Pub News and Beer Festivals

Quaff Ale remains the most reliable source of information about UK beer festivals. The site can be found here: http://www.quaffale.org.uk/php/festivals.php

The next major event is the large Winter Ales Festival being held again in Manchester. However, there has been a welcome change of venue from the disappointing New Century Hall. This does mean the festival is no longer being held in the city centre, but is instead located at the Sheridan Suite on Oldham Road. This seems to be a fair trek from town on foot. The website for the festival provides a lot of information, and it can be found here: http://www.alefestival.org.uk/winterales/

Pi

This bar has become a firm favourite on the Chorlton scene. It usually serves three draft real ales and one cider, with Bank Top's Flat Cap being the one permanent beer available. There's a good selection of continental draught lagers and a huge array of bottles.  Pi is a small place, and consequently feels lively even when there aren't many people inside. A key feature is the food served. This is restricted to inexpensively priced pies from Pieminster. These are available with minted peas, gravy and a creamy mash. The food is hearty and very tasty.
The staff in Pi are extremely friendly, and they offer free nuts when you get a pint at the bar. This is a small gesture, but helps to make the punters happy. There are also mini salamis on offer (not free, but they go very well with a beer). Finally, the bitter is always served in the traditional 'dimpled' glass with a handle. This is an excellent bar, and is one of the best places to drink in Chorlton at the moment.

After numerous visits Pi has remained consistently good and most notable of all the service and general atittude in the place is second to none. If we gave awards it would win one for customer service - shame we don't.

Trof (Northern Quarter)

Thomas St
We've been here a few times at lunchtime, but the most recent visit was the worst. Trof is very food and coffee orientated. The sole staff member informed us (the only people at the bar) that she had some people to see to before us and carried on mucking about with the coffee machine while taking in information about orders from customers. A breif moment of clarity allowed us to decide that paying £3.60 for a pint of lager here wasn't worth it - so we left. We've had  fun here before, but not today - it's expensive and food, rather than drink, orientated at lunchtime. Being literally next door to This & That makes it an obvious post Rice & 3 stop but being overpriced, not having the basics (real ale) and generally feeling more style over substance makes it almost opposite in terms of outlook.
A fun, if fancy and expensive, bar on the right day.

Kabana (Cheetham Hill)

Cheetham Hill Rd
This establishment seems to qualify as both a kebab house and a curry cafe (view review of 'curry trip'). Many of the people eating here on this visit were having kebabs, much more than is normally the case at curry cafes. It could be related to the Kabana in the Northern  Quarter, but we don't know. The kebabs initially looked cheap at around £3. However,  the chicken kebabs actually cost £4.50, which is not good value. The kebabs were alright, but not up to the high standard of some of the places in Rusholme. There was no chilli sauce available, and the salad was not great. The chicken was tasty and the chapatti was good. However, the naan was too thick and doughy. This is a pretty lively place, but the expense and the kebab quality mean that it is not a patch on the best.

Scores out of 10
Meat 8.0
Bread 6.5
Salad/Sauces 6.0
Service/Setting 7.5
Average 7.0

Spice Kitchens

Pakistani/North Indian style - Wilmslow Road, Rusholme.

30/03/10 - latest visit
The seekh and bread were pretty good this time. The meat was not overcooked, and the bread was as good as you can expect without a tandoor (we had chapatti and naan). The £2 'offer' for a small seekh is still on, so perhaps this is just the standard price.


Spice kitchens is on the site formerly occupied by Kashmiri Spice – however there’s been a major refurbishment and there is now a semi-open kitchen. It is very light and modern, with large glass walls, which make the place rather cold in November.  A result of the refurb is the attraction to youngsters form the local college, a few groups of whom were the other diners.  The menu is standard North Indian/Pakistani kebab house – (ie including curries and pizzas).  The staff were nice and helpful, however there was a certain amount of confusion about a few things. The starters (a shami and a samosa) were excellent. The kebabs were tasty but not faultless – the bread was excellent but the meat overcooked. It is often the case with lamb kebabs – it was on far too long and cut too many times to speed up cooking. Perhaps a chicken kebab on another day would be better, though the overcooked seekh didn’t do anything to strengthen that case. However, £2 for a small seekh is good by any standards – that was, possibly, an ‘introductory’ type offer. Unless you really like the décor there’s no particular reason to go here rather than any other half decent place nearby – Saajan, Al Madina, Lal Quila Express etc. It’s not a terrible place but dry, overcooked meat is a pretty basic error - luckily one that's easily fixed.

Scores out of 10
Meat 6.0
Bread 9.0
Salad/Sauces 7.0
Service/Setting 7.0
Average 7.25

Spice Kitchens

The Crescent

As many know, the Crescent is a cracking pub with many years in the good beer guide under its belt. In recent years it has gone off the boil a bit with various changes of management. However they've still got a wide variety of great beer. One of, if not the, best around. Our trip was a Friday lunchtime so the place was pretty busy, mostly with University staff. The beer was good, as ever. The only negatives were that the fire wasn't on and that the place is looking rather austere now rather than homely. The blank walls and no carpet may look cleaner, but they're not warmer and have unfortunate acoustic effects. The wall mounted widescreen tele?... well, say no more. But it was, thankfully, switched off. Great pub, that is hopefully re-finding its feet.

....May 2010
The back room has got carpet and the TV's usually off - much less austere, good news.

Chappati Corner

Cheetham Hill Rd
Chappati Corner is another Cheetham Hill  curry Café. The place is exactly what you want: low key but pretty efficient, jugs of water on the tables, limited daily changing menu etc.  The staff were polite and helpful if not chatty – again, perfect.  Our one problem is that we were on a kebab trip and this is really a Curry Café – the more kebab orientated places were not open.  We will return for curries – which looked good but can not really comment just yet, other than they’re pretty pricey – rice and 3 £5.80.

Kebabs
As is often the case in curry cafes there was a very limited range – just seekhs and chicken.  The chicken was well marinaded and the bread was good.  The salad was pretty bland and pointless and the sauces similar, although they were served separately so as not to soak the kebab. The meat samosas were nice too. They were decent if not amazing kebabs – however the point of this place is the curry.

…Minor issue: One kebab had two hairs in it and one of the chunks of chicken wasn’t cooked in the middle.  There’s no reason to suspect that it happens often – just a side note.

Scores out of 10
Meat 8.5
Bread 7.5
Salad/Sauces 6.0
Service/Setting 7.5
Average 7.4

Curry
As stated this place has all the right vibes however I left slightly dissatisfied, which was basically due to the price. It's interesting how expectations change when handing over more cash than you want to. Lamb on the bone, chicken masalla and daal were all pretty good if not exceptional. The lamb had too many chilli flakes and was a wee bit too hot for a 'standard' dish.  The other two dishes were a little bland but fine - again if paying very little you're happy to receive anything tasty and hot. That's the brilliance of curry cafes and where Chapatti Corner falls down.  A meal for 2 with bread, some pakora/samosa and one can of pop was £18. There was nothing wrong with the food here - slightly non-descript (hence the lack of detailed description!) however that's often the case - but you don't mind when it's around £5, it is a great alternative to £3.95 panini or whatever. Top Quality is very near Chappati Corner and costs £5 for Rice & 3. In all honestly I don't see any reason to pay more to come here.

