Hector dining in the Merchant City? It must either be by invitation, or a special occasion. Pukka Dining is not the Hector norm, however, Marg was happy to indulge the Curry Hound on a significant birthday.
Swadish (33 Ingram Street, Glasgow G1 1HA) is not a Curry House as normally referenced in Curry-Heute, but a restaurant serving Indian Cuisine. I differentiate due to the minimal number of Curry Dishes on offer. Also, the Menu is not needlessly huge.
Having studied the fayre over the last couple of years, I wondered if there would be anything suitable for me at all. Karahi Gosht, to the best of my knowledge, has never featured at Swadish. Dare I report my empirical observation that the Meat element of the Menu is more suited to the fairer sex? Lots of classic Chicken Curry, not enough Lamb. I shall back up this statement with references to evenings I have dined with a dozen plus ladies: Shahi Masala (Manchester) and Shri Bheema’s (Bridge of Don). Curry-Heute tends not recognise Chicken Dishes as proper – Curry.
Just in case, a booking was made for 14.30 this afternoon. We arrived punctually and were shown to a table in the corner, at the window. Window dressing. To be fair, the diners were well spread out around the restaurant. Marg immediately took to the ambience, cherry blossom hung like hops do in Deustche Bierhalle. At least there were no tablecloths.
The A4 Menu was on the table, I was pleased to see two Lamb Mains, Marg got her selection in first: Braised Hydrabi Lamb Korma (£15.00) – Tender Scottish Lamb beautifully braised for hours, Cloves, Cinnamon, Brown Onion Sauce. The Korma as it should be.
Two things here pleased the Hector: the Capitalisations, and that this was not a standard Creamy Korma. This left me with the Lamb Shank Rogan Josh (£18.00) – Tender Scottish Lamb Shank Braised in Bone Marrow, Cinnamon, Fennel Seeds, Cloves for hours for delicate flavours and mouth melting texture. Topped with Crispy Straw Potatoes.
In Europe, abundant Rice would be inclusive, especially at these prices. This is the Merchant City. Our usual dining model is to share a Rice and Bread. Marg’s preferred Chapatti was not on the Menu. The descriptions of the meals, and online photos confirmed the Curry here would be – Soupy. We needed Rice, but how much? We asked Sanjeev, our waiter, to describe the size of a Rice portion.
Small bowl – was the reply. So two Rice, or Long Grain Basmati Pilau (£3.00) to be precise. A 0.75l bottle of Sparkling Water (£5.50) – they’re having a laugh – completed the Order.
No Starters. Large portions for The Mains were anticipated. I must mention the Roasted Lamb Chops, an Appetiser – £17.00 – for an undeclared number. I would expect at least eight, someone do tell me how many. (For Lamb Chops in Glasgow, go to Akbar’s.)
Would you like Poppadoms? – asked Sanjeev on completion of his note-taking.
This is a game I don’t play.
On the shelf behind Marg, sat the Awards won by Swadish. Who wins Awards? I did note that the majority of the customers this afternoon were ladies. Triangulation complete re the Menu, I rest my case.
Hot plates were brought by a young lady, the food arrived moments later.
The Rice Bowls were hot, as in super-hot. Marg spooned off her required amount, I managed to tilt the contents of my bowl with the aid of the cloth napkin. Two observations: we had way more Rice than we could ever eat, and so we had needlessly missed out on ordering a Naan. This Rice was more complex than a standard Pilau.
The aroma from the Basmati was powerful, Cloves, yay! On tasting the Rice, it was apparent that this was from the same stable as the Spicy Rice whose recipe appears in Curry-Heute. I should make Spicy Rice more often, a delight that enhances any Curry. The Rice today was excellent.
Lamb Shank Rogan Josh
The ornate Toppings were commensurate with the locale. I would rather have forgone these and paid a fiver less.
Enjoy the moment, Hector, it’s your birthday treat.
Bone Marrow was the only clue given as to the base of the Shorva. Behold the Soupiness which Hector typically eschews, however, this was Curry. But which Curry?
