Thursday, 25 February 2010
Monroe's Hotel Bar
Where to start? - There's not really anything good to say about the place other than it was warmer than outside on the 16th of February, sold Guinness and we were allowed to leave. No character like even roughish pubs can have, nothing historical, no ale, no conversation, no punters.... seats were reasonably comfy I suppose and it was clean, if that matters to you.
Odd, Odder & Oddest
Thomas St.
Oxford Rd.
Wilbraham Rd., Chorlton
This small Manchester chain is not bad as self consciously quirky places go – it seems a little bit contradictory to have a chain based on being different but that’s the bar world for you. In reality the only thing different about these places are eclectic ornaments that are in every nook and cranny and black and white films playing silently on large screens. The smaller Thomas Str. and Chorlton branches, Odd and Oddest, are our favourites with the Oxford Road venue, Odder, being a little too similar to the nearby establishments, Revolution and Kro2, for our liking. So why go at all? Well they do a variety of ale, reasonably priced food and are basically pretty good as bars go. If you want somewhere a bit livelier and, for want of a better term, younger than the nearest decent pub these are places you can go and still get a good pint.
Oxford Rd.
Wilbraham Rd., Chorlton
This small Manchester chain is not bad as self consciously quirky places go – it seems a little bit contradictory to have a chain based on being different but that’s the bar world for you. In reality the only thing different about these places are eclectic ornaments that are in every nook and cranny and black and white films playing silently on large screens. The smaller Thomas Str. and Chorlton branches, Odd and Oddest, are our favourites with the Oxford Road venue, Odder, being a little too similar to the nearby establishments, Revolution and Kro2, for our liking. So why go at all? Well they do a variety of ale, reasonably priced food and are basically pretty good as bars go. If you want somewhere a bit livelier and, for want of a better term, younger than the nearest decent pub these are places you can go and still get a good pint.
Monday, 22 February 2010
The Marble Arch
Rochdale Rd.
What can we say about this place that hasn't already been said? The Marble Arch is easily one of the best pubs in Manchester - and for many people it ranks number one. It has an historic interior (and an attractive exterior, built 1888), a wide range of constantly changing real ales, friendly bar staff and excellent food. The sloping floor and glazed bricks are the stuff of legend, and this pub never fails to provide a welcoming atmosphere for drinkers and diners alike.
Although the food is of a high standard (if a little pricey), the pub is very much a drinking establishment. The room at the back is fine, but the main bar area is the best place to find a seat and enjoy being in a classic northern boozer. There is even a decent beer garden for use in fine weather. Finally, this is the home of the Marble Brewery, and it is a suitably impressive brewery tap.
What can we say about this place that hasn't already been said? The Marble Arch is easily one of the best pubs in Manchester - and for many people it ranks number one. It has an historic interior (and an attractive exterior, built 1888), a wide range of constantly changing real ales, friendly bar staff and excellent food. The sloping floor and glazed bricks are the stuff of legend, and this pub never fails to provide a welcoming atmosphere for drinkers and diners alike.
Although the food is of a high standard (if a little pricey), the pub is very much a drinking establishment. The room at the back is fine, but the main bar area is the best place to find a seat and enjoy being in a classic northern boozer. There is even a decent beer garden for use in fine weather. Finally, this is the home of the Marble Brewery, and it is a suitably impressive brewery tap.
The Crown and Kettle
Oldham Rd.
The most remarkable structural feature of this 19th century pub is the grand ceiling. The place was closed when it was damaged by a serious fire in the 1990s, and the high ceiling shows clear signs of fire damage. The owners have made a deliberate decision to keep the ceiling in an unrestored state, which provides an air of faded grandeur. It really does need to be seen to be appreciated.
There are several real ales on offer at most times, which makes this a good place to find an interesting range of beer. The two rooms that are served by the bar allow clear views of the ornate ceiling, and these are better places to sit and drink than the slightly bland side room. This pub is usually fairly quiet, and it can be a real antidote to the often too-bustling Northern Quarter at the weekend.
We would really like to rate this pub highly because the beers are good and the place has an attractive interior. However, the cavernous main room lacks the warm and welcoming atmosphere of some other places. This should be a great boozer, but instead it is an interesting old pub that is a bit of a haven for the lover of a quiet pint.
The most remarkable structural feature of this 19th century pub is the grand ceiling. The place was closed when it was damaged by a serious fire in the 1990s, and the high ceiling shows clear signs of fire damage. The owners have made a deliberate decision to keep the ceiling in an unrestored state, which provides an air of faded grandeur. It really does need to be seen to be appreciated.
There are several real ales on offer at most times, which makes this a good place to find an interesting range of beer. The two rooms that are served by the bar allow clear views of the ornate ceiling, and these are better places to sit and drink than the slightly bland side room. This pub is usually fairly quiet, and it can be a real antidote to the often too-bustling Northern Quarter at the weekend.
