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)