In what way was this a Rogan Josh? The traditional wedges of Tomato were absent, as thankfully was the overdone Creaminess which has evolved in recent times. Maybe this Masala was a thick, creamy-ish Shorva?
The Meat fell off the bone – an overused cliché perhaps, but that is exactly what happened, my knife would never be used. Lamb Shank, by definition, a cheaper cut of Meat which must be slow cooked.
One prod with my fork released all of the Lamb from the bone. I carefully decanted the pieces of Meat and then the Shorva. Crucially my photo captured the Meat from the interior of the Shank, sat next to the bone itself. More on this below…
Cloves and Cinnamon, I knew what was coming, I was not disappointed. The intensity of Flavour from the Shorva was taking the palate to the south of India. One has to accept that here the Spiciness was all about the Flavours, not the heat. The Chilli content here was low, if present at all. The Seasoning was there, just, but with the blasts of Cinnamon and Cloves – from the Rice also – there was enough going on here.
Then there was the Meat. The Taste of the Lamb came across, however, as the photo shows, the Spices had not permeated the Meat through to the bone. So, for how many hours had this been – slow cooked? The interior Meat was – taking in Flavour – not giving; visit any of Glasgow’s Southside Curry Cafes to experience the opposite.
Meat and a Spicy Sauce, the definition of Curry, surely? Meat, Shorva and Rice, no diversity, the meal became monotonous. An Interesting Vegetable would have enhanced the Dish. Kerching!
Rogan Josh, really? Was this not Nihari with extra Cloves and Cinnamon?
Braised Hydrabadi Lamb Korma
Here I can use – Masala – with confidence. Far less – Soupy – the sauce had a much thicker consistency, closer to our preference. Beneath the artistic Toppings and Masala, sat large pieces of Lamb, there was clearly a sufficient portion here also. The Soupçon of Masala which crossed the table wasn’t a huge departure from my own Curry.
For the record, nobody came to check on our progress/enjoyment during the meal. Marg gave her detailed description:
Beautifully presented, with an abundance of rice, interesting flavours of Cinnamon, Clove, mixed well with the masala texture. A quantity of Lamb pieces, extremely tender, worked well with the Korma dish. No cream to be seen, a tomatoey, onion sauce, very enjoyable.
It sounds like a decent Lamb Curry then!
Whilst I attempted to finish my Rice, Marg ordered a Latte (£3.30). Sanjeev then presented non-alcoholic digestifs. Cucumber – was Marg’s take, Antiseptic – was mine. The Coffee was enjoyed.
The Bill
£47.80 We had been well fed in pleasant surroundings. It was at this time we established the name of our waiter. QED. Marg’s birthday is not until January, I can start saving.
The Aftermath
I asked Sanjeev to give the Calling Card to his boss. I assumed that this would go via the manager who must surely been made aware of the note-taking and photography at the window. We were actually outside before he acknowledged us. A chat about the philosophy of Swadish would have been appreciated. Does the owner, a Punjabi Chef, ever present Karahi Gosht?
Later, there was a cake.
This year, I didn’t have to bake my own.
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April 2022 Menu
More Curry, just what Hector needed after Saturday’s excess at 
Aloo Gobi, perfect. The Aloo Keema Mutter would suit Marg. The Chapli Kebabs were covered, what a pile, someone has been busy. We took our seats. The latest waiter took the Order. Two Chapli for me (aye right), a Naan was added also, plus two cans of Mango Rubicon. It was revealed that the Keema was – Chicken Mince. Marg was happy with this. 
A generous half went east, the remainder was quite sufficient. Hector would say that, this was not a Lamb Chop scenario. 
The round Naan was served whole. Thin, the way Marg prefers it, there were some blisters. No panhandle, still, a worthy Naan, all but a scrap would be eaten. Marg acknowledged that sharing this was a positive change from our usual Chapatti. 
Steaming hot, a good start. The peripheral Oil stood out as did the Coriander Topping. Sliced Green Chillies would soon be encountered, no issue with the Spice Level here, or the Seasoning. This is 
Hector, beware of the Black Cardamom – too late!