We would really like to rate this pub highly because the beers are good and the place has an attractive interior. However, the cavernous main room lacks the warm and welcoming atmosphere of some other places. This should be a great boozer, but instead it is an interesting old pub that is a bit of a haven for the lover of a quiet pint.
The Cedar Tree
Thomas Street
Again a 'proper' restaurant, again in the evening – so again this review is in the ‘sundries’ section. In a lot of ways The Cedar Tree is the restaurant equivalent of the curry cafes and kebab houses we usually frequent in the name of journalism for this website - and in fact is right next door to Yadgar. The food is unfussy Lebanese – meaning it’s certainly not a million miles away from the food in somewhere like Caspian, which is ‘Persian’. There’s plenty of grilled meat, tasty dips, hot and cold mezze - decent salad, falafel, vine leaves etc. and you bring your own booze for a modest corkage fee. After a couple of trips the best option seems to be to go with a reasonably large group, have loads of starters and a few mains, if they take your fancy - this policy allows for maximum variety minuimum disappointment. A party of about seven of us had most of the menu twice, brought plenty of booze and left paying £15 including a tip (plus the alcohol) – seems silly to argue with that for a feast on a Friday night. It wasn't subtle food - but, to be fair, it wasn't a subtle night out.
Again a 'proper' restaurant, again in the evening – so again this review is in the ‘sundries’ section. In a lot of ways The Cedar Tree is the restaurant equivalent of the curry cafes and kebab houses we usually frequent in the name of journalism for this website - and in fact is right next door to Yadgar. The food is unfussy Lebanese – meaning it’s certainly not a million miles away from the food in somewhere like Caspian, which is ‘Persian’. There’s plenty of grilled meat, tasty dips, hot and cold mezze - decent salad, falafel, vine leaves etc. and you bring your own booze for a modest corkage fee. After a couple of trips the best option seems to be to go with a reasonably large group, have loads of starters and a few mains, if they take your fancy - this policy allows for maximum variety minuimum disappointment. A party of about seven of us had most of the menu twice, brought plenty of booze and left paying £15 including a tip (plus the alcohol) – seems silly to argue with that for a feast on a Friday night. It wasn't subtle food - but, to be fair, it wasn't a subtle night out.
The Bar
Wilbraham Road, Chorlton
April 2010. The bar at The Bar has gone through a bit of a revamp with all the keg stuff being shifted to the right of the central pillar and the cask to the left. There are now around 20 beers on tap and apparently the small area to the far left of the bar (currently featuring large leather couches) is getting some more 'ale conducive' furniture. As regular patrons we're pleased with the ale situation and hope the change in layout works well.
The Bar is about as close to a good pub as you can realistically get without being one. It’s got the beer, the regulars, the worn in vibe, decent staff, food and pretty much everything else you want in a good pub – only it’s a bar not a pub. Which is kind of the problem with Chorlton in general really. However, for a good few years The Bar has led the way with its approach (very similar to and with the same owner as Knott Bar on Deansgate) to real ale drinking establishments in this area. If you can get over the things that all bars of this type have in common – massive windows, no carpets and hence annoyingly loud acoustics, big open spaces instead of little rooms – in fact the slight 'Ikea-ness' of it, then you could be on to a really good thing. The Marble and The Bar have been vying for Chorlton’s top spot for a number of years and long may they continue, though the competition is getting stronger. -
April 2010. The bar at The Bar has gone through a bit of a revamp with all the keg stuff being shifted to the right of the central pillar and the cask to the left. There are now around 20 beers on tap and apparently the small area to the far left of the bar (currently featuring large leather couches) is getting some more 'ale conducive' furniture. As regular patrons we're pleased with the ale situation and hope the change in layout works well.
The Bar is about as close to a good pub as you can realistically get without being one. It’s got the beer, the regulars, the worn in vibe, decent staff, food and pretty much everything else you want in a good pub – only it’s a bar not a pub. Which is kind of the problem with Chorlton in general really. However, for a good few years The Bar has led the way with its approach (very similar to and with the same owner as Knott Bar on Deansgate) to real ale drinking establishments in this area. If you can get over the things that all bars of this type have in common – massive windows, no carpets and hence annoyingly loud acoustics, big open spaces instead of little rooms – in fact the slight 'Ikea-ness' of it, then you could be on to a really good thing. The Marble and The Bar have been vying for Chorlton’s top spot for a number of years and long may they continue, though the competition is getting stronger. -
The King's Arms
Bloom St.
