A few words to start us off...

The main purpose of this blog is to review spicy food establishments in Manchester - with a strong emphasis on those that are small, 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 - and these thirty, or so, places were our first ports of call . Since then we've expanded our horizons geographically, but we’ve kept a definite curry and kebab theme going – anywhere worth mentioning which doesn't fall into our loose category (e.g. 'proper' restaurants or non-spicy food)  will have comments in the Other Food section. We've also added reviews of Pubs and other beer related matters. We're not CAMRA members but we definitely favour the traditional-type pubs and bars with real-ale – if you want positive reviews of trendy, corporate or chain bars you’re probably better off looking at different blogs. So why read this when there are numerous other half-baked opinions on the net? Well, we’ve got the same few people doing all of the reviews and we also compare like with like, so hopefully we’re consistent – we’ve got no agenda and aren’t trying to sell anything. We also go to places we don't like the look of and revisit places as regularly as we can - particularly those we might have caught on a bad day.  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 by posting or Email us.

Have a look at our Recommendations

News & Recent Visits 

20/08/10
A last trip getting the measure of Qila Khyber. - I know we've been quite a bit recently, which has been to get a grip of the new place - however today was because our first 2 choices were closed at the time of our visit - Lahore Karahi and K2 Curry Lounge.

16/07/10
A little look in Al-Faisal.

16/07/10

Well, it turns out we were mentioned on Radio2 by Jim from Cherry Ghost - he's just been in touch. It also transpires that we'd conversed before about an Asian bakery in Levenshulme - small world - or rather city.  Cheers Jim and let us know how you get on with Dermot's recommendations in The Big Smoke.

14/07/10
It might sound a feeble excuse but we were yet to try the tandoor naan form Qila Khyber - so we did.

13/07/10
'Classics Week' continued with a trip to Yadgar and The Marble Arch - and an excellent one at that.

12/07/10
Back to the classics - Saajan today - as good as ever. Also, Rusholme Kebab House appears to have re-opened as Al-Safa, we'll get there as soon as we can.


09/07010
A first 'official' trip to Turkish Delight resulted in a very tasty kebab in Chorlton.

08/07/10
Our first time in Jerk Junction in Whalley Range. A very hearty goat curry dish made this a decent trip - washed down with a swift pint in Jam St. Cafe. This is the first West Indian place on the site.

06/07/10
Yet another trip to Qila Khyber. The curries change regularly, and there are some interesting dishes on. This time the karela keema and the gosht methi were new. The large banqeting hall/restaurant - called Manzil - next door has just opened. It's only open from 5pm, but the buffet is available here at a cost of £12.

05/07/10
We've decided to take the leap onto twitter.

05/07/10

Have we hit the big time? Jim from Cherry Ghost mentions an 'amazing' food blog celebrating Manchester kebab houses and curry cafes on the Dermot O'Leary Show on Radio 2. If it's us then ta Jim! If not, don't tell us!
If you want to listen the kebab chat is from about 27m 30s and lasts for roughly 90 seconds.

02/07/10
Another first visit. Janam is a kebab place in the centre of town, on Portland Street and right on the edge of Chinatown. An excellent chicken donner.

01/07/10
A quick return to Qila Khyber to try out the kebabs. Well worth the trip. This place seems to be a very good allrounder.
30/06/10
By semi popular demand we've done a new map with food and drink establishments on it. It covers a large area of the City Centre, Salford and Cheetham Hill. It doesn't go quite as far as Rusholme, but that's pretty easy to navigate and there aren't many pubs.

28/06/10
A completely new find and a bit of a gem by the look of it - Qila Khyber.

25/06/10
A return to form of the classic - This & That and a first visit to the new Marble Bar - 57 Thomas St.

24/06/10
This week we've been to Zam Zam in Rusholme - which is quickly becoming the kobeda destination of choice and after a few comments about how good it is a return to Lahori Kebabish in Cheetham Hill.


18/06/10
£4.50 for biryani + 3 curries is superb value. It's hard not to go to Top Quality every Friday.

