. The Cucumber was trying to escape, the Spiced Onions too. There was nothing for it, open up the sticky mass and eat as one would a Donner Kebap. 
And so the entrails of the Seekh Kebab Wrap were exposed. So much – healthy Salad – I convinced myself, the Pickled Chillies seemed like an added bonus. 
Then there was the Meat, by this time, a near afterthought. I’ve had bigger Seekh Kebab, I’ve had better Seekh Kebab, I’ve never had the privacy to get stuck in like this before. 
Tomorrow night, a Gourmet Burger, and whilst I shall not be reviewing it, the inevitable photo will be added to the ever expanding coverage of the Fayre served at 
The Menu was on display boards, one for each day of the week. Mein Host talked me through the contents of each kettle, Paya was there, not for Hector. Lamb Karahi it had to be, a safer choice, and necessary for comparison purposes. Having seen the Oily Shorva, I asked for Rice, the logical choice. Steve ordered two Chapattis. 
Lamb Karahi
Steve’s plate had the naked Curry, no foliage today. He uttered an immediate – Wow! It’s got taste! – as he dipped his Wholemeal Chapatti into the Shorva. I was still getting myself sorted, expectations were high. 
The Rice absorbed a fair quantity of the Desi Masala, the excess sat atop. I counted the Lamb served on-the-bone to double figures, a huge portion for the price. The Meat was wonderfully soft, having sat for some time in the Shorva, it had taken on a good Spicy Blast. This is the Manchester Curry Cafe scene. 
23.45, and the late night munchies reign supreme. Last night when I dropped into 
I watched plastic tubs being arranged on the table opposite, ah, a familiar face. This was trusting, all it would take was one late night nutter to come and send them sprawling, very trusting. We watched the tubs being filled from an industrial sized bucket, a day’s supply?
Given the limitations, this was a work of art. Large Red and Green Chillies topped the creation with Coriander and a slice of Lemon. Below lay a dark, thick Masala with split Lentils protruding from the mass. 
The Rice at 
The Meat was cut small, approaching Bradford-small. Chewing was at a minimum, so delightfully Tender. There was a Big Spice Hit, then the Achari-Pickle registered. This was going to be one ferocious meal, no holding back here, full on Flavours.
Shahid was still at the table, keen for confirmation that his efforts were being appreciated. Oh yes!
Topped with leaves and stems of Coriander, whole Green Chillies stood out in the dark, thick, Masala. As Steve ate, so many more Chillies emerged, again, no prisoners being taken here. Steve’s level of enjoyment was approaching ecstasy, he too was having a ball. I took a Soupçon, despite the Hector palate being laden with Achari, the efficacy of this Curry was still apparent. 
Tender Lamb – began Steve – full of flavour, perfectly spiced, citrus flavour? A Light Naan. Wonderful. 
Due to the inflexibility of the Scottish Vaccination booking system, Hector’s last trip to Manchester at the end of May had to be abruptly ended. Steve also missed out, so it was fitting that a few days here were conceived.
The two other ever-present staff members spotted us as we entered, beaming smiles of acknowledgement. Rizwan then posed for the ritual photo. Being late afternoon, the place was empty, only four other diners were present, not the usual lunchtime throng. 
My choice of Curry here is long established: Lamb Karahi on-the-bone (£5.30) with Rice (£1.50). Steve pondered for a nanosecond – 
This is the naked Karahi Gosht, enjoyable as presented, however, to give it the edge, – the foliage – has to be added. The three tubs of Diced Ginger, sliced Green Chillies and chopped Coriander were brought to the table. A suitable smothering was applied, we finished the Coriander, and were offered more.
I told Steve that I would be looking for a hundred words from him at the end. My enjoyment of this Curry has been well reported, suffice to say, consistency is the name of the game. Line up twenty from different restaurants and I’ll pick this Karahi out. This is distinctive, comforting Curry.
The Bill
Noon on a Saturday, how many of 
Clive would have the Methi Keema Mutter also, along with Lamb Karahi (£6.20) and a Garlic Nan (£2.15). Hector’s choice was as predictable as ever: Machi Masala (£5.80) and Lamb Saag (£6.20) with a Paratha (£2.15). Litre bottles of both Still and Sparkling Water (£4.15) completed the Order. Having to pay for water without bubbles always riles, especially in Scotland. 
The five large pieces of Pakora still managed to look incidental on the plate which also had two dips and a Modest Salad. 
This Dish has evolved over the years, the Masala has certainly become more – orange but remains delightfully Thick and Minimal, enough to cover the Fish. The standard Topping of Ginger Strips was accompanied by a raw Tomato cut in half. Had it been cooked in, the Tomato might have offered more. 
This was different! The abundant Creamy Masala was there, however, the Walnuts and blobs of Cream topping each of the three largish pieces of Chicken was a work of art. Marg only used half of her Rice so the Masala proved to be far from excessive. 
Suitably Dry, there was no sign of surplus Oil collecting on the periphery, a healthy Curry. 
Sat in the metal pot, this Curry looked inviting. Clive sought confirmation that I had 
Clive tipped the contents of the pot onto his plate, the 
It looked a bit wet on top, it’s all about what lay below. Six large pieces of Meat, I had to halve each, this was substantially more than Tapas. The Masala was exactly how I like my Saag/Palak, Masala with Herbs, not a mass of Herb-mush.