‘The King’s’ is a little gem of a pub on a relatively small street between the main drag of Chapel Street and Trinity Way. It’s slightly off the main circuit for folk in the centre, which is probably no bad thing. It successfully combines the slightly offbeat character of Salford’s mixture of Industrial and University life without veering too far either way. I.e. There’s a good mix of folk and it’s not a student pub. So far so good. There’s also usually a good selection of beer - real ales, cider and bottled Belgian and the food has supposedly taken an upward turn of late. The pub building itself is a real cracker and seems to be an example of the environment really aiding the atmosphere. Apart from it being a bit too chilly on occaision (which extremely picky folk might also say about the ale) there’s almost nothing to complain about. A great little boozer.
‘The King’s’ is a little gem of a pub on a relatively small street between the main drag of Chapel Street and Trinity Way. It’s slightly off the main circuit for folk in the centre, which is probably no bad thing. It successfully combines the slightly offbeat character of Salford’s mixture of Industrial and University life without veering too far either way. I.e. There’s a good mix of folk and it’s not a student pub. So far so good. There’s also usually a good selection of beer - real ales, cider and bottled Belgian and the food has supposedly taken an upward turn of late. The pub building itself is a real cracker and seems to be an example of the environment really aiding the atmosphere. Apart from it being a bit too chilly on occaision (which extremely picky folk might also say about the ale) there’s almost nothing to complain about. A great little boozer.
Halal Bites
Chapel St. Salford
Halal Bites is an Asian run café in the old Copperheads Hotel building (near Salford Central Station). It’s very modern in appearance and approach. The menu is pretty varied and steers it a bit too far away from the format for us to qualify this places as a curry café. The menu features baked potatoes, paninis, baguettes, burgers, pasta dishes, milkshakes and numerous other things that would never be seen in somewhere like Yadgar. There’s no ‘rice&3’ type element at all, just a choice of curry (5 options) and rice for £3.95. This is pretty reasonable. Lamb Karahi was good – slightly sweet and of a consistency not unlike more oriental offerings, however there was plenty of lamb and the taste was pleasant if not all that authentic. The rice was very nice, being subtlety flavoured and well cooked. An additional side salad was a welcome little extra. There wasn’t tons of food – though enough and we didn’t pay that much. Unfortunately bulking the meal out in the usual fashion – ie by adding a roti was not an option in Halal Bites, another sign that it was not curry café. This place is OK – it’s worth a go if you’re in the vicinity but in all honesty This & That 2 being so close would make it difficult for us to find much point in coming here often.
Halal Bites is an Asian run café in the old Copperheads Hotel building (near Salford Central Station). It’s very modern in appearance and approach. The menu is pretty varied and steers it a bit too far away from the format for us to qualify this places as a curry café. The menu features baked potatoes, paninis, baguettes, burgers, pasta dishes, milkshakes and numerous other things that would never be seen in somewhere like Yadgar. There’s no ‘rice&3’ type element at all, just a choice of curry (5 options) and rice for £3.95. This is pretty reasonable. Lamb Karahi was good – slightly sweet and of a consistency not unlike more oriental offerings, however there was plenty of lamb and the taste was pleasant if not all that authentic. The rice was very nice, being subtlety flavoured and well cooked. An additional side salad was a welcome little extra. There wasn’t tons of food – though enough and we didn’t pay that much. Unfortunately bulking the meal out in the usual fashion – ie by adding a roti was not an option in Halal Bites, another sign that it was not curry café. This place is OK – it’s worth a go if you’re in the vicinity but in all honesty This & That 2 being so close would make it difficult for us to find much point in coming here often.
The Famous Trevor Arms
Beech Rd. Chorlton
Since The Beech’s problems have made it a less than desirable destination (certainly for the moment) the Trevor is the only truly old style pub that sells real ale – the others being Lloyds and the revamped Horse & Jockey – both OK but very modern in their approach. The Trevor’s a fine old style place – not fancy or pretentious and in a grand old building. It has elements which some would find off-putting - quiz machines and big teles showing football, but that can be an important chunk of revenue for a lot of pubs – and the last thing we want are more disappearing. A welcome change from the generic bars and a good venue to watch the match.
Since The Beech’s problems have made it a less than desirable destination (certainly for the moment) the Trevor is the only truly old style pub that sells real ale – the others being Lloyds and the revamped Horse & Jockey – both OK but very modern in their approach. The Trevor’s a fine old style place – not fancy or pretentious and in a grand old building. It has elements which some would find off-putting - quiz machines and big teles showing football, but that can be an important chunk of revenue for a lot of pubs – and the last thing we want are more disappearing. A welcome change from the generic bars and a good venue to watch the match.
O’Shea’s Irish Bar
Whitworth Street
Pretty big, Irish themed, serves a lot of Guinness, has a bit of music and shows the football. Not really a venue for those wanting a pint of real ale in interesting surroundings. However, if any of the points above appeal it might prove a reasonable watering hole – and certainly preferable to official ‘Sports’ bars for watching the tele - but, to be fair, that isn't difficult.