17/06/10
Kabana on Back Turner St. - rice & 3 and a slightly smaller and cheaper option of seekh on chapatti.

14/06/10
Late night Tastemaster's and early morning Top Quality have been the recent trips. - Oh and a quick revisit to L'al Quila Express to check the lamb situation - we believe it's the best around, thankfully it was up to scratch.

07/06/10
Return to the classic Saajan Halal. Good as ever - and apparently open 11AM-6AM - crikey!
Weekend trip to Coriander too.

03/06/10
First return to Rusholme Chippy in 2 years and it hasn't changed.

27/05/10
It's been about 6 months since we went to Al-Madina, welcome return to The Crescent too. The revamped and more restaurant like Kebabish Original in Rusholme has priced itself out of our blog - £6.90 for a lamb tikka kebab is too much for our lunchtime jaunts.

26/05/10
Two iconic Manchester establishments in one lunchtime - This & That and The Marble Arch.

25/05/10
Another trip off the beaten track - to Barbakan.

 24/05/10
Brand new lunchtime venture - Taftan in Whalley Range.

18/05/10
For various reasons we've not been to many new places lately, however the usual haunts of Yadgar, Lahore Karahi and Top Quality have all been good.

07/05/2010
A trip to a completely new place - Venus Foods on Anson Rd (near the Rampant Lion). This Turkish kebab house was well worth the visit.

30/04/10
We decided to have a look in Withington as we'd been told there were good kebab and curry places - after a drive down the main drag found nothing open we carried on to an old favourite in Fallowfield - Saajan Original.

29/04/10
Long overdue trip to This & That 2

21/04/10 - 27/07/10 - A few visits.
Top Quality and Lahore Karahi rarely disappoint.

20/04/10
Really good trip to Zam Zam in Rusholme - limited time offer of £2.99 for a kobeda is a bit of a bargain.

As of yesterday The Bar in Chorlton has 8 hand-pumps, The usual beers are remaining, Pictish, Phoenix and 2 Marble, with 4 pumps to play with. Could be interesting and will make it the ale centre of the area.

19/04/10
Back to basics at Saajan Halal - usual high standard, fresh chicken seekhs were a welcome and unusual option.

15/04/10
Enjoyable return to Jaffa. Ruhsolme Kebab House seems to have closed again. However there's a new sign with the same name - so apparently it's reopening again, as the same establishment.

14/04/10
Long overdue return to Camel One.

05/04/10 
The Easter Break has been fruitful with good trips to Al-Faisal and Afghan Cuisine, the finding of a great new offer at Zam Zam Tandoori and first try of Taftan in Whalley Range - the pub front has been interesting too. Reviews on the way. Thanks for looking.

30/03/10 
A decent trip to Spice Kitchens in Rusholme.

25/03/10
Finally a revisit to Afghan Cuisine!

22/03/10
So far this week: Kabana in Cheetham Hill & Kabana in Town - yes they're related businesses and yes the guys are brothers.


19/03/10
We've added another Manchester Curry Cafe Map for Cheetham Hill and the Northern Quarter:

15/03/10 -
'DAMAS CAFE' opening soon, next to Zam Zam in Rusholme.

This week's visits: Saajan Halal, Top Quality, Darbar & Kebabish. 

12/03/10
This week: Lahore Karahi, Top Quality, Yadgar & Zam Zam Tandoori

10/03/10
Having trouble finding places?  Try the Northern Quarter Curry Cafe Map:

09/03/10
Since the new year these premises have been Dubai, Villa Pizza and now Soulav Restaurant

09/03/10
New addition - a Manchester & Salford Pub Map:

08/03/10
Interesting weekend - though all pubs and sundries. After a review last week Yianni's in Stretford has closed and is reopening as a Halal Venue called Aqsa.

04/03/10
Not great trip to This & That today - it's never bad and it's always a good place to visit, but the food's not pulling up any trees at the moment.

03/03./10
Long overdue return to the reopened Rusholme Kebab House

02/03/10
Top Quality trip. £2 seekh a real bargain.

