It has been two years since the Hector last ate at Pak Tikka Shop – Grill House (Sapfous 5, Athina Hellas105 53), the Karahi Gosht on that day reached – wow! – status. Allowing for the Dishes I am never going to try, Beef Karahi (€7.00) remained a glaring omission in my coverage of this house. But then, I was somewhat obsessing on securing Kofta Anda on previous visits. Beef Curry does not appear often in these pages, one memorable version was served around the corner from here five years ago. I miss Taste of India (see below).
Marg and Hector arrived at 13.45 this afternoon, a good time to find the place empty. It soon filled up as people returned from Friday Prayers. Prices for main courses have increased by €1.00 since my last visit. On asking for one Naan, our waiter, who spoke excellent English, reminded me that each main comes with two Naan. Apparently I was having two, regardless.
I have long campaigned for honourable pricing of Bread, particularly in UK Curry Houses. How many charge the equivalent of €7.00 for two Naan, never mind the Curry?
On the five minute walk up from Iroon Square (Psyri), Marg said she would not be having Curry, or anything at all. On taking her seat, this changed to – I’ll have a Samosa (€1.00). This quickly became two, and then there’s the matter of the Raita and Salad which always appears along with bottles of chilled water.
The three chaps working hard in the open kitchen, soon had the Order ready. Fast food. With the mains on display, it’s just a matter of a reheat.
The pair of Naan looked so inviting. Served whole, pale but risen with big blisters, this hot Bread is a delight. Soft, fluffy, I wish I could accommodate more, that just ain’t going to happen.
I managed less than one.
*
Beef Karahi
Two things immediately stood out: the Meat was boneless, and there was a lot of it. Eighteen pieces of meat, no tiddlers, this was probably more Meat than I would tackle when sharing a kilo of Karahi Gosht, on-the-bone.
Tomato Seeds shrouded the Meat. The thin, dark Masala was spectacularly – sharp. It is not often that a Masala hits the back of the throat so quickly. Oily, Shorva-esque, there was a decidedly big – kick. This was unexpected, Pak Tikka Shop distinguish themselves from nearby Pak Taka Tak by not serving such Spicy Curry. Next year back to the sister shop.
The Beef was Tender in parts, chewy in others. Two pieces had to be abandoned, I would still be chewing them next Friday lunchtime. At these prices, nobody is going to say anything negative, one cannot expect Sirloin.
There were no pronounced Spices that I could detect, though Marg’s Soupçon had her announce – Cinnamon. The Beef was giving off its Spicy Flavours initially, but as one chewed, so these dissipated. With its dark appearance this Beef Karahi may have resembled a Beef Stew, this was way more.
Vegetable Samosa
Marg has been known to have one only, not today. Hot – was an early declaration, satisfying after her disappointment of two days back at Shinwari Grill. By the time the Salad and Raita were added to her plate, Marg had a voluminous lunch. Marg could eat Salad for Scotland, especially a Greek Salad. Should she eat Salad for Hellas? Marg:
I decided on two Vegetable Samosas. The Salad had already arrived with the Raita. I added the Salad to my plate. The Samosa was hot and was full of flavoured potato with turmeric. A herb was also present. I thoroughly enjoyed the hot Samosa and it combined well with the fresh salad of large chunks of tomato, cucumber with onion and lettuce.
An enjoyable lunch.
The Bill
€10.00 (£8.73) Doug, you had better believe it!
The Aftermath
Our waiter was busy as we departed, there was no point engaging with the sullen chap who deals with payment, I have tried. A chap in all his finery was greeting other – dignitaries – as they arrived. I must remember his face.
At the top of the street, the rear of the building on Menandrou was covered in scaffolding. The north side houses Pak Taka Tak and the former Taste of India. Something big may be happening here. Excavations have revealed another piece of history. Time will tell if the powers that be make a feature of this.
Taste of India, anyone who has watched the Israeli TV series – Tehran – should look out for this restaurant back in its heyday.
When in 
Shinwari Grill (Voulgari 3, Athina 104 37, Hellas), 
Marg and Hector arrived at Shinwari Grill just on 14.00. With the body clock two hours behind, this was ambitious, but if we are going to enjoy Greek Cuisine also, it has to be. We walked through the outside seating area to investigate what was on offer. With an extensive array of Dishes on display, the Hector was right at home, especially when the Karahi Gosht, on-the-bone of course, sat proudly in the centre. We took seats outside, a chap brought the menu and two chilled bottles of water. 
A waitress brought the plates etc. and took the Order. By now Marg had decla
Marg studied the Marilyn Monroe clippings which formed the table top décor whilst I tried to sort out Shinawari v Efcharis. The latter means – the one who has a lot of fun – in Greek, whilst Shinwari refers to the nomadic tribe occupying the land on the Afghan-Pakistan border, the Khyber Pass. 