Pretty big, Irish themed, serves a lot of Guinness, has a bit of music and shows the football. Not really a venue for those wanting a pint of real ale in interesting surroundings. However, if any of the points above appeal it might prove a reasonable watering hole – and certainly preferable to official ‘Sports’ bars for watching the tele - but, to be fair, that isn't difficult.
The Sedge Lynn
Barlow Moor Rd., Chorlton
Well it serves real ale, it’s got a really interesting front and it’s right near the Marble Beer House in Chorlton – so it must be good? Unfortunately not really. It’s a Weatherspoons pub which means unreliable beer and tons of microwaved crappy food served in an enormous barn, often with the added feature of attracting people who particularly want to get completely hammered at all hours of the day due to the lower prices. They're the Aldi of pubs, which is fine if you’re buying cheap cornflakes but you don’t hang around for fun. Alright, stupid comments aside, it can be OK for an early (and cheap) drink but personally I prefer smaller, non-chain, pubs with their own character. Shame really.
Well it serves real ale, it’s got a really interesting front and it’s right near the Marble Beer House in Chorlton – so it must be good? Unfortunately not really. It’s a Weatherspoons pub which means unreliable beer and tons of microwaved crappy food served in an enormous barn, often with the added feature of attracting people who particularly want to get completely hammered at all hours of the day due to the lower prices. They're the Aldi of pubs, which is fine if you’re buying cheap cornflakes but you don’t hang around for fun. Alright, stupid comments aside, it can be OK for an early (and cheap) drink but personally I prefer smaller, non-chain, pubs with their own character. Shame really.
Panicos & Yianni's
Barlow Moor Road, Chorlton
Great Stone Road, Stretford
Yianni’s is a recent off-shoot of Panicos in Chorlton, which itself has been around for a number of years. They are slightly unusual in what they serve - Greek-style kebabs plus ‘chippy stuff’. However, what sets these places apart is that the kebabs are actually rather good – chicken, pork, lamb, haloumi and doner are all well cooked and tasty. The doner is the particular surprise, the trick being that it is cooked again on the grill to brown the individual pieces which improves it no end. Of course the ‘naan’ bread is thin and from a packet, the other option is pitta – again from a packet, which is usual for these sorts of kebabs – there’s a choice of sauces and salad, both of which are fresh and well served – and the guys behind the counter know what they’re doing (regulars at Panicos will recognise faces at Yianni’s). These might be the sorts of places you’d overlook – assuming them to be just chippies doing a few extra bits – actually they’re a fair bit better than that and for kebabs of this type they certainly hit the spot.
Great Stone Road, Stretford
Yianni’s is a recent off-shoot of Panicos in Chorlton, which itself has been around for a number of years. They are slightly unusual in what they serve - Greek-style kebabs plus ‘chippy stuff’. However, what sets these places apart is that the kebabs are actually rather good – chicken, pork, lamb, haloumi and doner are all well cooked and tasty. The doner is the particular surprise, the trick being that it is cooked again on the grill to brown the individual pieces which improves it no end. Of course the ‘naan’ bread is thin and from a packet, the other option is pitta – again from a packet, which is usual for these sorts of kebabs – there’s a choice of sauces and salad, both of which are fresh and well served – and the guys behind the counter know what they’re doing (regulars at Panicos will recognise faces at Yianni’s). These might be the sorts of places you’d overlook – assuming them to be just chippies doing a few extra bits – actually they’re a fair bit better than that and for kebabs of this type they certainly hit the spot.
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Marble Beer House
Manchester Rd, Chorlton.
The Marble Beer House has been one of the key real ale bars in Chorlton for a number of years. It was once great, and is finally emerging from the doldrums after a refurbishment and some very strong competition from other local bars drove some punters away. The range of beers is excellent, with some interesting guest ales from all over the country. It also offers a number of Marble beers because this is part of the Marble 'empire', with its sister bar being the Marble Arch in town on Rochdale Road. One of the strengths of this bar is the fact that it does not serve food (aside from crisps and Bombay Mix style snacks). It is solidly a drinking establishment, and the emphasis is on real ale, decent continental draft and bottled beers, and real ciders. The terrace at the front is a great place to watch the world go by, and the location of this bar is very good because it is close to other bars and the crossroads in Chorlton. This is a bit of a Chorlton institution, so let's hope it continues to be such a great place to go for a drink.