01/03/10
Quick trip to Saajan Halal. The small seekh on chapatti is great value and a superb kebab.

28/02/10
Sunday Nihari at Kabana.

26/02/10
Predictable maybe but we were in a rush and Top Quality is quickest place for us, as we can park outside and the food's ready on arrival - it was very good.

23/02/10
Just checking Lahore Karahi is as good as we thought - yeap it is.

22/02/10
Another first - Halal Bites in Salford.

18/02/10
First trip to Lahore Karahi was really good. It's encouraging to keep finding new places worth going to.

17/02/10
Decent quick trip to Top Quality was slightly more interesting than usual. £4.50 is now apparently a 'regular customer's' price. This is getting silly.

Evening trip to Tibetan Kitchen at The Bar is in the sundries section.

15/02/10
The building on Chapel street which used to be Copperheads has become Halal Bites - a halal cafe serving, amongst other things, a choice of 5 curries with rice for £3.95. We'll get down there as soon as possible. We made our first Didsbury entry today after I went to The Original Third Eye - however as a 'proper restaurant' and an evening meal it really isn't what we're about on here - so it's unscored and in the 'sundires' section.

11/02/10
An interesting and slightly incongruous trip to Adelphi Sandwich Bar. Thanks to your interest we were quoted on Saajan Halal's website recently (in their awards section). You'll be glad to know that we're staying anonymous so we don't get any preferential treatment.

08/02/10
Good straight forward trip to Top Quality - price strangely back down to £4.50.

04/02/10
Finally a return for curries at Marhaba - it was worth the wait, in both senses...By which I mean time and er... presumably tide?

Kebabish (Hilton St.) is apparently not doing curries anymore - a brief visit showed only kebabs with nothing written on the blackboard - any news much appreciated.

03/02/10
Very good trip to Lal Q'uila Express continues a good week for us.

After numerous attmepts to revisit Rusholme Kebab House we've fianlly been thwarted, at least in its current guise - it's now closed and due to reopen under new management.

01/02/10
Though weekend trips to Arian (Persian/Iranian, Chorlton) and Darbar (Pakistani/North Indian, Rusholme) were very good they're not really what this blog's about - so back to business: a return visit to an old favourite - Saajan Halal in Rusholme - or 'Saajan One' as we call it.

29/01/10
Finally a group trip to K2 Curry Lounge

28/01/10
There will be a Valentine's Beer Festival at Bar Fringe. This will run from 11th to the 14th of February. More details will follow when we get them.

27/01/10
Return to Al-Faisal today

25/01/10
Really good trip to Kobeda Place and Dubai appears to have become Villa Pizza - and we never even got there!

22/01/10
One of our reviewers went to the unpromised land of the Trafford Centre and made the costly mistake of trying out Shawarma Express. Over £7 for a small kebab - more of a wrap, fries and a drink was the expensive and unsatsfactory result.

21/01/10
For a quiet week we've done OK - another first: K2 Curry Lounge.

18/01/10
First visit to Lahori Kebabish 

15/01/10
Another long overdue return visit - Little Aladdin 

13/01/10
Long overdue Marhaba kebab trip

11/01/10
Last attempt at deciphering Tastemaster's lunchtime offer was pretty fruitless.  There's so much information in there - printed menu, official menu above the counter and hand-written signs. Tricky business with no real end result. Think we'll call time on that one - they definitely do a takeaway tray of half curry/half rice for £3.50 - whether that's only certain times of day is beyond our powers to ascertain.

06/01/10

Finally made a Tastemaster's kebab trip.

05/01/10

We're currently snowed out of work.  Difficult travelling conditions and bonus time off may well present some unusual opportunities -  that is going to your most local pubs and spicy food outlets. Why not give them a try?

04/01/10

In the interests of getting this year off to a good start we went to Top Quality this lunchtime.  It was really good, however there has been a price increase. Any Rice & 3 is now £5, from £4.50.