Key Ingredients 16 (out of 20)
Other Food 8.0 (out of 10)
Service Setting 7.5 (out of 10)
Value for Money 2.0 (out of 5)
Range 3.5 (out of 5)
Average Rating 7.4 (out of 10)

Derby Brewery Arms

This large Victorian pub on Cheetham Hill Road is adjacent to the famous Holts brewery, and it is the brewey tap. The real ales served are, inevitably, made by Holts. However, it is disappointing that none of the seasonal beers (or special one off brews) are available. The public bar (or what is often called the vault) is an impressive space, with leather bench seating, a tiled floor and a pool table. The main lounge area is split into two, and is pretty huge - perhaps being too large. This is far from being a great pub, despite some of the interesting original features, but it does retain a grand air.

Kabana (Cheetham Hill)

Cheetham Hill Rd

Trip 1 - Rice & 3

This establishment is related to the Kabana in the Northern  Quarter – it looks similar, with similar layout, food and way of doing things. This place seems to have everything you’d want in a curry café, daily changing curries and a good looking grill selection - £3 chicken kebabs looking good value.  However the curries are some of the most expensive we’ve come across - £5.80 with rice, plus another 60p for a chapatti, which is pushing it for a lunchtime venue. Perhaps that’s why everyone else was having kebabs. But the curries were definitely up to scratch and good portions were given. The chapattis were good and it was heartening to see the little extras there too – chillies, ginger, coriander etc to be added as we saw fit.  The whole place has a different feel to the more vibrant and bustling Northern Quarter area, but no surprise there. Not quite as much fun as town and pretty pricey, but the food was good.  And there’s an added bonus of how close you can park (for free) - if things like that matter to you. Midday Monday is hardly the best time to visit anywhere, perhaps the atmosphere is better at other times – unfortunately the prices won't be. It might seem churlish to complain about such low prices but we have to compare like with like. This & That charges £5 for 'Rice and Three' with a chapatti which makes Kabana a bit dear by comparison.
Key Ingredients 16.5 (out of 20)
Other Food 7.0 (out of 10)
Service Setting 7.0 (out of 10)
Value for Money 3.0 (out of 5)
Range 4.0 (out of 5)
Average Rating 7.5 (out of 10)

Most recent trip 22/03/10 - Kebab

This establishment seems to qualify as both a kebab house and a curry cafe. Many of the people eating here on this visit were having kebabs, much more than is normally the case at curry cafes. It is related to the Kabana in the Northern Quarter. The guys in charge at both places look rather alike - and are in fact brothers. The kebabs initially looked reasonable at £3.70 - however this advertised price was without bread - so £4.50 with naan was pretty expensive. The kebabs were alright, but not up to the high standard of some of the places in Rusholme - or Lahore Karahi across the street. The salad and sauces were fine but not remarkable. The chicken was tasty with a nice marinade and the chapatti was good. However, the naan was pretty poor - not very warm, doughy and a bit lifeless. This is a pretty lively place, but the expense and the kebab quality mean that it is not up there with the best - it's certainly the busiest on this stretch so they're clearly doing something right.  One final point is that they seem to cook chicken kebabs on spec - so there's a good chance of very fast service, however it's only two at a time, there were three of us on this trip. The third diner got pre-cooked meat from a foil tray in the warmer. It wasn't bad and had probably been cooked not long before, but even so, this isn't ideal. On the other hand - the two who ordered first got fresh kebabs in double quick time.
Scores out of 10
Meat 8.0
Bread 6.0
Salad/Sauces 7.0
Service/Setting 7.0
Average 7.0

Top Quality

Derby Road, off Cheetham Hill Road

14 & 18/06/10
....We go pretty regularly - it's good! - though Fridays have to be the standout day - for 2 reasons.
1. There's no rice, but the Chicken Biryiani is excellent.
2. The Friday guy only charges £4.50 for biryani + 3 curries, where as the normal guy charges £5 for plain old rice & 3. A better thing for less money - ??? We just won't question it. 

09/03/10
Great food today - (pictured) chicken on the bone with green peppers, urid daal and lamb. £5.

02/03/10
During the few months since our first visit we’ve been back half a dozen times or so. The standard of food has remained high – some days better than others but never bad and always worth the trip. The pricing has wavered between £4.50 and £5 for ‘Rice & 3’ and we’ve had different reasons as to why this from different members of staff – it's a bit frustrating but that’s the nature of it in curry cafes. The other slight issue is that the 'lamb' has become rather beefy in flavour and texture - if we didn't know better.... Anyway, we still recommend this place very highly. £2 for 2 seekh kebabs, chapatti, salad and sauces seems a bit of a bargain.

Dec '09
About as inauspicious a place as you could imagine and with one of those names that makes you assume the opposite Top Quality is not the most alluring of propositions. But, as we know, a shiny front and high street location doesn't guarantee good food either.  Top Quality has been open about 10 years and is at the really paired down, no frills end of the Curry Café market and we loved it.  The food was excellent and well priced – chicken, lamb, Kabbli channa and rice for £4.50 – chapatti an extra 40p.  All three dishes were superb and distinct, the lamb and chicken were excellently cooked and tender – the chickpeas were fresh, not tinned.  One minor negative was the lack of coriander, chillies etc to add – however they weren’t really necessary as the food was so flavoursome - and rather spicy, possibly the hottest around, but not uncomfortably.  The range was small but well judged, 6 curries, rice, chicken tikka, seekh kebabs and samosas – that was about it. Just what you want.  The curries are made fresh and change daily and when they are gone the place closes. So a great venue, although quiet – but no complaints at all, one of the best.  A quick pint down the Derby Brewery Arms afterward rounded off an excellent hour or so. Top Quality is a bit out of the way but well worth the trip.
...Quick note - future trips have been really good, one inparticular in which an excellent chicken biryani was served as the rice contingent of the meal, at no extra cost. Best £4.50 spent in England that day.

Key Ingredients 18 (out of 20)
Other Food 8.5 (out of 10)
Service Setting 8.5 (out of 10)
Value for Money 4.5 (out of 5)
Range 3.5 (out of 5)
Average Rating 8.6 (out of 10)

Introduction

What is a Curry Café?

Allegedly springing up for Asian workers in the cotton trade, the concept of the Curry Café is a tricky one to pin down.  As the word café suggests they are relatively modest places and do not have extensive menus – typically between 4-12  varieties of curry. There is no table service, go to the counter and either read or ask what’s available on the day. Standard practice, and the point of comparison on these trips, is to have rice and up to three of the curries. Additional options vary from almost nothing to a pretty extensive range of kebabs, samosas and various other snacks, although many places do not have tandoor or a grill. Bread will be available, though presumably cooked on a tava or equivalent. There is obviously some cross over as often Curry Cafes will serve kebabs and similarly Kebab Houses often also offer curries - however it is usually clear as to which the business is geared up for. The way it has been defined for the purposes of these reviews is that if they have curry hot and ready to serve it’s a Curry Café. Hence Hunter’s BBQ is a Curry Café – even though it sells a variety of Kebabs.

Rice and 3 - In this case lamb, chicken and daal.

It is our view that most ‘indian’ restaurants have menus which are far too long and it would be beneficial for their food quality to offer fewer dishes freshly and independently cooked, rather than using  50 variations of the same base sauce. Perhaps it is the stereotype of the curry after a night on the beer that makes most restaurants over spice, colour, salt and oil their food – none of which is usually apparent in the lunchtime environment of the curry café. A seemingly unique and superb concept, however sometimes seen as a little bland in comparison to their restaurant counterparts.