The Marble Beer House has been one of the key real ale bars in Chorlton for a number of years. It was once great, and is finally emerging from the doldrums after a refurbishment and some very strong competition from other local bars drove some punters away. The range of beers is excellent, with some interesting guest ales from all over the country. It also offers a number of Marble beers because this is part of the Marble 'empire', with its sister bar being the Marble Arch in town on Rochdale Road. One of the strengths of this bar is the fact that it does not serve food (aside from crisps and Bombay Mix style snacks). It is solidly a drinking establishment, and the emphasis is on real ale, decent continental draft and bottled beers, and real ciders. The terrace at the front is a great place to watch the world go by, and the location of this bar is very good because it is close to other bars and the crossroads in Chorlton. This is a bit of a Chorlton institution, so let's hope it continues to be such a great place to go for a drink.
Lass o'Gowrie
This pub is a bit of a Manchester institution. It is well located - being near the universities, Oxford Road station and the BBC - and fairly historic. The bar area has a lot of dark wood, creating the right atmosphere for an old pub, and the small 'snug' room is a decent space (and it is quieter and more private). There are usually three or four real ales on offer, and the service behind the bar is pretty good. The food is reasonable pub grub, and is not expensive by the standards of central Manchester. All things considered, this seems to be a very good place for a city centre pint.
However, despite this being the sort of traditional boozer that the Flavours of Manchester team usually rate highly, there are a few problems with it. The pub has at least two TV screens that seem to be on all the time. The area beyond the bar and the snug is often dominated by the sporting events shown on these TVs, and the pub gets very busy when big football matches are on. The range of ales is disappointing, and main seating area in the pub is rather uninspiring. It's hard to be precise about what is wrong with the Lass o'Gowrie but in our view it is not quite the classic city centre establishment that we all want it to be.
However, despite this being the sort of traditional boozer that the Flavours of Manchester team usually rate highly, there are a few problems with it. The pub has at least two TV screens that seem to be on all the time. The area beyond the bar and the snug is often dominated by the sporting events shown on these TVs, and the pub gets very busy when big football matches are on. The range of ales is disappointing, and main seating area in the pub is rather uninspiring. It's hard to be precise about what is wrong with the Lass o'Gowrie but in our view it is not quite the classic city centre establishment that we all want it to be.
Friday, 19 February 2010
Introduction
So what are these 'Other' places?
Well, they’re places that aren’t curry cafes or kebab houses but we thought were worth flagging up – Curry Goat from a Caribbean place, for instance, or a weekend takeaway or 'proper' restaurant currry trip in the evening. We don’t want to get into the business of reviewing and monitoring every ‘curry or kebab-related’ establishment in Manchester – there are too many bad takeaways to even bother attempting it. However, as the purpose of the site is providing information it seems a wee bit churlish not to share our thoughts if they might be useful. Possibly without scores – as once we change the format there’s not an equal frame of reference ie. Restaurant meals cost more so we expect more. Etc etc… That’s the plan for now anyway…
Well, they’re places that aren’t curry cafes or kebab houses but we thought were worth flagging up – Curry Goat from a Caribbean place, for instance, or a weekend takeaway or 'proper' restaurant currry trip in the evening. We don’t want to get into the business of reviewing and monitoring every ‘curry or kebab-related’ establishment in Manchester – there are too many bad takeaways to even bother attempting it. However, as the purpose of the site is providing information it seems a wee bit churlish not to share our thoughts if they might be useful. Possibly without scores – as once we change the format there’s not an equal frame of reference ie. Restaurant meals cost more so we expect more. Etc etc… That’s the plan for now anyway…
Thursday, 18 February 2010
A Few Words to start us off...
The main purpose of this Blog is to review spicy food establishments in Manchester - with an emphasis on those that are small, pretty cheap, independent and open at lunchtime. Good starting points seemed to be the numerous Kebab Houses in Rusholme and the dozen or so Curry Cafes around the Northern Quarter area. We're expanding our horizons geographically, but pretty much keeping to the kebab or curry format for now, to keep comparisons fair. We know this might not do justice to some places that do kebabs but also do other things better, but what can we do? (Apologies in advance to the mezze and falafel lovers). Same goes for places that aren't ready at lunchtime or take a while to get going...Sorry! We'll also throw in a few comments about pubs and other ‘related’ matters. So why read this when there are numerous other half-baked opinions on the net? No good reason really - except that unlike some other sites and sets of reviews we're going to try to be consistent in how and when we do things, go to places we don't like the look of and revisit places we might have caught on a bad day - in short try to get a good overview and be as fair as possible by comparing like with like. We'll also try to keep you up to date with openings, closures and other points of interest in our News section below, so keep looking in and tell us what you think.
Lahore Karahi
Cheetham Hill Rd.
Pictured dishes: small seekh on naan £2.50, Fish Masala £4.50 and Chicken Shawarma £3.70
May 2010 - we go here regularly, it's good - seekhs particularly so. Chicken Shawarma isn't always available so we gave it a go too - a little blander than some but still decent.