03/01/10
We've been a bit quiet for 2 weeks for obvious reasons. The Christmas break wasn't all that curry/kebab orientated, the only new visit being a rather expensive rice & 3 in Chappati Corner (Cheetham Hill). Another pretty poor trip to Hunter's was an after hours necessity. The only highlight was an excellent Saturday evening takeaway from Zam Zam (Chorlton) - which isn't really what this Blog is about, so we'd better get back to business.

23/12/09
With the weather and all it's been a quiet week - limited to more local takeaways - one professed to have more than 200 dishes on offer, which reminded me why I like curry cafes with half a dozen good ones.

16/12/09

Al Madina and The Crescent were both very good. The kebab being a welcome return to form. After a slow start this week has been a bit of a triumph.

15/12/09
Great trips to Yadgar and Fringe. They're regular favourites for a reason!

14/12/09
OK trip to This & That - we've not changed the high scoring review yet as there are always mediocre patches with these palces but we will if it doesn't perk up soon.

10/12/09
Return trip to Tastemaster's

An unfortunate story bout Yadgar's hygiene.

08/12/09

Up to scratch trip to Saajan Halal. No sign of the main man and the salad had probably seen better days but the other guys seemed to have things under control and done properly, which has not always been the case when left in charge.


The Beech Inn, Beech Rd. Chorlton was closed on Tuesday night - No real idea what this means although it has had various problems over the last year.

07/12/09
Sky Sports in The Crescent and a pretty dismal return to Hunter's BBQ have not got us in the festive spirit.

04/12/09
The Manchester Winter Ales Festival will take place at a new venue in 2010.

Top Quality has been excellent this week - two superb trips on Monday and Friday make it the current favourite - particularly as curries seem to suit the cold weather.

Dec 09 - early trips to Top Quality, This & That and Kabana have been interesting if not ground breaking. Has the Wheatsheaf closed?  12.35pm 02/12/09 - no signs of life at all.

26/11/09
Spice Kitchens trip.

24/11/09
Quick trip to Top Quality. Very quick and very good - chicken curry, chapatti and a meat samosa - £5. Just the ticket on a grim day.


20/11/09
According to the CAMRA website the Bury Beer Festival is cancelled.  We've had a post claiming otherwise but all other sources suggest it is:
http://www.robcamra.org.uk/

16/11/09
Abra-Kebabra on Wilbraham Rd. in Chorlton is now open. It apparently does kobeda, lamb and chicken kebabs.

13/11/09
Kashmiri Spice has definitely closed and is being replaced with Spice Kitchens. 

 
11/11/09
The Queen's Arms on Honey St. is boarded up.
09/11/09
Slight price increase at This & That, but nothing to cry about - rice + 2 meat, 1 veg and chapati up to £5. Not sure of the exact permutations but you get the picture.

Bar Fringe 14th Birthday Beer Festival starts 26th November. 


'Abra-Kebabra' looks set to open soon on Wilbraham Road in Chorlton - between 'four banks' and Morrison's - pretty much opposite 'Electrik'.  There is an Irish franchise of a similar name but with different spelling and logos - it's unlikely they're related. Given the all the places called Saajan and Kebabish it's anyone's guess as to what this place will be. A fair guess is they'll sell kebabs.

06/11/09
First Lunchtime visit to the refurbed Mark Addy.


05/11/09
Shahi Masala has opened on the premises of Royal Naz/Gogis in Rusholme.  There are skewers of meat under glass at the front so it appears to be a kebab house type venue - we'll keep you posted.

 Kashmiri Spice appears to have closed.