Sunday Nihari
Nihari is a dish of lamb (often shank), traditionally cooked overnight so as to make a rich broth with extremely tender meat. Cooked like this it would be ready and eaten in the morning (which is what Nihari means), after prayers but before sunrise by devout muslims.  The spice combinations are warming and fragrant rather than sour or hot and, more than most dishes, it tastes extremely meaty having all the marrow and goodness from the lamb bones dissolved into it.  It’s customary to add your own flavourings to pep it up right before eating – fresh lemon, coriander, crispy fired onions, slivers of ginger and finely chopped chillies are usual condiments.
Nihari is available in quite a few Pakistani restaurants all the time however the smaller places often limit it to Sundays or Weekend only – and some won’t serve much else on that day. There’s quite a tradition in the Northern Quarter of going for a Nihari on a Sunday, Kabana and This & That are two of the most popular.

Saajan Halal Café

Pakistani/North Indian style - Wilmslow Road, Rusholme

Saajan Halal Café is two doors down from Saajan Halal but not affiliated.  This place is OK – it meets the basic needs of providing a decent kebab but no more.  The service wasn’t great, pretty slow and naan being given instead of the ordered chapatti.  The meat and bread were decent and the rare treat of chicken seekh or ‘reshmi’ kebabs were available – and tasty. It’s fine here, but with the Superior Saajan so close the only reason for a return has been when the other is full.

Scores out of 10
Meat 8.0
Bread 8.0
Salad/Sauces 7.5
Service/Setting 7.0
Average 7.6

Saajan Express

Pakistani/North Indian style - Manchester Road, Chorlton
Not part of the Saajan Original business, Saajan Express is seemingly an independent operation. It's a pretty small establishment with very limited seating along the back wall, however it's genreally used as a takeaway so this isn't really a problem.  So far as eating goes, it very much follows the standard kebab house (+pizza) formula. There is nothing particularly remarkable about the place, for good or bad. The meat is of a reasonable standard, albeit thickly marinaded and slightly overcooked. The bread is of the freshly made, but non-tandoor variety. Salad and sauces are OK. The lack of tables mean that eating in is a somewhat awkward affair. The range of other dishes and the prices are quite good. Its Chorlton location (two doors dwon form the Marble Beer House) helps as there is far less competition making it one of the better kebab options available.
Scores out of 10
Meat 7.0
Bread 7.5
Salad/Sauces 7.0
Service/Setting 6.0
Average 6.8

Saajan Express

Chorlton
Not part of the Saajan Original business, Saajan Express is seemingly an independent business. It's a pretty small establishment with very limited seating along the back wall, however its genreally used as a takeawy. location two doors down fron the Marble Beer House has its advantages.

Rusholme Kebab House

03/03/10
Well, it’s back open and nothing’s changed – so we went for a look... Well actually something has changed since our last visit and that’s the disappearance of chicken shawarma from the most of the rest of Rusholme.  It’s seemingly endangered which is a real shame because, along with the kobeda, shawarma (the Arabic word for 'doner') is what Middle Eastern kebab eating is all about and unlike the ubiquitous 'elephants foot' style chippy doner it's real meat - and really tasty. Anyway – Rusholme Kebab House is one of the few remaining that do it, so we had a go.
The kebabs were sensibly served with everything separate and on hard trays (carrying all that messy stuff in just paper can be hazardous). The bread was from a clay oven and was a as good as we’ve come to expect. The heater for the meat was only turned on when we arrived so it could have been hotter – though it was moist and tasty, which was just as we wanted. Unfortunately the salad and sauces let the whole thing down –even though yoghurt based they tasted really pasty due, presumably, to too much powder being added to flavour the yoghurt.  The salad was just a bit small, limp and unimpressive. The negative elements to this place could so easily be fixed and would make a massive difference – you’d imagine that on another day a different member of staff would get it all right. Let’s hope so.
Scores out of 10
Meat 8.0
Bread 8.5
Salad/Sauces 3
Service/Setting 6.0
Average 6.4


03/02/10
Currently closed, awaiting reopening under new management.

Middle Eastern style - Wilmslow Road, Rusholme 
Rusholme Kebab House is a pretty generic Middle Eastern establishment, following the Al Quds blue-print. It’s hard to get excited about that – but it’s not bad either. The kebab was good. It was a decent lamb shish that was slightly overcooked. The service was slow, but far from terrible. The place is a bit charmless, being dark with very basic tables and chairs, but that’s no big problem.  Probably due a revisit, but it’s doubtful there will be much more to say.
Scores out of 10
Meat 8.0
Bread 8.5
Salad/Sauces 7.5
Service/Setting 6.0
Average 7.4

Al Quds

Middle Eastern style - Wilmslow Road, Rusholme 
Al Quds is possibly the most famous Middle Eastern establishment in Rusholme - it seems to be the one people talk about and recommend the most. If you've never been to one I can see why - the bread is fantastic.  The first sight and smell of the tandoor naan is a real treat for anyone unaccustomed to it. However everything else is only OK - there are better places overall. However it's a decent introduction to this type of place and certainly has the right feel about it - a tad gloomy perhaps, but that's preferable to the bright lights of newer establishments.
Scores out of 10
Meat 7.0
Bread 9.5
Salad/Sauces 6.0
Service/Setting 7.0
Average 7.4

Sanam

Pakistani/North Indian style - Wilmslow Road, Rusholme
Attached to the restaurant of the same name, Sanam is a small Kebab outlet, selling just that. Very straight forward Pakistani/Indian style kebabs.  It's good kebab place - no complaints, but similarly no particular reason to return. Very basic and quite small. Not a great setting but nothing terrible - food's fine but not remarkable.
Scores out of 10
Meat 7.5
Bread 7.5
Salad/Sauces 7.0
Service/Setting 6.5
Average 7.1

Sanam

Attached to the restaurant of the same name, Sanam is a small Kebab outlet, selling just that. Very straight forward Pakistani/Indian style kebabs.  It's good kebab place - no complaints, but similarly no particular reason to return. Very basic and quite small. Not a great setting but nothing terrible - food's fine but not remarkable.

Afghan Cuisine

Wilmslow Road, Rusholme 

Latest trip 25/03/2010
This was the first time that the Flavours of Manchester team have tried Afghan food. The previous visit was a pretty standard kebab trip some time ago (review below). Having been underwhelmed previously we decided to go for the 'Special Dishes' - which have been complimented and recommended by others. The results were a revelation. We ordered Qabily Pillow (left) and Manto (right) - also called Mantu. The first of these was a 'biryani style' rice with lamb on the bone, sultanas and and thinly sliced carrots. This was served with a side dish of lentils, meat and potatoes in a spicy sauce. It was excellent and very filling, with the rice cooked beautifully - the lamb stock really contributing to its flavour.The Manto was a delicate ravioli style 'dumpling' with minced lamb in the centre - not a million miles away from Chinese steamed dimsum or Tibetan Momos. The sauce was made of lentils and yoghurt, and was subtle and delicious. A genuinely interesting main course. The order also came with a really tasty salad served with fresh parsley and olives. Both dishes were less than £6.

                              Qabili Pilau and Manto

Kebab review
The one, overtly, Afghan restaurant/café in Rusholme.  The menu reads pretty much the same as the other Middle Eastern [No, Afghanistan is not in the Middle East but the menu is very similar] kebab places, with a few additional, interesting looking dishes.  The main difference when eating a kebab here are the sauces, which are significantly different to the others – pleasantly fresh with coriander in them.  There’s not all that much to separate the kebabs at this establishment from other OK Middle Eastern type places – quite subtly flavoured but plentiful meat, OK salad and decent bread.  The service was friendly but slow. Due a revisit. Perhaps diners here would do well to sample the more overtly 'Afghani' dishes rather than get the same sort of kebab they can get in another ten venues.
Scores out of 10
Meat 7.0
Bread 8.0
Salad/Sauces 6.5
Service/Setting 7.0
Average 7.1

Afghann Cuisine

The Mark Addy

Stanley St., Salford
This place has recently reopened after a short closure for refurbishment. The bar has moved to the left of the entrance as you walk in, and the pub was busy, with a lot more life to than in previous months. There is still some external work to complete before the Mark Addy is the finished article, but the recent work is a real improvement. The menu looks very good - mainly thanks to the excellent head chef, Robert Owen Brown. As a result the place is more 'gastro' than perhaps somebody only wanting drink would like, but it still manages to strike a good balance due to the very separate bar and kitchen. There were two real ales when we visited, with four hand-pumps available. It's good to see a struggling pub being turned around in this way - particularly as the waterside location has so much potential. Let's hope that the Mark Addy is a success.