There’s dry and there’s – Dry. No peripheral Oil, I could not see much in the way of Masala. How many venues mistakenly serve this as approaching – Soup? The Potato pieces were substantial, plenty of Peas in there too. Marg could eat this every day. 
A very rich and flavoursome dish full of different textures, and a step above my favourite – Mince& Tatties. A wonderful meal.
Four days ago, a certain social medium flagged up that it is three years since 
Arriving at 14.45, the premises were seemingly empty, nobody front of house. Mein Host came out from the back kitchen, my Order was relayed. 
I took the opperchancity to photograph the far dining room in which I have yet to sit. As I studied the Takeaway Menu, I established that there was no price difference for dining in. My Naan was officially – Fresh Plain Nan. The Bread prices at Khyber Pass have always been realistic. 
A Salad and Raita were brought to the table. I asked for a jug of water, having seen no Sparkling Water in the fridges. The Salad was certainly better than – modest, the thin Raita had a Peppery kick. At this point I established that the – New Management – have been in place for four months. My question – what happened to the other guys? – fell on deaf ears. 
These premises have changed hands at least twice since I first visited – 
Lamb Karahi
At 
The Naan, served whole, was also huge. Despite the perforations, it had risen, probably due to the sheer amount of dough. I suspect some wholemeal flour had gotten into the dough mix. The Bread had risen to create a sufficient level of fluffiness.
I had hardly made a dent in the contents of the karahi. The Oil ran across the plate. This was not going to waste, especially at a time when cooking Oil is rapidly disappearing from our supermarket shelves. 
The first wipe of Oil immediately confirmed the efficacy of this Curry. The anticipated – Pepperiness – was there, and of course, the – Seasoning. The Masala shrouded the Meat, there wasn’t much room in the karahi for an excess. Tomato-based, this was the real deal, the only – red – that would have been added to the pot when cooking. Tomatoes, Green Chillies, Salt and Pepper cooked for hours, hopefully with Lamb on-the-bone in situ. Namkeen Karahi has such a distinctive, full on Flavour, the simplicity of its magnificence still baffles after all these years.
It would have been criminal to question the quantity at the point of serving. I took the remaining portion of, still hot, Namkeen Karahi up to the counter:
Update – August 2025
A train journey without wearing a mask, for Hector, today’s trip through from Glasgow was the first time in over two years there has been the choice. Today’s chosen venue for Curry was the tried, tested and always reliable 
Master Khan brought the latest edition of the 
The Naan, served whole, was enormous. It had the correct pan-handle shape to have come from a Tandoor. Lightly fired around the edges, it had risen significantly in the main body of the Bread. Only a minimal spread of Butter had been scored across the middle, a bit more would have been welcomed. Thankfully, no Garlic had been added. This was one mighty Naan, excellent, and no way would I manage more than half. 
The Meat was piled high in the karahi. Such was the volume, counting was unnecessary, if this wasn’t the half-kilo, it wasn’t far off. Given the restrictions of the karahi itself, the Masala was certainly the definition of Minimal. This is exactly how Hector seeks his Karahi. Pieces of Tomato pulp were mixed through the presumably Tomato-based Masala. From here was the core of the Flavour. The Masala on the Naan was truly delightful. Very little Oil was collecting on the base of the karahi, a few calories less.
The Tender Meat gave back the Spice, I took another photo at the halfway stage. Later with six decent sized pieces of Lamb still to go, I knew this would be a challenge. The Naan was abandoned, finish the Karahi. 
If hot food is what one is after, then one Glasgow Curry House guarantees it: 
When the food arrived, the Naan looked strange. Cut into five pieces, at least the pan-handle remained intact. With only the edges risen, this looked a fairly peely-wally Naan. There was a buttery sheen, not Garlic, and the Coriander topping was minimal. However, the Herb had been rolled inside. There was plenty of Coriander, and somehow, I would eat every piece of this Naan. 
Not burning the roof of one’s mouth was objective #1. One has to let the sizzling Oil calm down before the first, all important dip of the Bread. 