A-Z

·  Abdul's (Rusholme)

·  Afghan Cuisine

·  Al Quds

·  Al-Faisal

·  Al-Madina

·  Cafe Marhaba

·  Camel One

·  Caspian

·  Chappati Corner (Cheetham Hill)

·  Chillis

·  Falafel

·  Hunter's BBQ

·  Jaffa

·  Janam

·  Jazeera

·  K2 Curry Lounge (Cheetham Hill)

·  Kabana

·  Kabana (Cheetham Hill)

·  Kashmiri Spice

·  Kebabish

·  Kebabish Original (Rusholme)

·  Kebabish Xpress

·  Kobeda Place

·  Lahore Karahi (Cheetham Hill)

·  Lahori Kebabish (Cheetham Hill)

·  L'al Quila Express

·  Little Aladdin

·  Pasha Restaurant

·  Qila Khyber (Strangeways)

·  Rusholme Chippy

·  Rusholme Kebab House

·  Saajan Express

·  Saajan Halal

·  Saajan Halal Cafe

·  Saajan Original (Fallowfield)

·  Sadaf

·  Sanam

·  Sangam Fast Food Bar

·  Spice Kitchens

·  Taftan

·  Tastemaster's

·  This & That (Original)

·  This & That 2

·  Top Quality (Cheetham Hill)

·  Turkish Delight

·  Venus Foods

·  Yadgar 

·  Zam Zam

·  Zam Zam Tandoori

Turkish Delight

Barlow Moor Road, Chorlton.

First trip on 09/07/2010
This is an authentic Turkish kebab place right in the centre of Chorlton. The lamb shish kebabs are very good here, subtly flavoured and not at all dry. The chef's special is packed with donner, kofte (similar to seekh) and chicken mince. The special is a bit greasy, but the lamb donner meat is homemade (not the factory produced elephant's foot) and very tasty. The lamb kebab costs £4.50 and the chef's special is £5.20, so the prices are higher than you would pay in Rusholme. The salad is fresh, and the sauces are interesting - with a hot tomato sauce served with the chilli sauce and yoghurt. There is seating on the pavement at the front, and this is great place to eat on a nice day. The only slight issue is the packet bread. We were offered pitta or 'naan', and we opted for the latter. It turned out to be a tasty flat bread that was warmed on the grill.

Scores out of 10
Meat 8.5
Bread 7.0
Salad/Sauces 8.0
Service/Setting 8.0
Average 7.9

Jam Street Cafe

Upper Chorlton Rd, Whally Range.

Jam Street is a cafe throughout the day and a bar in the evenings - although alcohol is available before noon. Located on the same block as the Hillary Step in Whalley Range, this is also not far from regular Chorlton haunts such as Pi and the Marble.

It serves a decent fried breakfast, and has a very limited dinner menu (usually just one dish called 'tea'). It only has one real ale on hand pump, and there is a bit too much emphasis on the quirky cafe side of things. However, there is a great beer garden at the front, and drinking here in the evenings is generally a pleasurable experience. Also, the shabby cafe look makes a change to some of the polished bars that have sprung up in Chorlton recently.

Jerk Junction

170 Manchester Rd - Whalley Range/Chorlton.

Visit on 08/07/2010
This place was formerly known as Rhythm 'N' Rice. It is very close to the junction of Upper Chorlton Rd and Seymour Grove - hence the name. The food in here is West Indian, with main courses that include Curry Goat, Jerk Chicken and Ackee & Salt Fish, Oxtail etc. The standard smaller and side dishes are the usual stuff: fried dumplings, patties, rice and peas etc. We went for the classic Curry Goat with rice & peas. It was superb - essentially rice and kidney beans cooked in coconut milk, the goat was on the bone, making it succulent and very tasty. The portions were large, and they justify the £5.50 price tag. We ate on the decked terrace area - which is a pretty good place to watch the world go by. The staff were pretty surly; it's hardly Starbucks - "can I get you guys a mocha-frappaccino" style service. In fact almost no words were exchanged at all - but this is fine by us and not all that different form the usual Curry Cafe experience, in any case the food more than makes up for this. We feel that this place is worth checking out - perhaps next time we'll try the jerk chicken and pork from the barbecue.

Janam

Halal Takeaway
Portland St

02/07/10
This one took us a while to get to at lunchtime, but obviously we had to get there as it's one of the more well known kebab places in the town centre. However, unless you work nearby it's not easy to get here before dark - well at least without paying for parking. 