Dubai

Middle Eastern style - Wilmslow Road, Rusholme 

A new place - no kebabs were available at lunchtime, we'll try one more time then probably give up for a bit.

25/01/10

We waited too long - it has become Villa Pizza:

 

Jazera

Middle Eastern Style Kebab House, Wilmslow Road, Rusholme

Jazera is a really good, if basic, Middle Eastern Kebab House. The meat was plentiful, well cooked and nicely flavoured – being slightly more strongly flavoured than most Middle Eastern cafes. The lamb tikka kebab was especially good. The tandoor naan was pretty much as good as it gets. The salad and sauces let the kebab down a little – the salad was very basic, being comprised entirely of (too) chunkily chopped lettuce, onion and tomato, and the sauces consisted of only yoghurt and chilli. That slight lack of attention to detail did not stop these being some of the best kebabs of their type. The setting is basic (which is fine) and the service quick and helpful – just what you want in this sort of place.

Scores out of 10
Meat 8.5
Bread 9.5
Salad/Sauces 7.5
Service/Setting 8.0
Average 8.4

Camel One

Pakistani/North Indian style - Wilmslow Rd, Rusholme

It's had lick of paint since last time

Most recent April 2010
The place has perked up a bit - but not that much.  We really wanted to follow the recommendation of mixed doner (from Will below) but we've found that deciding what to have before arrival often leaves you faced with something not very appetising. On this occaision the lamb doner was uncooked and the chicken doner down to the dry stumps, so we didn't bother:

Of the meat on the skewers the lamb looked best and was actually pretty good. I ordered chapatti rather than naan but this was forgotten and I got naan anyway - no big deal. The guys were friendly enough (usual loud TV on Arabic channels etc etc). The naan was decent and the salad sauces OK - the chilli sauce is still extremely strong with vinegar - I can actaully see this being more of an advantage with the doner than the relatively dry tikka kebabs - it's often nice to have something sharp to cut through greasy meat. It was all fine but we're in no big rush to return.
Scores out of 10
Meat 7.5
Bread 7.5
Salad/Sauces 7.0
Service/Setting 7.0
Average 7.25

Original review
Another iconic Rusholme establishment – and unfortunately another we’re not sure what the fuss is about.  The service is good but, like many places, a large TV was on very loud. Some of the meat behind the counter looked discoloured and dry, having been out there too long. So it's definitely better to look before making a choice. The chilli sauce tasted too heavily of vinegar and too much was sauce put on, drowning the overcooked meat. On another day perhaps there would be fresher meat, cooked better by another member of staff. Camel One is not a terrible place but it was pretty mediocre on the day and there’s no particular reason to suppose it would be much better at other times.
Scores out of 10
Meat 6.0
Bread 7.0
Salad/Sauces 6.5
Service/Setting 7.0
Average 6.6

Kobeda Place

Middle Eastern Kebab House, Wilmslow Rd. Rusholme

Most recent Trip Jan '10 - Kobedas all-round!

For original review see below -

After quite a long break the return visit to Kobeda Place was pretty much business as usual - great kobedas with really nice and varied salad (as shown) and excellent bread. The one sticking point was the chilli sauce, the fresh green chilli sauce we'd had in the past wasn't available and the bright red stuff seemed like chilli poweder stirred into yoghurt.  Just not great and a bit powdery. However, that wasn't much of a negative as Middle Eastern kebabs tend not to benefit from being drowned in sauce and it being served seperately did help. It was a large, filling and tasty meal - which for £3.40 (including a free drink) is pretty good going.

Meat 8.5

Bread 9.5
Salad/Sauces 8.0
Service/Setting 8.0
Average 8.5 

Original review

It sounds obvious, but if you fancy a Kobeda go here. The salad is nice and different, with some care having gone into a finely chopped selection of vegetables garnished with parsley. Olives and hummus are also available for added interest and there is a home made fresh chilli sauce which is excellent. The bread was extremely impressive - being exactly what you want from a clay oven.  Meat, other than the kobedas, had some issues - not a great quantity or quality - however having a kobeda remedies both those points and is also the cheapest.  A well named establishment and very good Middle Eastern Kebab House.

Scores out of 10

Meat 8.5
Bread 9.5
Salad/Sauces 9.0
Service/Setting 8.0
Average 8.8 

Jaffa

Halal Mediterranean Restaurant - Wilmslow Rd, Rusholme

Lamb Shawarma pictured - great stuff.

May 2010
Finally a chance to have a go at the fatayer and mixed mezze plates.  Very enjoyable meal of small mezze plate, two lamb shawarma, a cheese and spinach fatayer and two drinks came to £15 - can't really grumble and it was an excellent feed. The shawarma was its usual tastey best, the mixed mezze added interest and the fatayer (being akin to a pizza)served as the exciting fresh bread element, which is usually lacking due to the packet stuff they serve with the sharwarma. Jaffa is a welcome change form the more generic kebab places.
 
April 2010
Our first outing found Jaffa to be, like many ‘west Middle-East’ places, not amazing on the kebab front – but with many other areas of interest.   However our future visits have been focussed on the proper lamb shawarma, which is pretty rare and very welcome. If you’ve never had it, it’s a bit like eating a plate full of the rich, juicy, crispy bits from the edges of a leg of lamb. It was even delicious enough to forgive the thin packet bread, which they referred to as kuboos – although other places call it naan, presumably to fit in with the other eateries in Rusholme. The bread is not all that tasty and can’t compete in flavour with the stuff fresh from the tandoor but its crispness is appropriate with the rich meat.  If you’re into mixed salads, mezze and general pick and mix type things then Jaffa might be a good venue for you – the salad is very fresh and the mix mezze plates look excellent, as do the fataya.  For a straight ahead bread and meat feast (possibly after a few pints) Jaffa probably isn’t top of the list – the portions aren’t big enough for some, there’s no slathering of hot sauces and no enormous steaming fresh bread, but it’s still good. This is somewhere we'd definitely return to but not for a huge, cheap meal.
Scores out of 10
Meat 9.5 (for lamb shawarma)
Bread 7
Salad/Sauces 8.0
Service/Setting 9.0
Average 8.4

Falafel

Middle Eastern style - Wilmslow Rd, Rusholme

Return visit
After a recent trip the comments below are mitigated a bit by the excellent shawarma enjoyed there in Nov '09.  The thin packet bread is poor, remaining the main problem - it's too thin to contain even the slight moisture produced by the meat, let alone sauces, it just disintegreates. But the meat was superb and the salad and sauces very good - and after seeing a basket of large buns go by we found out they make bread fresh every day - and it was really nice. We did ask what it was called so we could get it in the future and the guy said 'bread'. And after a little more pressing said 'small bread'. So who knows if it will be there or available next time or not? So some shawarma meat with a couple of these buns and accompanied by a mezze plate of hummous and bits and pieces would, no doubt, be excellent - but that's not what we were looking for really. It's probaby a case of know ing what to order here - much like Jaffa. The reason the review below is going to remain there is that if you turn up at Falafel wanting a big, meaty kebab with nice fresh naan, you will be disappointed. If you were looking for the more 'Mediterranean' style food then you might really enjoy it here.