Having eaten about half of the Paratha, I lost interest, that was enough. Marg’s leftover Rice became attractive. I too tipped the contents of the pot, but on top of the Rice. In doing so I revealed large strands of Fresh Spinach, imaginative, an excellent touch. 
… you’re reading this, so I have. Prawn Curry, a waste of Prawns, a waste of money, has been Hector’s opinion for decades. Marg disagrees, (insert name)‘s favourite is Prawn Curry, so be it. A significant percentage of people also 
order Chicken Curry, Curry-Heute has many posts where the limitations of – Chicken in a Masala – has been reported. Anyway, back to today and the celebrated arrival of Lord Clive and Lady Maggie of 
Mags was wondering why I was not having the aforementioned Karahi, she chose the Desi Karahi Gosht (£14.99) which may or may not be the Lahori Chaska with a different moniker. I must remember to ask Zaheer, Mein Host, for clarification. Marg returned to form and would have Keema Karahi (with Peas) (£9.99). Having informed Clive that – Dhansak – was not on the Menu, he took the opperchancity to explore the Fish Karahi (£11.99). An honourable choice, and a Dish not had here for some years. Hector has this seed planted. 
Rice with Karahi, a no go area at 
The Coriander and Ginger Strips sat prominently with the Peas protruding from the top of the mass of Mince. A Green Chilli sat on the periphery where normally the excess Oil would accumulate. No surplus Oil here, this was an excellent example of the genre, a moist Curry, not the lake as served at 
With the exception of the abundant whole Green Chillies, cooked in, Marg ate the lot, an unusual occurrence. Hector’s plate would acquire a mound of Chillies. The Chapatti was modest in size so Marg had not over-filled on Bread:
Mags’s Aloo Paratha was served on a huge wooden board, this was one mighty Paratha! Pieces would be offered, there was way more than the average person could manage. 
This certainly looked like a worthy Fish Karahi. Again, Coriander and Ginger Strips topped the Karahi, but here was a viscous Masala featuring seeds which I could not identify. With only a modicum of peripheral Oil, this looked most appealing. 
Fish Karahi has been – hit & miss – over the years of visiting 
I am sticking to this moniker because the Masala was appreciably different from that previously experienced in the Lahori Chaska, this was – Shorva-esque. In addition to the Coriander and Ginger Strips, sliced, large Green Chillies featured. 
Rice with Karahi, today, this proved to be the ideal accompaniment. The surprisingly thin Masala, soaked into the Basmati, creating truly Flavoursome Rice. This was way better than I had anticipated, however, the underlying Flavours were not. This took me way back to the earliest memory of Green Gates tasting Curry, and so bore little resemblance to the Lahori Chaska. Not as rich, but still something to enjoy. 
The Lamb was on-the-bone. Hector, ever the gentleman, let Mags go first. Only at the end was it realised that she had carefully selected the majority of the boneless pieces. This was where Karahi with Rice became difficult, with Bread as the accompaniment, never a problem. The Lamb was suitably Tender, tasty, and gave no sense of being a stranger to the Masala. There was no need to count the Meat, two generous helpings each reduced the mound and led us to the end game. After you, Mags. Two well sated diners, Mag’s verdict:
More Coriander and Ginger Strips, the orange Masala looked similar to that in the Fish Karahi. The Big Pot? I asked Yvonne to count the Prawns. Eight. So, eight Prawns in Sauce. 
Clive and Hector watched the three ladies order ice-cream. Why not let the pleasure of the Curry linger on the palate as long as possible? Sweet over Savoury? Again, I cannot compute.
It’s two months shy of two years since Dr. Stan last dined at 
At the point of presentation, all we knew for certain – this was not Haddock. 
Two halved Chapli, one cannot visit 
A chap in a suit sat at the table adjacent to us. On seeing our pile of plates, he acknowledged us, and remarked about the quality of the Fayre served at 
This is it, the 
The accompanying metal platter of Chapattis had arrived without discussion. What else would Chapatti John eat? Four, extra-large, super-thin Chapattis, a new style for 
Carrots were to the fore, followed by Peas. I made sure I secured a piece of Potato. When a Vegetable Curry is presented at 
Two weeks ago, due to chaotic opening times at 
I watched the place fill, the waiter was being run ragged, help appeared, sorted. Hector had his water and fizzy drink, all was set. 
I was expecting four, this looked like six, I counted four. These were seriously huge Lamb Chops. For Hector, and Marg, the perfect Tandoori Lamb Chop is cremated on the exterior, particularly around the bone shaft, but the Meat has to remain succulent. These four Chops were spot on, the seemingly extra piece of Meat dangling was an added pleasure. Burnt, succulent, Meaty, Umami! 
I feared the Pakora had cooled, it was still hot at the start. OK, it had lost its edge, but what a perfect partner to the Lamb Chops this would be. The Spicy batter was (importantly) well Seasoned, the soft, white Fish beautifully fresh tasting. Haddock, what else could it have been? None of that rubbery nonsense here. The Dips added even more Flavour, but as they were cool, they became detrimental. Abandon Dips! 
Hector was full. In the past, how have I eaten this quantity of food then gone on to eat a half kilo of Karahi? Out of practice, or have those days gone? I may find out in three days’ time.