23/02/10 Revisit just to check, chicken, seekh, lamb all excellent, bread excpetional.
This is last of the Cheetham Hill bunch – and definitely not least. Yes it does curries too (not rice & 3 style) but this place is much more in the standard Pakistani style kebab house than any of the others round here. It’s clean and bright, there were a variety of kebab skewers marinading away under the clear glass front – along side the usual starter favourites and cold containers of various curries ready for reheating. So far so familiar. We ordered seekh and lamb kebabs – and were asked to take a seat in the usual fashion. The guy behind the counter was very accommodating – serving separate sauces with the lamb kebab and even asking for a preference as to how it should be cooked – ‘well done or juicy’ which is a welcome first. The meat for both kebabs was excellent, and the naan was some of the best I’ve ever had in a Pakistani place – fresh form the tandoor, crisp on the back, soft inside and a great flavour. The salad and sauces were fine too – a nice sweetness was present in the chilli sauce and the salad was varied and fresh. Interestingly the menu also offers middle eastern cuisine – and it was noticeable that the kebabs were sprinkled with a dry spice mix and lemon juice, in the Middle Eastern style. The seekh mixture and the lamb marinade were both very nice, with no hint of the dreaded 'bright red salt' about either of them. There was a spicy warmth indicating the use of garam masala or similar spices either present at the start or added from the mystery shaker just before serving. This is as a good a kebab as I’ve had lately – and £2.50 for a double seekh was excellent value. £4.50 for the lamb was possibly touch over the top when compared with £3.30 in Rusholme, but it was also very good. This is a really good venue for kebabs – there’s possibly nowhere better on this side of town.
Scores out of 10
Meat 9.0
Bread 9.5
Salad/Sauces 9.0
Service/Setting 8.5
Average 9.0
May 2010 - we go here regularly, it's good - seekhs particularly so. Chicken Shawarma isn't always available so we gave it a go too - a little blander than some but still decent.
23/02/10 Revisit just to check, chicken, seekh, lamb all excellent, bread excpetional.
This is last of the Cheetham Hill bunch – and definitely not least. Yes it does curries too (not rice & 3 style) but this place is much more in the standard Pakistani style kebab house than any of the others round here. It’s clean and bright, there were a variety of kebab skewers marinading away under the clear glass front – along side the usual starter favourites and cold containers of various curries ready for reheating. So far so familiar. We ordered seekh and lamb kebabs – and were asked to take a seat in the usual fashion. The guy behind the counter was very accommodating – serving separate sauces with the lamb kebab and even asking for a preference as to how it should be cooked – ‘well done or juicy’ which is a welcome first. The meat for both kebabs was excellent, and the naan was some of the best I’ve ever had in a Pakistani place – fresh form the tandoor, crisp on the back, soft inside and a great flavour. The salad and sauces were fine too – a nice sweetness was present in the chilli sauce and the salad was varied and fresh. Interestingly the menu also offers middle eastern cuisine – and it was noticeable that the kebabs were sprinkled with a dry spice mix and lemon juice, in the Middle Eastern style. The seekh mixture and the lamb marinade were both very nice, with no hint of the dreaded 'bright red salt' about either of them. There was a spicy warmth indicating the use of garam masala or similar spices either present at the start or added from the mystery shaker just before serving. This is as a good a kebab as I’ve had lately – and £2.50 for a double seekh was excellent value. £4.50 for the lamb was possibly touch over the top when compared with £3.30 in Rusholme, but it was also very good. This is a really good venue for kebabs – there’s possibly nowhere better on this side of town.
Scores out of 10
Meat 9.0
Bread 9.5
Salad/Sauces 9.0
Service/Setting 8.5
Average 9.0
Tibetan Kitchen
Around and about - also at The Bar (Chorlton)
It’s difficult to know what to say about the Tibetan Kitchen as it comes in so many guises. Sonam has been cooking on and off at The Bar in Chorlton for a year or two, in that time he’s also got himself a catering van for festivals and whatnot. His latest visit to The Bar was a £10 buffet sampling numerous of his best dishes – momos (dumplings), steamed bread, sesame chicken, garlic pork – to name a few, served with fresh chilli sauces, vegetables and rice. It’s real food – the sort you could live on not like the generic Chinese takeaways full of MSG and sugar and it’s genuinely is different from Chinese food – or certainly that which we mostly get in Manchester. It’s not fancy or contrived, but good honest food, with a flavour of the far east and a welcome hint of variety. If you see the Tibetan Kitchen sign it's well worth trying.