Scores out of 10
Meat 9.0
Bread 4.0 - 7.5 for the fresh buns
Salad/Sauces 8.0
Service/Setting 8.0
Average 7.25 - or  8.1

First Kebab Trip
The bread was briefly heated from a packet, and it was very poor by comparison to the large fresh, tandoor naan served a couple of doors down at Jazeera. There is a limited range of meat options available. The salad is good, but the sauces are lacking. The portions are small. The place itself is interesting, with green wooden panels and Palestinian ornamnets. The kebabs are probably the most expensive in Rusholme. The range of other dishes (mezze style) offered are more interesting, and maybe represent its specialities. Perhaps, like Jaffa, kebabs are not what they do best.

Scores out of 10
Meat 6.0
Bread 4.0
Salad/Sauces 7.5
Service/Setting 7.0
Average 6.1

Kebabish Original (Rusholme)

Photo is pre-refurbishment - it looks much smarter now

May 2010
It's been tarted up somewhat - the food looked good but it has gone flashier and become more like a restaurant. And hence too expensive (and slow) to fit in this blog. £5.90 for a chicken tikka kebab and £6.90 for lamb tikka is just too much - in the case of lamb tikka literally double the price of surrounding places. We were offered a table and a menu but declined, didn't order and left. - The food under the glass counter looked really good and making choices based on how it looks is all part of the experience - why steer the customer away from it to make a choice looking at a menu? On the other hand for a 'meal out' this might be OK, it's clean, bright etc etc - but these prices aren't sustainable for regular lunchtime trips and the associated delay caused by table servcice doesn't help either. Big parts of what's good about low-key kebab-type places are speed, reasonable prices and not relying on menus but seeing what's there on the day. K.O. doesn't have these things going for it and is clearly trying to be 'classier' but the added time and price are big negatives for us - perhaps the food is good - it looked fine, but I don't think we'll find out soon.

2008
This place is half way between a kebab house and a restaurant. It's large and has table service. The meat had been cooked before, and it was tough. The marinade was tasty. There are sauces and water on the tables - which was good. The music from the television was pretty loud and rather distracting - but plenty of places are like that. The kebabs are almost the most expensive (£5.30) and not worth the extra cost. The curries and mixed grill look good though.

Scores out of 10
Meat 6.5
Bread 7.5
Salad/Sauces 6.5
Service/Setting 7.0
Average 6.9

Sadaf

Sadaf was a bit of a favourite of ours - over time it became pretty much the number one choice for Middle Eastern type kebabs. However, it recently and regrettably decided to stop making Chicken Shawarma - which was one of, if not the best around.  The place is still good but doesn't have that stand out dish to recommend it anymore - the kobeda and usual skewered meats are all fine, but the shawarma was excellent.  This is still one of the best Middle Eastern places - excellent tandoor naan, good salad and sauces etc. high standards all-round.  Hopefully the shawarma will return at some point.

Scores out of 10
Meat 8.5
Bread 9.5
Salad/Sauces 7.5
Service/Setting 8.0
Average 8.4

Abdul's (Rusholme)

Pakistani/North Indian style - Wilmslow Rd, Rusholme

The service here was excellent - speedy, friendly and we were given free poppadoms. The meat was OK but the bread, salad and sauces were disappointing, with the naan tasting distinctly of the pizza oven. The meat was too heavily marinated leaving a pasty coating which was unpleasant in the mouth. The music was pretty bad too. The kebabs were some of the cheapest around - but not cheap enough. There's no obvious reason to come here given the other options in Rusholme - although after a few pints in Sand Bar or Big Hands the Oxford Rd. branches seem more appealing and have very little competition. Presumably that is how Abdul's has generated its loyal fan base.

Scores out of 10
Meat 7.0
Bread 6.5
Salad/Sauces 5.5
Service/Setting 8.0
Average 6.8

Abdul's (Rusholme)

Abdul's have a lot of loyal fans - particularly the branches nearer Manchester Uni, presumably because people arrive from different parts of the country, have they're first kebab and think it's amazing. In our experience Abdul's kebabs are no better than adequate and would only be chosen for lack of anything else. 

Rusholme Chippy

Chippy and Middle Eastern type kebabs - Wilmslow Rd, Rusholme

Most Recent 03/06/10
It doesn't change much here - it's not great, but just OK. If Kobeda Place and Zam Zam weren't yards away it'd be fine. But the salad and sauces were really poor - the lettuce brown round the edges and the sauces tasted powdery, leaving an unpleasant feeling in the mouth. The Kobeda was alright - not masses of flavour and it tasted slightly like a 'too cheap' burger in texture. The bread was great - a big crisp and light naan, just the job. This place is also more expensive than the other similar places nearby, with small kobedas costing £3.65.
Again we can't see why this place is highly rated - perhaps the name, maybe because you can also get pie and chips and it has a more English feel. Who knows?
Scores out of 10
Meat 7.0
Bread 9.0
Salad/Sauces 4.5
Service/Setting 6.0
Average 6.6

This place is a big hit with a lot of people – the main reason seems to be that it is a old established chippy that also does decent, middle-eastern style, kebabs. There’s nothing better about them than a dozen other places – but they’re fine. Perhaps it’s the contrast with the usual bland chippy fayre that makes them seem so good. Who knows?  As for the place itself: the seating is a bit restricted. The man serving put full salad and salt on the kebab without asking. The salad is pretty poor, and the extra salt is probably unnecessary. He also put too much sauce on– these are slight irritations, but not major problems. The chicken is well marinated and nice, the kobeda was pretty fatty but tasty. The portions are large and the bread good if slightly too doughy. If you’re not a paid up member of the fan club the attraction isn’t all that obvious – unless of course you dine with non-kebab eaters who demand pie and chips, in which case Rusholme Chippy’s got the answer.

Scores out of 10
Meat 7.5
Bread 8.0
Salad/Sauces 6.0
Service/Setting 5.5
Average 6.8

Pasha Restaurant

Kurdish Restaurant - alleyway off Wilmslow Rd, Rusholme 

This is a genuinely interesting place to eat. It is a Kurdish 'restaurant', its alleyway location and lack of English sights and sounds make it feel like it is located in a foreign country – the least western feeling place we’ve been to. The menu is confusing and inaccurate and the service is pretty unhelpful. The menu had a mixture of English words and Arabic script. The English words on it did not necessarily apply to actual dishes that they served or line up with their actual prices – so ordering was a bit of a problem – "does ‘chicken’ mean a whole chicken? A chicken kebab? chicken gizzards? etc". – a sheep’s head was mentioned at one point, which apparently is what 'Pasha' means and is a national dish. Although that may have been a misunderstanding too.  In the end, without any real idea what was going on or how to proceed, the fall-back of shish kebab was ordered - even though it was not written on the menu. We were asked to sit down, bowls of pleasant tasting, thin stock/soup followed as did a rather limp plate of salad. It was not clear if these were to eat immediately or to accompany the kebabs, which took quite a while.  When the kebabs did arrive they were something akin to a fried kobeda - tasty but very greasy as would be expected of deep fried mince. However, the bread was of a very high standard - thin, light and crispy, which suited the rich kebabs. Some tart chilli sauce, to cut the grease a bit, would have been nice. One good aspect was that the bread and kebabs just kept coming rather than a ‘portion’ being served. This meant that there was a huge amount of food - although we did pay £6.00 each. This is a slightly difficult place to come without prior knowledge of Kurdish food or language – not one for the unadventurous. Perhaps there are gems of culinary greatness here – they’re just hard to find.