Anyway - back to the plot. Janam has a mixed menu, primarily consisting of pizzas, kebabs and fried chicken - but they also do samosas, spring rolls, onion bhajis and a few other things. The kebabs seem to be somewhere between the Turkish and Pakistani types - not heavy on colourings and with the more Turkish type salad, but with fresh bread, not pitta - hard to classify really.

The service was good and quick, aided by the choice of chicken doner, which is already cooked. The bread seemed to be coming off a converyor belt-like production line at regular intervals, so although it wasn't cooked on the spot it was fresh. It was soft, pliable and tasty, but not overly doughy and a bit of a high point. The meat was mixed - a bit gristley but pleasant and moist - possibly a tad greasy but never mind. Salad and sauces were good, and there was an offer on meaning all kebabs came with a free drink or chips. £3.70 didn't seem too expensive given the town centre location - lack of seating might be an issue if you were banking on eating in. As a result Janam will probably never be a 'destination' venue - the food's not quite good enough to go miles out of your way for, and there's a good chance you won't be able to eat in. However, if it were more convenient, we'd eat from here more often.

Scores out of 10
Meat 7.5

Bread 8.0
Salad/Sauces 8.5

Service/Setting 6.5

Average 7.6

City Centre Map

 - Curry & Kebab in green and Pubs in yellow.

Click to Enlarge

Qila Khyber

Rice & 3 (bottom), chicken kebab with chapatti and seekh on naan (top)

Bury New Rd.

20/07/10
Just a quick note - another naan down and it was very good - as was the rest of a chicken kebab, with the excepetion of the salad, not a major issue for some. Also one brave member of the party had a 'small' curry - which was £3. Plus a chapatti made it £3.50. Rice & 3 is £4.50 and a far better deal. It would be nice to get a 'small' curry option sometimes but unfortuantely it was so small as to feel like a bit of a rip off by comparison with the full rice & 3 for only £1 less. What's more, it was lamb on the bone and primarily bone. Lesson(s) learned.

14/07/10
Back again to test the final part of the equation - a tandoor naan. It probably sounds ridiculous to go somewhere just to try the bread but anyone who eats in these sorts of places regularly will know that proper clay over naan is a bit of a rare treat in Pakistani places, being more favoured by the Middle Eastern Kobeda guys. Anyway - it was time to give it a try, underneath a couple of seekhs (pictured). It was excellent, but there was a slight stumble at the final hurdle for Qila Khyber as the second naan, served with chicken was a bit under-cooked and doughy - and the salad was disappointing - a small quantity of a poor selection. It was more like garnish than an important component of a meal, too many onions and carrots and almost no leaves. There was a new guy serving today, hopefully he'll learn the ropes quickly as we really like it here and it's on the verge of being spot-on in almost every department. It might seem odd to say the kebabs had great meat and bread and yet didn't quite do it for us this time - perhaps our expectations were too high form previous visits. We'll definitely be back. 

07/07/10
Yet another trip in short period of time - we need to give it a thorough testing!  Intriguing food, including gosht methi and karela keema - really good and interesting too. We think we love it here - a few more visits and we'll know for sure. The ever-changing menu is a real pull. 

01/07/10
Return trip 3 days later, one rice & 3 and two chicken tikka + chapattis were ordered. The main purpose of the trip was to check out the bread and grills. They were definitely up to scratch, tandoor bread, decent salad, nicely marinaded meat, interesting sauces including a coconut/coriander chutney. The kebabs here are quite authentic, and might be a bit subtle for some people. Qila Khyber is probably the best allrounder - ie it's up there for kebabs AND rice & 3. This makes it almost unique.