The waitress brought a substantial Salad and a bowl of Raita to the table. The Raita had quite a wee kick. Having ordered the Pakora Salad, how much could we eat? The main event was presented moments later, Rice too.
The Naan was served halved. Lightly fired, but well risen and puffy, the Bread served in this area is always outstanding. Sadly, with Rice now part of the equation, I would not do the Naan justice
Six large pieces of Meat on-the-bone plus various tiddlers, formed the bulk of what sat in the karahi. The photo appears to accentuate the presence of Oil, with the Mutton decanted and the Masala stirred, this was a classic Desi Masala. The Rice quickly absorbed some of the Masala, I retained some in the karahi for dipping. What is this with the dipping, Hector? 
There was a b
The Hector was eating, and so were the latest arrivals who had a mountain of Naan between them. 
Eight large pieces of Pakora, not Bhaji because we known –
Arriving at a new curry place, we sat outside at tables with newspaper clippings of Marilyn Monroe’s death. The waitress came and took the order for Pakora Salad then went indoors with Hector.
The Calling Card was given, in turn, Ahmed gave me his. Ahmed was clearly impressed by the number of Curry Houses visited as I scrolled down. At the suggestion of a photo together, Ahmed appeared to be keen but then disappeared into the kitchen. He returned momentarily, with his – plus one.
Our waiter today, Ali, was front of house. He suggested Poppadoms (£1.00) as we took our seats. As ever, the Hector was not playing this game. As we studied the menu, Ali asked if we needed help with Pakistani food.
The availability of Fish Karahi (£14.99) had already drawn my attention. Fish Karahi is a rarity in these lands, potentially the ultimate Curry, but there have been a number of disappointments over the years. The description on the menu mentioned the dreaded 
Our choice of m
Ali brought the food, all pots were covered, sustaining the suspense for a few moments longer. As we began arranging our food on the metal plates, so Mein Host entered. He greeted us and established that we were being looked after. 
White Fish, later confirmed by Ali as – Tilapia, sat in a Thick Masala. My close up of the Masala would suggest Tomato Seeds, but these were so large they were Daal-like.
India
Light pieces of something solid, Marg took these to be Potato: to her great surprise, Prawns! The menu 
A new pl
I took some of the aniseed sweets to finish the whole experience. I am sure we will return. 
And so the Calling Card was issued. This was in turn passed to Mein Host, whose name I did not catch – he is the father of young Mustafa after whom these premises are named.
With business to attend to this afternoon in the West End, what better opperchancity to pop into 
Taking my usual spot, all the tables were set out with cutlery. 
I watched people pass by the door, plus those who stopped to read the menu posted in the window. 
As is written oft, and as recent as last Friday when I served up 
Thick, dark, moist, mysterious, the powerful Spinach-rich Mash was well Seasoned and the Spice built rapidly on the palate. Despite – dairy – being mentioned on the 
Almost a year since 
The Tandoori Naan was served in four pieces. As I was sharing, this time I was not so bothered with it not being served – whole. A 
This makes its first appearance in 
A smaller dish than the Lamb Karahi, but full of hot vegetables in a dry sauce with coriander sprinkled on top. A medium spice was asked for and it ticked all the right boxes. A good flavour from the vegetables and I enjoyed the bread which had sesame seeds and a pattern throughout the top. The dish was filling and very enjoyable. 
Ginger Strips and a threat of Coriander, plus more Seeds, topped the Meat and Masala. The Meat count reached double figures, on-the-bone, of course. One Sucky Bone. The Tomato-red Masala was taking me towards Charsi Karahi, not my favourite currently, this Curry, however, very much had its own personality. 
A sliver of Bullet Chilli was the only clue as to the source of the heat. An ideal Spice Level, Chef should be congratulated for this and the level of Seasoning. The latter related directly to the intensity of Flavour, the combination of Ginger and Tomato being the standout. 
The Tea had to be summoned, time was against us, Hector’s 15.00 rendezvous was looming. Marg:
Marg dropped me along the road at 
Late morning, Marg and Hector headed to KRK 
Mutton means either slow cooking, or the pressure cooker. Two kilos of Mutton on-the-bone were ther
As a final touch, the table was adorned with – 
Dry, thick, loads of Meat, a veritable plateful. Having served four portions there was not much left in the pot, so two kilos and all that Spinach/Methi was required. The slight Sweetness I had noted prior to serving had been wiped out by the late addition of that important ingredient – Salt. This is how the Hector likes his Palak Gosht, and this is why it was cooked this way. In my book, a success. However, three critics sat nearby.