Scores out of 10
Meat 6.0
Bread 9.5
Salad/Sauces 6.0
Service/Setting 6.0
Average 6.9

Visited

The following is a list of Kebab Houses visited by us at lunchtime and scored - some of the reviews are not up yet. Kebabs have been eaten elsewhere and at other times - in Northern Quarter Curry Cafes for example but they've genearlly not been scored.

Saajan Halal
Al Madina
Zam Zam
Caspian
Kobeda Place
Jazeera
L'al Quila Express
Sadaf
Saajan Halal Café
Babylon - CLOSED
Al Quds
Rusholme Kebab House
West Bank - CLOSED - became Zam Zam
Sanam
Afghan Cuisine
Marmara - CLOSED - became Peri Chilli Chicken - (or something)
Kebabish
Abdul's (Rusholme)
Rusholme Chippy
Camel One
Jaffa
Falafel
Kebabish Original
Kashmiri Spice
Pasha Restaurant
Rusholme Kebab House
Zam Zam Tandoori
Saajan Original
Saajan Express
Kebabish Xpress
Chillis
Sangam Kebab House (Refurbished - into Sangam Fast Food Bar)
Sangam Fast Food Bar

The Castle Hotel

After a brief closure this attractive, old pub reopened, under new management, in April 2009. At lunchtime it is relatively quiet, like most pubs on Oldham Street, but a friendly welcome in the cosy front bar and a good array of well kept Robinson’s beer make it a good venue - although £2.80 a pint for bitter is perhaps on the high side. The extensive and ongoing plans for renovation of the rest of the building will hopefully have little impact on the old-fashioned boozer feel - which is perhaps aided by only having basic bar-type food on offer. Though a few changing guest ales would improve the interest for regularly visiting ale fans. Evenings are a whole different proposition with the place becomming extremely popular with a younger crowd, often on the way to gigs and the like.

The Castle Hotel

Bar Fringe

Fringe has been a perennial fixture on the Northern Quarter's bar scene for over a decade. It combines a decent range of real ales and Belgian beers with some interesting regulars and bar staff. This is a great place to drink in the evening due to being pretty busy most of the time. The beer garden is decent for an urban setting. If you are here on the right day then there is no better place to have a couple of pints after a curry. However, it can be pretty dead during the day, with only a bar maid and the jukebox for company.

Introduction

The initial kebab house crawl was conducted purely at lunchtime during the working week between 17 June and 22 August 2008. Only the places in Rusholme open at these times were included - all establishmentrs were visited then the top six revisited. The scores given were felt to be an accurate reflection of the food and service available in all the places listed on the day at that time. Since then we've found more of a similar type in a few other locations - evening only takeaways are not included.

Defining a Kebab House
No table service, orders placed and then shouted out by patron on completion - typically customer then specifies salad and sauces, cuisine available is primarily grilled meat and bread - although curries, pizza, chips and mezze are often available, canned drinks and water are only refreshment, seating limited and optional. Payment usually made on leaving or on ordering, at the counter. A  sub-category of note is whether Kebab Houses are North Indian/Pakistani or Middle Eastern – although this is more a matter of flavourings and styles of food than concept or establishment. Middle Eastern Kebab Houses will not sell curry, though they may have other rice based or stew-like dishes. If all an establishment has is an elephant's foot at the back we're not going to bother - there are too many places selling doner and they're too similar to visit them all or be able to really differentiate between them.

A pretty unexciting picture of a lamb tikka kebab - the lamb tikka is the black and red stuff under all the salad and yoghurt sauce. The slightly glistening yellowy stuff is mango sauce/chutney. Not much sign of chilli from this establishment.

Terminology/Notes
Shish/Tikka:
These kebabs are similar, with both being lumps/cubes of meat cooked on a skewer. The Tikka kebab (Pakistani/Indian) is marinated in yoghurt and spices.The Shish kebab (Middle Easter) has a far less noticeable marinade (if any). - Typically chicken or lamb.

Seekh/Kobeda/Reshmi:
Minced Lamb formed into a sausage shape on a skewer. Kobeda (Middle Eastern) is usually the bigger and less spicy of the two. There is a variation of seekh where chicken mince is used rather than lamb, often referred to as a reshmi kebab (which means 'silken' - not chicken), these are often pre-cooked and reheated. These chicken seekhs or reshmis are much rarer.

Doner/Shawarma:
Slices of (or compacted) meat roasted on a spit. 'Doner' normally indicates a machine made lump. However, chicken 'Doner' is slices of real chicken meat rather than compacted mince. We've used 'Shawarma' to denote actual slices of lamb on a large skewer - although the actual difference between the two is that Doner is the Turkish word and Shawarma is the Arabic word for the same thing. Genuine 'Shawarma' kebabs are only found in Middle Eastern establishments.

Shami/Chapli:
Burger shaped items made with spiced lamb mince, indian/pakistani only. The shami is also mixed with lentils, making it lighter and usually fried in an egg wash. The chapli is more meaty - usually made of beef - and often flavoured with whole or cracked coriander seeds. These kebabs are both usually pre-cooked and reheated to order, they are more often a starter type item.

Middle Eastern:
Often slightly more expensive places. The meat and bread are sometimes served separately. There are fewer sauces and the salads are more elaborate. No chapatis available. The flavours are subtler than Pakistani/Indian kebabs. Some of these places specialise in 'mezze' style dishes, including tabouleh, falafel, hummus, etc. They usually have Shawarrma kebabs available, but these are often served on packet, rather than fresh bread.

Pakistani/ North Indian:
Spicier meat in bigger chunks (tikka). More sauces and less fussy salad - and all served on the bread. Chapatis available. Overall a simpler dish, and less like a full meal than the other style. These kebabs are also cheaper. Most will also sell curries and starter type dishes.

Introduction

Defining a Kebab House	No table service, orders placed and then shouted out by patron on completion - typically customer then specifies salad and sauces, cuisine available is primarily grilled meat and bread - although curries, pizza, chips and mezze are often available, canned drinks and water are only refreshment, seating limited and optional. Payment made on leaving, at the counter.
Terminology/Notes
Shish/Tikka:
These kebabs are similar, with both being lumps/cubes of meat cooked on a skewer. The Tikka kebab (Pakistani/Indian) is marinated in yoghurt and spices.The Shish kebab (Middle Easter) has a far less noticeable marinade (if any).
Seekh/Kobeda/Reshmi:
Minced Lamb formed into a sausage shape on a skewer. Kobeda (Middle Eastern) is usually the bigger and less spicy of the two. There is a variation of seekh where chicken mince is used rather than lamb, often referred to as a reshmi kebab, these are often pre-cooked and reheated. These chicken seekhs or reshmis are much rarer.
Donner/Shawarma:
Slices of (or compacted) meat roasted on a spit. 'Donner' normally indicates a machine made lump. However, chicken 'Donner' is slices of real chicken meat. 'Shawarma' denotes actual slices of lamb on a large skewer. Genuine 'Shawarma' kebabs are only found in Middle Eastern establishments.
Shami/Chapli:
Burger shaped items made with spiced lamb mince, indian/pakistani only.  The shami is also mixed with lentils, making it lighter and usually fried in an egg wash. The chapli is more meaty - usually made of beef - and often flavoured with whole or cracked coriander seeds. These kebabs are both usually pre-cooked and reheated to order, they are more often a starter type item.
Middle Eastern:
Typically more expensive places. The meat and bread is served separately. There are fewer sauces and the salads are more elaborate. No chapatis available. The flavours are subtler than Pakistani/Indian kebabs.
Pakistani/Indian:
Spicier meat in bigger chunks. More sauces and less fussy salad - and all served on the bread. Chapatis available. Overall a simpler dish, and less like a full meal than the other style. These kebabs are also cheaper.
Middle Eastern *:
These are places that seem to specialise in 'mezze' style dishes, including tabouleh, falafel, hummus, etc. They usually have Shawarrma kebabs available, but these are often served on packet bread. This probably indicates that the priority is not kebabs.

