A Village Birthday Treat!

Sunday as will be posted was the planned birthday-dinner Curry Fest, but how could Marg refuse Hector: the promise of a Village (Nelson St, Glasgow) curry is one way of extracting a man from The 23rd Paisley Beer Festival.

Arriving at the temporary ‘Villagio’ Hector was surprised to see it closed so early. Upstairs it is then: the upstairs restaurant has not been blogged and it a while since Hector and Marg have been here. The upstairs has an ambience that the café does not.


It was empty for a Friday night (very strange) and our favourite (downstairs) waiter was in attendance,
The downstairs menu was also presented, strange happening number three.

Hector was drawn once more to the Lamb Lahore a very spicy and satisfying dish. Marg had the Chicken Tawa: what is it with people and this dish? I must try it some time.

Curry Heute!

The Beef Balti

Tonight was an evening of experimentation. Apart form the marinade which became an option because one can get home early on the first day of exam leave… this was a plan to see how quick one could produce a curry. Essentially this is a stir fry curry. By using quality steak the cooking time is reduced and the meat quality is better than braising steak.
The vegetables were very much a case of what was to hand: experiment!

The recipe is available in the adjacent column.

The Village is a hamlet no more...

Open for business as usual, so I'll have 'The Usual'...
Two weeks since the last Village (Nelson St, Glasgow) experience, far too long. What is happening? Posters on the window…ah the planned renovations are under way. The downstairs is being expanded into the industrial unit across the small lane, strange, but we will find out when all is complete in two months.



And so now the ‘Villagio’, the Halal Italian (?) restaurant of old, located directly across the street has been brought back to life. This is a very pleasant room and a lot more spacious than our old faithful. The toilets here at least usable.


Jonathan was delayed so this gave Hector the opportunity to take multiple photos of our new temporary ‘home’. The board only had lamb chops on offer, ok I admit I have not been tempted yet to try what I know others are raving about, but it is a long, long time since the Lamb Desi Korma has been ordered. Plus, as it changes every time we have it, it must be different in its new location. Jonathon ordered the Chicken Tawa. Happiness is…










The Village Lamb Desi Korma is a dish I cannot complement too highly. The subtle yogurt sauce blended with citrus leaves an after taste may not be to everyone’s liking, however when you get a good one, and today’s certainly was, I doubt if there is better curry served anywhere in Glasgow. But Hector will keep looking.

At the end of the meal Hector was escorted back across the street to the old haunt as the credit card facility was not set up yet in the new premises. The place was stripped down to sandstone walls. ‘This will be the kitchen area and through the wall will be the new place…and why are you taking all of these photographs?’

Curry Heute!

Nobody is flying today, so I’ll have the fish!


Hector has grown to favour fish curries over the last few years. It was probably Fish Pakora that awoke the taste buds to the possibility that a fish curry could be agreeable. The recipe which is posted on the adjacent column has evolved from a recipe I found in a book some years ago.
This is probably Marg’s favourite, and it tends to be on the mild side, though an extra chilli or two could sort that.

Hector hears The Village calling on Saturday...

A Creepy Crawley Curry

At the end of Hector’s Great Escape from mainland Europe, there was the promise of a curry in Crawley. Lord Clive had booked us in to the Taj Mahal at 22.30, however the farcical delay at Dover meant that it was 22.00 before we reached The Swan. The call was made to the Taj to re-confirm the booing at 22.30: ‘We’re closed!’





And so we walked from The Swan past the George Hotel to the Saffron Lounge (5 Grand Parade, High Street, Crawley, RH10 1BU). This was not the first choice curry house in Crawley, one suspects that this is the one Hector will insist we return to at the end of May.

Hector ordered the Spicy Green Lamb Shank Curry, a ‘Goan Green Lamb Shank Curry with Fresh Coriander and Green Chillis.’ The meal came with a fare sized piece of lamb on a single large bone. That it was eaten with the aid of a fork only is testimony to the quality of the meat. The appearance was perfect, the texture great, it only lacked ‘that special taste’ to make it outrageously special.


Maggie had the Lamb Dansak, Lord Clive the Chicken Dansak. Marg had Pistachio Chicken Steve a Lamb Madras, and David the Duck Chilli Garlic.










Ente Curry!

More Mango in München

A welcome return to the Indian Mango (Zweibrückenstrasse 15, München). There was a 13.00 rendezvous suggested. Four of us made it, though Steve did drop by towards the end of our meal. He thought it was too soon after the Indien Express the night before. Usually a midday curry would mean that the lunch offer would be taken, however it was a Saturday so only the full menu was on offer. The board at the door was most inviting. ‘Chettinad’, this is a new one. Apparently it relates to the food prepared in the southern Indian province of Tamil Nadu.