It’s difficult to know what to say about the Tibetan Kitchen as it comes in so many guises. Sonam has been cooking on and off at The Bar in Chorlton for a year or two, in that time he’s also got himself a catering van for festivals and whatnot. His latest visit to The Bar was a £10 buffet sampling numerous of his best dishes – momos (dumplings), steamed bread, sesame chicken, garlic pork – to name a few, served with fresh chilli sauces, vegetables and rice. It’s real food – the sort you could live on not like the generic Chinese takeaways full of MSG and sugar and it’s genuinely is different from Chinese food – or certainly that which we mostly get in Manchester. It’s not fancy or contrived, but good honest food, with a flavour of the far east and a welcome hint of variety. If you see the Tibetan Kitchen sign it's well worth trying.
The Original Third Eye
Wilmslow Rd. Didsbury
This is a ‘proper’ restaurant and was a night time trip - so therefore it doesn’t really qualify for scoring and whatnot however if you come to this site for information it seems churlish not to include some sort of impressionistic view – if it helps you choose (or avoid ) a venue for a meal at some point then great.
The Third Eye is in Didsbury – a first for us here as there are no lunchtime kebabs or curries available. In fact a recent trip down here showed that even on Sunday afternoon the usual suspects of Ghurka Grill and Great Kathmandu were both closed. – No wonder we’re not here much. I digress.
The Third Eye is rather well regarded, as a quick Google search will show. In common with other places round here they profess to serve Indian and Napalese dishes. The menu certainly reads slightly differently from the usual Manchester Pakistani/North Indian type but I found it slightly confused. Apart from different spellings, the menu read much like the usual – pakoda instead of pakora, Tieka instead of Tikka. Are these peculiarly Nepalese translations? I've no clue. The poppadoms arrived promptly and interestingly were the thinner, smaller (in my view tastier) Southern Indian type – accompanied by the usual suspects, lime pickle, mango chutney etc. Three of us opted for a variety of the usual types of starter – ‘pakoda’, chops and a ‘House’ mix starter. These were all OK – 2 small chops was a bit mean perhaps – in fact everything was noticeably a bit smaller than usual – a relief to some, a panic attack to others. The flavours were good and a little different from the usual. Clearly some care had gone into it – starters check. The main course was a little more difficult to navigate – all the standard dishes were around but it was hard to tell what was good from the menu – and more importantly what was the usual bland stuff and what was more interesting. No lamb on the bone was not a great sign. Prawn Makhani was good if very rich – though what do you expect with Makhani? It was one of the best I’ve ever tasted. The mixed grill was good if possibly a bit dull and marginally dry – and did not contain any chops. The staff were very accommodating about the accompanying sauce – I opted for a karahi sauce which was very good, green with herbs and pungent garlic. The third choice of main course was an odd one. Shai Lamb Kurma Badami – presumably a slightly strange spelling of Royal Lamb Korma with Almonds. This was not a great dish – clearly pre cooked lamb in an incredibly (in my view sickly) sauce with whole almonds and desiccated coconut all over it. The gap between conception and execution was too great really. Rice and naan were decent and the place and staff were pleasant.
It’s a little bit difficult to know what to make of this restaurant – the food’s very tasty however it’s also very rich – which can sometimes be a sort of substitute for proper cooking. I don’t get the impression that they make any dishes individually – it’s all base sauce, fair amount of ghee and chuck it all together with plenty of extras. – It’s done well but after rave reviews and calling themselves Nepalese I was hoping for something a little more subtle and different. All I can really make out is that apart from a few different spellings and minor tweaks this is just a decent curry house – serving much the same type of food as all the others. It’s a shame they hadn’t gone to the effort of making some Nepalese speciality dishes or at very least one ‘from scratch – non-base sauce’ curry. However, a decent, standard Curryhouse is no bad thing in my book and I’d happily return.
This is a ‘proper’ restaurant and was a night time trip - so therefore it doesn’t really qualify for scoring and whatnot however if you come to this site for information it seems churlish not to include some sort of impressionistic view – if it helps you choose (or avoid ) a venue for a meal at some point then great.
The Third Eye is in Didsbury – a first for us here as there are no lunchtime kebabs or curries available. In fact a recent trip down here showed that even on Sunday afternoon the usual suspects of Ghurka Grill and Great Kathmandu were both closed. – No wonder we’re not here much. I digress.