Kebabish

Hilton St

March 19th 2010 - Kebabs
We finally returned for food - this time kebabs (although curries are still available).  This place is so stark it's frankly a bit odd. There's no information posted - other than opening times. No menus or blackboards or anything - not even any dirt, it's like an operating theatre - and equally disorientating.  Shout through the hatch and hope they've got what you want seems to be the way.  The food was fine if a little expensive, £4.30 for a chicken tikka kebab. The chicken kebab was nicely done - good puffy, fresh naan , but nothing to get really excited about. Slightly strange place.
Meat 7.5
Bread 8.0
Salad and sauces 6.0
Service and setting 7.0
Average - 7.1

Feb '10 - No idea what's going on with this place, no curries on the board - perhaps not doing them anymore.  Hopefully solve this soon

...Seemingly nothing to do with the small chain of Kebabish Original (K.O.) with branches in Rusholme and Cheetham Hill.  This place has completely different branding, different logos and signs and doesn't use the 'Thrill of the Grill' tag line.

The small range of freshly made curries, in this rather too clean and sterile cafe, are at the top end of what's available for this type of establishment.  The slightly strange and rather high pricing system is a little difficult to navigate. 'Rice and three' is probably to be avoided, with the customer seemingly paying for a full portion of the most expensive dish, no matter what else is ordered, similarly the 'special rice' which costs £2.50 before anything is added to it. However, the lamb dish was particularly good and authentic and the rice and roti both excellent. Though given the nearby competition the price of £7.00 is too high.  Boiled rice and the non-'special' curries can be had for £5, and are certainly worth trying. Grills and some basic starters are also available and reasonably priced.

Key Ingredients 17.0 (out of 20)
Other Food 9.0 (out of 10)
Service Setting 7.0 (out of 10)
Value for Money 2.5 (out of 5)
Range 3.5 (out of 5)
Average Rating 7.8 (out of 10)

Kabana

Back Turner St.

Outside, Grill stuff - ready to go, specials board, portion of Karahi Gosht on the bone and chapattis.

17/06/10
Cracking rice & 3 with the keema potatoes standing out as both tasty and different. £2.80 for 3 seekhs on a chapatti was an excellent alternative as something a bit smaller and cheaper. It was ready quickly as the seekhs were microwaved - this wasn't greatly detrimental and the chapatti was fresh.


23/03/2010
Kabana serves tasty curry dishes at reasonable prices. The standard 'rice & 3 curries' deal is £5 no matter what you have, and this is reduced to £4.60 if you have a chapatti instead of rice. There is a decent range of curries available, and these are clearly displayed on a whiteboard. The sauces are subtly flavoured and the meat is of a decent quality. The service is swift and the large dining area is basic and definitely adequate for this type of place. The pricing policy is less confusing than many other curry cafes, which helps matters when choosing between dishes and different types of food. The last visit was very good, with all the curries dishes being up to scratch.


28/02/10 - Being a Sunday Nihari is the only way to go - well OK with chops too.  The Nihari was excellent actually - really well spiced, but without destroying the flavour of the meat, one of the best I've ever had.  The extras on offer were ginger, chillies and lemon.  The guy behind the counter said I was a brave man going for the Nihari - I didn't know what he meant until I tasted it, the hottest I'd ever encountered and I'd already added plenty of chillies, assuming it to be mild (as normal).  So, there was plenty of heat, but this didn't detract from the taste.  It was all part of it.  Chapattis seemed the only proper accompaniment and I duly scoffed a couple down with it, whilst doing the bulk their washing up for them.  We had the Nihari whilst the chops were on the grill and when they arrived they were large, juicy and really tasty - again with plenty of heat in the marinade, but also an excellent flavour. No complaints. Prices: £4.50 for pretty small bowl of Nihari was perhaps a little high - though it's not much for a good Sunday lunch, which it was. 60p for chapattis and £3.90 for four chops was fine. A recommended experience, though I'll probably check some of the other places' Sunday offerings before returning.


Key Ingredients 17.0 (out of 20)
Other Food 7.5 (out of 10)
Service Setting 8.5 (out of 10)
Value for Money 3.5 (out of 5)
Range 4.0 (out of 5)
Average Rating 8.1 (out of 10)

Zam Zam

Middle Eastern style - Wilmslow Road, Rusholme

June 2010 - Same again - still really good.

April 2010 - Single Kobeda (pictured) for £2.99 is a bit of a bargain.

Zam Zam is a new Middle Eastern kebab house, sited on premises most recently used by West Bank Takeaway. This was previously the much loved 'little' Shezan. It has few surprises in terms of the food available, but the menu is limited even by Middle Eastern standards. Zam Zam produces this food almost faultlessly, and with excellent and friendly service. Of particular note was receiving the components of the kebab separately - which helps prevent getting soggy bread if you're eating slowly or like a lot of sauce. The modern decor and large television, playing continual music channels, will not be to all tastes. However, these are the only criticisms of an excellent kebab house.

Scores out of 10
Meat 9.0
Bread 9.5
Salad/Sauces 9.0
Service/Setting 8.0
Average 8.9

Cafe Marhaba

Back Piccadilly
Most recent visit Feb ‘10
Marhaba hasn’t been the easiest place to get a grip of.  It’s a bit slow, the supposed rice & 3 deal is slightly misleading and the seating is not great. The first time we visited we were totally mislead with talk that anything on the menu was available and ready and so on.  That way of doing things still exists and is a bit annoying if you’re stuck for time.  The key here is to ask what’s ready and pray that they either don’t say ‘everything’ or do say it and mean it.  In this case we were told ‘nearly everything’. Three of us had rice & 3, ordering lamb, chicken, fish, chickpeas and daal between the three 3s – and 2 roti. Worrying about whether it supposed to be lamb rogan josh or karahi or chicken bhuna or jal frezi is not what this place is about.  Part of the hold up last time was the rice – in this case platefuls of it arrived from the back and were microwaved up individually, curries were then heated individually and added to the plate – this took a while even for three diners. First person took ten minutes to get served, third (me!) took maybe twenty. This is an issue but is part of the character of the place.  There’s only seating for 2 at a table anyway so it’s hardly like big parties will be held up. The food was excellent – the fish was a standout dish, being subtle and tasty. The lamb and chicken were properly cooked – quite a cheap cut of lamb but slow cooked so as to be soft and tender. The channa and daal were both good – but usually are.  The roti were exceptional too – straight form the tandoor – crisp, fresh hot and substantial – about as good as it gets.  Even the rice gets a mention, nicely flavoured with cloves and a few subtle spices – with some chickpeas in too, making it a bit nearer to the Pakistani classic chickpeas pilau.  If you can forgive/accept/ignore the organizational short comings it’s a great place - and at £4.60 for rice & 3 and 50p roti is a bit of a bargain – remember to ask what they’ve got first though.
Key Ingredients 18.0 (out of 20)
Other Food 9.5 (out of 10)
Service Setting 7.5 (out of 10)
Value for Money 4.5 (out of 5)
Range 3.0 (out of 5)
Average Rating 8.5 (out of 10)