The Aftermath
Today, Curry on the east bank of the Brussel-Charleroi Canal, at 
The saga of getting to/from Tubize belongs in 
I arrived at Zik-Zak mid-afternoon, Rog 
In the queue for the official opening of the doors at 19.30, the Hector was the only person sporting both a 
Pendragon took to the stage bang on 20.00 and tore into Back in the Spotlight, the opening track of The World (1991). This album was re-recorded in 2019, and all of it would be played in order this evening. Nick would tell us that this is the album that really got the band going. It sold way more than its predecessors, had it not, the band could have called it a day. 
Stools were brought on stage so that Pete could abandon his bass and accompany Nick on acoustic guitar for King of The Castle (Not of This World, 
Love Over Fear remains Pendragon’s most recent album. The saga of seeing them perform this album in its release in 2020 at 
With my accommodation a mere five hundred metres away, there was no rush to depart after the gig. Another chat with Rachel who let slip that Nick has started writing for the next album What about the book? That’s ongoing. There will be no Pendragon gigs in 2026, to allow the writing and recording. 
Seeing Pendragon again was an unexpected bonus, and having failed to have Curry at 
I looked at the Dishes on display, mostly Vegetable Curry of one sort or another? 
The 
I took two cans of cola from the fridge, no Fanta. 
The food arrived after an appropriate wait. As is ever the case, more Rice than a Hector could ever eat, but wastage would be minimal.
Topped with sliced Green Chillies and Coriander, the aroma was powerful, triggering the flow of the juices already. Seven pieces of Potato, and even more of Meat sat in a Shorva-esque Masala. The biggest Sucky Bone ever seen, with Meat attached too, stood out. I would have fun photographing this. 
Super-soft Beef, this would require minimal chewing. The texture of the Potato was spot on I wonder if the 
Dr. Stan has returned to Blighty, the Hector has extended his stay in 
On my previous two visits to Iman Hallal, I have had Lamb Korma. Having had this for the last two days in 
I arrived at Iman Hallal at 16.30, the same chap as before was behind the counter, not that he would recognise me, my visits have been years apart. I pointed to the rear of the restaurant thus conveying I was here to sit in. 
Being 
An online photo of a dark, rich-looking, on-the-bone Curry was enough to have the Hector investigate 
As I took the external photo so the young chap approached the door. I was not a spy, I was here to eat. This was Mohammed, but as everyone is called this, I shall use Jahanzaib – Beauty of the World. 
What I took to be Karahi Gosht proved 
On taking a table I studied the laminated menu, 
After ten minutes, the food was brought on a tray:
As with yesterday at 
There’s Tender Meat, Soft Meat, and oh-so-soft Meat, 
This was approaching the much sought after – Desi Qorma – so, enjoyable as this Curry was, it was nothing outstanding. Had I ordered a Vegetable Biryani (€8.00) as the accompaniment, I could have created a much better meal, next time. 
The Aftermath
I introduced 
As reported earlier in the week in the sister Blog – 
Mithu da Dhaba (Rue Brogniez 78, 1070 Anderlecht, 
I reached Mithu da Dhaba at 14.10, Dr. Stan arrived some ten minutes later by which time the Hector was ensconced. As with the Desi Curry Houses in the UK, the ready Dishes were on display, and what an array. 
The enthusiastic chap behind the counter talked me through them. Everything on the menu, and probably more, was here. The final tray looked particularly interesting. The chap tapped his lower leg.
A sensible plateful, well I would manage nearly all of the Rice. Enough Chicken, cooked on-the-bone to call this a main course. 
A decent sprinkling of Coriander sat atop the plateful of Meat, on-the-bone, and Shorva. The hoped for aroma of Citrus was absent as were Yoghurt Flecks, so not the much sought after Desi Korma. The Meat count was into double figures, the Bone count was minimal. 
As ever, I retained some of the Shorva for the endgame, assured that the Pilau Rice need not be saturated. Oh-so-soft Mutton, but sadly not giving back the Spice. However, the palate was already in a good place thanks to the Biryani. The Seasoning in the Qorma was comparatively low, the Pilau was doing the heavy lifting, so a worthy combination. Mixing the Salad through the Rice did add an extra variety of Texture. Despite the occasional Ginger Strip adding some bite, the overall intensity of Flavour did not match that which is served at 
Dr. Stan arrived, looked at what I was having, and went up to order the same. It was only after he sat down that the tray of White Rice was put out on display. 
Indeed, two people sharing a Vegetable Biryani is always a good option, then Bread can be introduced. There was no Vegetable Biryani at this branch of Mithu da Dhaba. 
I don’t know how much of my spiel the serving chap understood, he got the gist. I was then able to secure the above photos of the food array, and as Dr. Stan paid, an action shot of the venue. 
Update