Ayaz observed my progress, Shery enquired if I needed anything more. What more could I require? The perfect Karahi Gosht in one of 
Manchester is lit in blue. And by 22.30 last night, the Glasgow team in blue reached the semi finals of the Europa League. Hector will not be in 
Al-Faisal
This was not the Salad Marg had in mind. Even for £1 she expected more than Lettuce, a few strips of Onion, and a covering of Raita and Tamarind. This was decidedly – modest. When the next customers ordered Salad and received a separate plate, Marg was not amused. The Samosa was better received:
How I have been looking forward to a Manchester Desi-Karahi, it has been two months. We could have flown home directly to Scotland, however, the flight price to Manchester was such that the extra night’s accommodation and train fare still made it the attractive option. Even on the holiday weekend. 
I had but a few pieces of Lamb left with some Masala flavoured Rice, it wasn’t too late. Sorted. The Coriander and Chillies added that extra boost, all was well. As I finished the last grain of Rice, for a moment I actually considered ordering the same again. Marg expects our traditional return from a trip – Spag Bol – tonight, better not.
I passed what appears to be a new outlet for Curry in the Northern Quarter – Cafe & Grill Istanbul – on Oldham Street. In the daytime they are hardly going to compete with the established venues, however, we’ll see how late they stay open. 
Before matters Curry, I’ll sneak in a mini music post. This afternoon at Alexanderplatz, the sounds of an amazing – groove – wafted through the air. A three piece called Dr. Phil Harmonic, guitar, bass, drums. I should have bought their CD, next time. 
This evening Marg and Hector dined at 
were advised that the menu could be accessed using the QR code at the table. Ten minutes later we had not managed this, the signal both indoors and out was not for letting us download the pdf file. Why did we have to download it anyway, annoying junk. I attracted the attention of the front of house lady who suggested I try the Wi-Fi. This required a password. No sign of any password, why not have it on the back of the QR code? After a Thali had been taken outside, she came over and entered the password on both of our phones. Success was immediate. 
One Curry was very much of 
Sea Bass, Coconut Milk, Mustard and Ginger – the menu tells us. It didn’t say it was Fish in a creamy Tomato Soup. Creamy Curry in 
There was plenty of Fish, but without a Vegetable no Diversity. The Thali option therefore has its advantages. I took a Soupçon of the Shorva, definitely worth the – two Chillies. Having come to terms with the Tomato Soup, I was puzzled by the tanginess. However, I was far too busy to dwell on this. 
The long, floating – dark, red Chilli, looked menacing. Again Shorva, but no nasty colouring to worry about here. This looked like echtes Indian Curry, and I do deliberately differentiate between this and my usual intake of Desi-Punjabi fayre. Slow-cooked Lamb – was mentioned in the description, I was surprised to find wedges of Potato in there too. Meat and Vegetables, yay! And the Potato hopefully had not just been introduced to the blended Masala. 
Five large pieces of Meat were decanted, one was huge, the equivalent of three in other servings. Plenty of Meat. 
We arrived at Tasty India just after the noon opening. On entering, it became immediately apparent that there was next to no space to dine inside. I pointed to the solitary table near the doorway, they would bring it outside. So, Tasty India is primarily a Takeaway, with a green carpet under the canopy outside, for those who wish to brave the elements. There is no toilet available for customers. It was 9ºC as we took our seats, coats were staying on. 
Menus were provided, the usual Deutsche-Indian fayre. Then I spotted Fish Vindalu (€10.90) with inclusive Rice. Not often one sees this, it had to be. Marg was having Mix Pakora (Veg) (€7.90) along with Jogi Tea (€1.50). I asked for a litre bottle of Sparkling Water (€2.90), which would surely be the cheapest served in 
The drinks arrived, Marg’s Tea was suitably hot and milky, yeuch. I was given a glass of Sparkling Water, so none for Marg. The Pakora and two Dips arrived moments before the Curry.
I counted about fifteen pieces of Pakora, so the price feels justified. Unlike proper Vegetable Pakora where finely chopped Vegetables are mixed together, this was simply slices of Vegetable in batter. Aubergine, Paneer, Cauliflower and Potato were present, around three or four pieces of each. 