Kebab Trip Jan ‘10
After a too lengthy break Cafe Marhaba was revisited today. The previous review criticised how long it took for Rice & 3 to be served as they don’t have curries ready to go. Well this is still the case and I’d be worried about getting that done in a short lunch break – no matter how good it is. However – (this was one of my very few solo trips normally there are two or three of us to compare notes) – I was the only customer at 12pm. I duly, on the advice of ‘b’ below, ordered the chicken tikka kebab. Well obviously there weren’t many surprises – it’s chicken and bread! However it was done very well.  The chicken skewers and bread were done freshly in the tandoor. The salad and sauces, it could be argued, were pretty standard – but that’s not a complaint – they were fresh and tasty.  The marinade on the chicken, although uniformly orange and without visibly individual herbs and spices, was tasty and interesting. The plentiful chicken was perfectly cooked and the tadoor naan was a rare treat - particularly in Pakistani places and particularly in town. Chicken in a tandoor takes as long as it takes, as does the bread – so no complaints service-wise.  Seating (5 very small tables) remains a problem, but so be it. Certainly as good as any in town and better than the majority. There will be a trip return trip for curry.
Scores out of 10
Meat 9
Bread 9
Salad/Sauces 8
Service/Setting 8
Average 8.5

Rice & 3
The assumption with the 3 curries and rice format is that several curries are readily available and eating will commence immediately. Marhaba fails in this regard by having nothing pre-made and ready to eat. The three curries are allegedly any available form their resonably extensive menu, which means that for a meal for two the chef may have to concoct 6 different dishes individually - in practice they were not distinctively different. A wait time of approximately half an hour makes Marhaba bearly vistiable for a lunchtime meal. This is compounded by it only having seating for eight. Once the organisational flaws are accepted the food is actually rather good and plentiful: lamb, daal and bread from the tandoor in particular. Definitely due a revisit, but the time it takes here is an issue.

Key Ingredients 14.0 (out of 20)
Other Food 9.0 (out of 10)
Service Setting 5.0 (out of 10)
Value for Money 4.0 (out of 5)
Range 2.5 (out of 5)
Average Rating 6.9 (out of 10)

Saajan Original (Fallowfield)

Pakistani/North Indian style - Wilmslow Road, Fallowfield
Most recent visit 30/04/10
Good guys, good food, good place. We much prefer this to Abduls a few doors down.

Original blurb
Of the four Saajan restaurants reviewed in Manchester this is the only one officially connected with Saajan Halal in Rusholme, which is no bad thing. The menu and set up are almost identical and the kebabs were of a similarly high standard, with the bread possibly better. It is a matter of opinion as to whether the other minor details were preferred over the other establishment's offerings, but everything was of a high standard. The marinade on the meat was slightly inferior and less interesting, and the yoghurt based chilli sauce didn’t provide enough contrast with the yoghurt and mint sauce, but this is not a universal view. The place is light with a large window, and the service is excellent and friendly - with free popadoms and drinks given on a first outing. A very enjoyable visit, in a good location.

Scores out of 10
Meat 8.5
Bread 9.0
Salad/Sauces 8.0
Service/Setting 9.5
Average 8.8

Chillis

Swan St
Chillis is a fairly new kebab house and curry café. The location is excellent because it allows access to a number of very good pubs and bars.

First visit - curry
Chillis offers a warm welcome with obliging service from the cook - Babu. The range of curries was limited but good and the accompanying food items were of high quality. The keema was especially tasty, and the naan was light but excellent. The samosa and pakora are some of the best around, being pleasantly and surprisingly crisp - not microwaved. We were assured that all the food is cooked freshly. It certainly seemed so. Kebabs are also available, and look in keeping with the high standards of this new and welcome venture.

Key Ingredients 15.0 (out of 20)
Other Food 8.5 (out of 10)
Service Setting 8.0 (out of 10)
Value for Money 3.0 (out of 5)
Range 3.5 (out of 5)
Average Rating 7.6 (out of 10)

Second visit - kebab
The kebab was decent, with plenty of nicely marinaded chicken. However, the bread let things down. The naan was reheated and tasted very doughy. The salad and sauces were fine, with the chilli suace being nicely piquant/spicy. Chillis is not the best place to sit in due to the lack of seating near the window, but the service was attentive and friendly.  Certainly OK but not a kebab to go out of your way for.

Scores out of 10
Meat 8.5
Bread 6.0
Salad/Sauces 6.0
Service/Setting 8.0
Average 7.4

Introduction and List

The Flavours of Manchester team are fans of real ale and pubs. The detailed pub reviews in this section are not solely based around lunchtime visits, and increasingly they will reflect evening trips. However, the first list below includes details of those pubs we've been too lately at lunchtime and have given a score to. All the score indicates is whether or not it's worth a visit. This is not a serious review, merely a general measure of the quality. It's based on a lunchtime visit with not only the beer but the genreal enjoyment of the trip taken into account - some places that are great at night are dead in the day. The majority of these pubs are in the city centre and Salford, and the ones in different areas have the location mentioned. The second list is of other venues we've been to at lunchtime within the last couple of years but maybe not lately - so we can't fairly score them. However, we've got a pretty good idea of what they're like to drink in (either from weekend or evening trips), and we'll give them a basic yay or nay for now as to whether we'd recommend a visit.

Scored Pubs:

Sinclair’s Oyster Bar 5
The Crown and Anchor (Hilton St) 1
The Unicorn 7
Waldorf 4
Bar Fringe 8
The Marble Arch 9
Odd 7
The Jolly Angler 7
The Castle Hotel 8
Kro Piccadilly 7
Crown and Kettle 6
The Commercial 4
The Bar, Chorlton 8
The Friendship, Fallowfield 6
The Crescent 9
The Old Pint Pot 6
The Old Wellington 6
Micro Bar (Arndale) 6
The Angel 7
Throstle’s Nest, Chorlton 1
Oddest, Chorlton 8
Trof (Thomas St) 7
Pi, Chorlton 9
The Burton Arms 6
The Dutton Hotel 5
Sand Bar 9
The Smithfield 7
The Black Lion Hotel 8
The New Oxford 6
The Kings Arms 8
Britons Protection 8
The Mark Addy 8
The Derby Brewery Arms 6

Pubs that have not been visited lately at lunchtime, thereby preventing accurate scoring. There is an indication of whether or not we would recommend a trip:

Knott Bar - Yay
Kro Bar - Yay
Marble Beer House (Chorlton) - Yay
Lass o’Gowrie - Yay
Kro Abbey (Science Park) - Yay
Hare and Hounds - Yay
Mitre - Nay
Crown and Cushion - not been for a good while - Nay
Wheatsheaf - Nay
Hardy’s Well (Rusholme) - Nay
Piccadilly Wetherspoons - Nay
Hilary Step (Whalley Range) - unlikely yo be open at lunchtime - Yay
Jam Street Cafe (Whalley Range) - unlikely to be open at lunchtime - Yay
Dulcimer (Chorlton) - opens 1-2 - Yay
The Eagle - Nay
The Albert (Rusholme) - Nay
Osborne House Hotel (Rusholme) - if you're in the area already - Yay
Mother Macs - Yay
English Lounge - it's okay but not great - Nay
Bay Horse - pretty dead at unchtime, no real ale - Nay
Millstone - Nay
Centro - dead at lunchtime with no real ale - Nay
City Arms - Yay