The Third Eye is rather well regarded, as a quick Google search will show. In common with other places round here they profess to serve Indian and Napalese dishes. The menu certainly reads slightly differently from the usual Manchester Pakistani/North Indian type but I found it slightly confused. Apart from different spellings, the menu read much like the usual – pakoda instead of pakora, Tieka instead of Tikka. Are these peculiarly Nepalese translations? I've no clue. The poppadoms arrived promptly and interestingly were the thinner, smaller (in my view tastier) Southern Indian type – accompanied by the usual suspects, lime pickle, mango chutney etc. Three of us opted for a variety of the usual types of starter – ‘pakoda’, chops and a ‘House’ mix starter. These were all OK – 2 small chops was a bit mean perhaps – in fact everything was noticeably a bit smaller than usual – a relief to some, a panic attack to others. The flavours were good and a little different from the usual. Clearly some care had gone into it – starters check. The main course was a little more difficult to navigate – all the standard dishes were around but it was hard to tell what was good from the menu – and more importantly what was the usual bland stuff and what was more interesting. No lamb on the bone was not a great sign. Prawn Makhani was good if very rich – though what do you expect with Makhani? It was one of the best I’ve ever tasted. The mixed grill was good if possibly a bit dull and marginally dry – and did not contain any chops. The staff were very accommodating about the accompanying sauce – I opted for a karahi sauce which was very good, green with herbs and pungent garlic. The third choice of main course was an odd one. Shai Lamb Kurma Badami – presumably a slightly strange spelling of Royal Lamb Korma with Almonds. This was not a great dish – clearly pre cooked lamb in an incredibly (in my view sickly) sauce with whole almonds and desiccated coconut all over it. The gap between conception and execution was too great really. Rice and naan were decent and the place and staff were pleasant.
It’s a little bit difficult to know what to make of this restaurant – the food’s very tasty however it’s also very rich – which can sometimes be a sort of substitute for proper cooking. I don’t get the impression that they make any dishes individually – it’s all base sauce, fair amount of ghee and chuck it all together with plenty of extras. – It’s done well but after rave reviews and calling themselves Nepalese I was hoping for something a little more subtle and different. All I can really make out is that apart from a few different spellings and minor tweaks this is just a decent curry house – serving much the same type of food as all the others. It’s a shame they hadn’t gone to the effort of making some Nepalese speciality dishes or at very least one ‘from scratch – non-base sauce’ curry. However, a decent, standard Curryhouse is no bad thing in my book and I’d happily return.
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Bishop's Castle Beer Festival
The Bishops Castle Beer Festival will be held on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th July 2010.
For anyone who has never been to a summer beer festival this would be an excellent one to try. The atmosphere in the town is unbeatable while the festival is running. Bishop's Castle is a small historic town in south Shropshire, surrounded by lush green fields and rolling hills. It is a truly idyllic place, with a number of beautiful old buildings and excellent pubs.
This is the 13th year of the Festival, and the town's 5 pubs will all be serving a large selection of real ales. Most of the Shropshire Brewery's will be represented, and there will also be a great selection from the rest of the UK. There will be more than 60 ales and ciders on offers at any one time.
The best place to stay is Foxholes campsite. This is a short distance from the centre of town, and has a real buzz during the Beer Festival. It's also in a stunning hilltop location.
Adelphi Cafe
Oldfield Rd. Salford
Adelphi Sandwich Bar – Café – Convenience Store (and that's just what the big sign says it is)
It used to be a Post Office and you can still pay your bills there. Why are we even talking about it? Well, they sell homemade samosa, onion bhaji and a choice of two curries – chicken or veg. There’s not much point in a full review as this place is so different to everywhere else we go. However the curries are good - £3 for a takeaway type container of curry and rice, plus pitta and a small salad. The samosas have varied from excellent to OK – today was OK but very large – making it a reasonable meal for £4. Clearly this isn’t a curry orientated place (pre packaged containers are microwaved up to order) but we get the impression the Gujurati couple who run it know what they’re doing and the food is tasty – far better than the stuff in pubs nearby. If you want a quick bite this place in an option that may not have occurred and is worth a look – particularly to those working in Salford. Sitting at the tables in the back of the shop reading whatever papers have been left out (it’s a newsagents too), listening to Fleetwood Mac, eating curry and watching people come and go and buying Hello magazine is an experience, if nothing else.
Adelphi Sandwich Bar – Café – Convenience Store (and that's just what the big sign says it is)
It used to be a Post Office and you can still pay your bills there. Why are we even talking about it? Well, they sell homemade samosa, onion bhaji and a choice of two curries – chicken or veg. There’s not much point in a full review as this place is so different to everywhere else we go. However the curries are good - £3 for a takeaway type container of curry and rice, plus pitta and a small salad. The samosas have varied from excellent to OK – today was OK but very large – making it a reasonable meal for £4. Clearly this isn’t a curry orientated place (pre packaged containers are microwaved up to order) but we get the impression the Gujurati couple who run it know what they’re doing and the food is tasty – far better than the stuff in pubs nearby. If you want a quick bite this place in an option that may not have occurred and is worth a look – particularly to those working in Salford. Sitting at the tables in the back of the shop reading whatever papers have been left out (it’s a newsagents too), listening to Fleetwood Mac, eating curry and watching people come and go and buying Hello magazine is an experience, if nothing else.
Monday, 8 February 2010
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