28/06/10
A completely random find – and a very welcome one too.  This is a genuine rice & 3 and kebab place. We were told it has a complete range of everything – lamb tikka, chops ‘all the starters’ – however only chicken and seekh kebabs were on display at the front counter. We don’t really like this as we’ve been fobbed off a few times with chewy, reheated lamb so were not inclined to try it. However, we were also shown a range of six curries and rice in the usual metal trays, plus a huge and interesting looking container of steamed chicken. Whether they really have got everything they claim to have ‘in the back room’ remains to be seen, but there was enough interesting and good looking food on display to convince us to get stuck in. It was a curry day (when isn’t it?) and we opted for rice & 3 – a generous portion too. The personable but business like manager ladled on a good plateful of rice and asked if that was enough, which was a nice touch. The lamb on the bone, chicken masala and channa daal were also dished out in reasonable quantities and the fella then added some more as if it wasn’t quite meeting the weight requirement. This is all good stuff as sometimes we can feel a little like every grain of rice or tiny morsel of meat is being counted – and not in our favour.
The food was very  good. The chicken was probably the standout dish - flavoursome and rich. The lamb was tasty although very slightly tough – the continual slow heat it will receive throughout the day will sort this out, but we were in early. The rice and daal were very good – subtly flavoured and complimenting everything else. Coriander and chillies were available to add as we saw fit and we’re yet to try the bread – although we're hopeful.
Rice & 3 for £4.50 is a good price and great value.

Qila Khyber impressed and intrigued us and we will be back for the bread and grills. In true curry cafe style they had a printed menu which bore no resemblance to the dishes on offer or prices available and were shown the hand written one above - which apparently changes daily.  One of the quirks that fans of these places really like and others find unprofessional and disconcerting. We like it.

Rice & 3
Key Ingredients 16 (out of 20)
Other Food 8 (out of 10)
Service/Setting 8 (out of 10)
Value for Money 4.5 (out of 5)
Range 4.5 (out of 5)
Average Rating 8.1 (out of 10)

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

Coriander

Indian/Bangladeshi Restaurant
Barlow Moor Road, Chorlton.
(Definitely a sit-down restaurant - so it's in the sundries section.)
Coriander is quite unique in the Manchester curry scene.  It feels different to the other places, it’s a little bit out on a limb rather than being in a bustling area, it’s relatively serene inside, it’s not Pakistani and professes to make healthy food. If you really want to know what they claim to do there’s a hell of a manifesto on their website:
http://www.corianderchorlton.co.uk/
If any of the staff have read it remains to be seen, however the food was different from the usual stuff and much less oily.  The flavours were different too, with more citrus to them, whether this is a traditional Bengali thing we can’t say but to have something genuinely different in a city of very similar places is a welcome thing.
Now the important part… - The popadoms were good with different accompaniments than usual and more Indian vibe to them.  The tandoori stuff was differently spiced and very tastey – though it didn’t have that sizzle or steam of meatly freshly pulled form the grill, but it wasn’t tough and didn’t taste microwaved, perhaps it was partially cooked then finished off. In either case this was a bit misleading as the waiter was asked if it was cooked freshly and he said yes. However it was nice. The prawn and mushroom curry was a little bit disappointing, tasting of not much other than tomatoes and this vague citrus flavour that was in the other dishes. ‘grandmothers beef’ was good – slow cooked in coconut with chana daal.
Bread and rice were good - not much else to be said on the matter.
I’d return here, it’s different and you don’t leave feeling sluggish, oily or semi-dehydrated with excessive salt.  If the food were one notch better it’d be a real favourite. Recommended in this part of town though. There’s 20% discount Sunday afternoon and some deal on a Thursday too.

Coriander

Ning

Oldham St.
This is a Malaysian and Thai restaurant in the Northern Quarter - close to the Frog and Bucket. Ning has a very good set menu deal that allows you to have two courses (from a restricted menu) for £12.95. The place looks great - with hanging lanterns and bright pink wallpaper along with black tables and simple chairs. The menu has some interesting dishes on it, particularly the Malaysian part. The chicken murtaback is an excellent savoury pancake, and the Basil Padprik is a very tasty stir fry. The service is good, and a large range of Asian beers is available. Ning is a decent restaurant that offers good food at reasonable prices.