Tasty India is my fifteenth 
I decanted eight good sized pieces of Fish and three large Potato Wedges, plenty of solids. The quantity certainly matched the price, good value. The Masala had a decent level of viscosity, this was far from being Shorva. 
Vindaloo in 
Do you want more Rice? – asked Mein Host when he came out to check on our progress. How much Rice can Europeans eat? 
The Bill
€22.80 (£19.05) Mein Host confirmed that the Sparkling Water was listed as – Naan – (€2.50). 
Marg wanted to visit the Oberbaumbrücke, Hector – The Wall Museum – and so Curry across the River Spree felt logical. Sadhu Pakistani Restaurant (Falckensteinstraße 41, 10997 Berlin, Deutschland) has been visited twice previously. Sadhu, the namesake of 
Arriving at 13.45, I was surprised at how empty the place was, a handful of diners only. Previously, this venue was bustling, perhaps because it was Saturday? I attempted to consult a well known and reliable 
Throughout Lockdown, Marg’s Salads became legendary on a certain social medium. Today, here was a Bunte Salat fit for a Marg. The Chicken Tikka was covered by a mass of Lettuce, Rocket, Tomato and Green Peppers. Slices of Carrot and Cucumber formed the peripheral guard. Slices of Orange added another dimension. The swirl of Chilli Sauce and Yoghurt was a work of art. 
Last time this was 
I didn’t count the Meat as I decanted, it was easily into double figures. The Lamb proved to be so Tender-soft, minimal chewing was required. As ever, the Lamb was such that one concludes it had only recently met the Masala. 
My meal had cooled substantially, yet note the initial vapour rising. The temperature of the Rice was cooling the Curry. Eventually I had to record that this Curry needed more Spice and more Heat. 
We walked back across the Spree to The Wall Museum. How we could do with a Gorbachev today.
At the risk of repeating myself, as if : Curry in 
The 
Having arrived some ten minutes early, I told the waiter we would be two or three. This seemed to cause him a problem. Was it two, or three? He showed us to a small table in the area which connects the front of this spacious restaurant to the rear. Moments later he offered us a second, slightly larger table. Better. Time to study the menu, ah drinks first, he insisted. 
Ein Sprudel bitte.
Applying the same logic that led me to the 
Marg chose Mango Chicken (€5.90) from the Mittagsmenü. This would come with Rice, Salad and Dessert. Note: changes are not possible!
Drinks first for Steve, a 0.4l glass of Cola (€3.30) was ordered. I was intrigued by the cost of both the Sparkling Water and the Cola, the latter was certainly more than we have been paying for Bier in 
The Naan were served – halved. Thin, but with a degree of puffiness, not bad at all. The shape was consistent with having been cooked in a Tandoor. The Buttery sheen was not Garlic, another positive, for me at least. 
The steel – Thali -platter always reminds me of modern day school dinners, or even prison movies. There was more Rice than anything else. The Curry occupied the top right and middle slots, at Ganesha, they like their creamy swirl. Four pieces of Chicken in one, two in the other. Six pieces of Meat in a lunchtime menu, impressive. Ground Cashew Nuts had been sprinkled on top of the two Curry portions. The Salad appeared to be no more than Lettuce, not that I was paying much attention there. The top left slot contained the Dessert – Mango Lassi. I wonder how many people have mixed this in with the Rice? 
Marg cleared the lot, the manifestation of enjoyment:
I like the decorative Toppings: Coriander, Onion and another swirl of Cream. I counted at least eight pieces of Meat before I realised the rest of the solids were Button Mushrooms. The not excessive, blended Masala looked interesting. With the Coriander mixed through, this had the appearance of being a competent, Mainstream Curry. 
The Spice immediately impressed, two chilli rated, indeed. A Curry this Spicy in 
I knew what was coming, I’ve tried this often enough in Europe. The Bitter Mash that accompanies a Palak Gosht in the UK has not reached Europe. Here, Spinach means a Creamy Curry. Had Steve studied a well known and reliable Curry Blog, he would have been aware of what to expect. 
Having got over the Creaminess, Steve’s next remark was about the temperature of his meal: needs heating up. One wonders about the efficacy of the tea-light candles.