Barbakan Delicatessen

Manchester Road, Chorlton
Right - bit of a departure this one, but it's food and it was at lunchtime so here goes.  Barbakan is a big favourite in Chorlton - primarily as a bakery and delicatessen, but we're not really in the business of pate and cheese reviewing - so we'll move on. They also serve food to eat immediately, the main hot options are the 'sizzlers' - which are essentially nice sandwiches, made on ciabatta and whacked in a hot sandwich press.  The beef sizzler was very good - the meat was cut thinly and was tender and tasty, with a good dollop of mustard, the excellent bread (as you'd hope) was suitably toasty and crisp and the addition of roast peppers and onions rather than salad made it work in the warmer format.  In terms of sheer quantity of food for your money (£3.25) its not as good value as a kebab, no real surprise there. But it was a very good sandwich and a viable alternative if you're not ravenous. The sweetener to the deal is the agreement to allow Barbakan food to be eaten in the Marble Beerhouse. A pint and a pub are a real bonus at anytime, but particularly by comparison with the crowded outdoor seating available at the premises themselves. We'd recommend combining the two into a leisurely lunchtime jaunt.

Taftan

Upper Chorlton Rd, Whalley Range.

24/05/10
Taftan is a bit of an oddity, it’s one of those Asian places that tries a bit of everything, which can make it off putting for those who just want Asian food. It advertises pasta and pizzas along with fried chicken and more conventional curries and kebabs. We partook of the £3.50 lunchtime offer of curry and rice. Chicken was the curry of the day and it was actually rather good – on the bone in a very authentic, ‘home-cooked’ tasting, sauce. The rice was just plain boiled. We also tried lamb parathas for £1 each, which was an eating experience somewhere between having a wrap, samosa and a pasty all at once. Not unpleasant but just a bit greasy, being strangely rich and yet pretty flavourless. Not particularly recommended. Ordering takeaways in the evening can be a bit of an ordeal over the phone, however they can also yield pretty good food if you stick to the karahi dishes and grills. Taftan is yet to gain our full confidence, there’s a bit of a hit and miss vibe about it, but we’re willing to persist for a while at least and see what it settles into. Currently it’s one of the better options around here – and it’s open all day.

Venus Foods

Anson Rd.

May 2010 visit
This is a kebab place attached to a Turkish supermarket. The lamb doner is excellent. It's freshly made - as opposed to the prepackaged elephant's foot - and has a nice savoury flavour.  The staff here refer to the doner as a shawarma, although it is doner on the menu. The bread is thick and tasty, and not of the the packet pitta variety. You get plenty of decent salad, and the chilli sauce is nice with a bit of a kick to it. On the down side, they do not serve yoghurt with the kebabs, and the place is also pretty expensive at £4.90 for donner kebabs. However, the food is worth it, and we will be back to try (amongst other things) the kofta kebabs.

Scores out of 10
Meat 9.0
Bread 7.5
Salad/Sauces 7.5
Service/Setting 7.5
Average 7.9

Little Yang Sing, The

George Street, Manchester
There's plenty of information about the Yang Sing and Little Yang Sing on the web - fires, relocations - yadda yadda.
In short this is a good, old style, Hong Kong/Cantonese type place. It does all the old favourites, nice Dim Sum, duck and pancakes and all the usual main courses. It's not subtle, it's brightly coloured and not much like like 'authentic' Chinese food - neither is it cheap. However, this type of cuisine has found a place in the hearts and on the palates of British diners and the folk at the Little Yang Sing know how to give people what they want.  It's not really our sort of place in that it's a bit too fussy and expensive for a lunchtime 'gnosh up' and the food's a wee bit too sweet and 'MSGy-fied' to really cut it as a top notch evening destination. However a few visits have proved it a reliable place for providing good versions of Chinese 'classics' - it's less 'chilli-fried lizard gizzard' and much more 'sweet and sour prawn balls' - which is often a relief.

The Briton's Protection

Very famous Manchester boozer. Really cosy - soporiphic some might say. One of the best in the centre, perhaps slightly let down by ale selection.