Jonathan and Hector ordered the Chettinad Fish, Dr Stan the Chettinad Lamb and Marg the Mango Chicken from the standard menu. The Chettinad dishes looked as if they had been prepared using fresh tomatoes and coarsely cut onions. There was a rugged look. The taste was not the usual Mango curry taste: this indeed was another special dish.








When we met up with Steve later, he admitted that the curry aroma had got on to his palate, he returned a few hours later and had the Chettinad Lamb – ‘superb’ was the verdict.




Are we reaching the stage of going to München for the curry experience?

The Indien Express, a late night München experience

A Tale of Two Visits

Followers of Bier today will recall the report of the opening of a new curry house in München back in February. Marg and Hector had been walking past The Indien Express (Schillerstasse Str. 3A) which is beside the Café Schiller, aka ‘The Sports’ Bar’, and realised that it was probably not open, yet. Having been stranded due to snow the opportunity was given to try somewhere which was not the Mango. We popped our heads in: “We open officially tomorrow, but you may as well come in. You are the first customers!”





Hector did not need a second invitation. The welcoming waiter offered us bier, this has been the old Weissbierkeller after all. We declined.
“Chicken Tikka Masala?” he enquired… He was impressed when Lamb Karahi was ordered. Well if you do not order basically the same curry how can Hector compare? It was impressive, we knew we would return.





Others did come in and Chicken Tikka Masala was ordered.





We just happened to find ourselves in München for the first day of the Frühlingsfest. There had been no great intake of food durng the day and so a late night curry was in order. Steve had tried it a couple of days before but was not over impressed, he had tried the Lamb Madras.
We were again offered bier but declined. “Chicken Tikka Masala?” the waiter enquired… this must be their standing joke. Steve was impressed by the Lamb Karahi, Hector refrained from “I told you…”




The prices are right. The place is open late. They promised they would be open at Silvester which Mango was not.

The Indian Gallery, a Saturday night special

The Indian Gallery 450 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow (G2 3JD) is not for those feeling the pinch. ‘Will that be three popadoms each?’ the waiter enquired just to get things going? Lord Clive of Crawley would have loved him. He is fascinated by the fact that in Glasgow all Indo/Pak/Bangladeshi waiters all speak with a broad Glasgow accent. Well they are not just off the boat as someone once so callously said.





Alan recommended the Bombay Bakra (or Murgh), he had the Murgh. Hector knew Murgh is chicken, but Bakra? Well it is obviously lamb but why not Gosht? The waiter was having fun by now and explained that this is the Indian term…most Glasgow ‘Indian’ restaurants are indeed Pakistani/Bangladeshi. The Bombay Bakra is a ‘Karahi-Style Fricassee of Spiced Onion & Ginger, Green Capsicums, Tomatoes, Green Chillies, Kal Jeera and Fresh Spinach leaves.’ (So a Saag or Palak Gosht then depending which side of the border one comes from?) And so Hector ordered the Bombay Bakra but without Capsicums: Hector cannot stand green peppers in his curry!





The ladies had the Garam Masala and the Jalandrhi, the latter being a ‘Potent Fusion of Ginger, Garlic, Onions, Peppers, Coconut Cream & Fresh Herbs Simmered in a Spicy Chilli Sauce.’ We were all invited to up the heat, this challenge was accepted. The ladies soon regretted this! The Garlic and Coriander nan was also resplendent with a red chilli sauce, this also upped the heat.
'Garam' also means 'hot', we were advised: still learning after all this time...




The meal was splendid: Alan rates this as the best curry house in Glasgow, Hector may not go that far but this is certainly worth a visit, especially if one happens to be on expenses! Hector’s only criticism: for £16.50 a main dish, the portions were small.

Strangely on paying the bill we were presented with two 20% discount vouchers for our next visit: why not just take this off the prices in the menu and have people scuttling back?

The Village, Glasgow - Scotland

Hector is on holiday, so it is a case of maximising the curry input. On Wednesday straight off the plane form Traben-Trarbach Hector went straight to the Village “Curry House”, Tradeston (129 Nelson St, G52 1EQ) Glasgow – Scotland. Tradeston is one of the most run down areas of Glasgow being located in the hinterland of the old city docks. There are grand plans and the opening of the pedestrian ‘Squiggly Bridge’ is a step in the right direction. Indeed it is a ten minute walk from Central Station via the Squiggly Bridge to the Village.






The first visit Hector made to the Village was some years ago when a local newspaper did a supplement on curry in Glasgow. The Desi Style Dishes caught the eye: the Tawa in particular. The menu relates that this is a ‘….concoction of black pepper, ginger, garlic and the freshest of herbs and spices’. This is what Hector looks for in a curry, herbs, spice and hopefully minimal sauce. To say I have raved about the Village since that first visit is not an understatement. The Bradford experience has taught Hector that cafes full of locals is a splendid guide to the quality of that which is being served. Not available upstairs is the ‘Village Desi Korma’: …’a yogurt base with black pepper, green chillies and copious amounts of special herbs and spices’. This is nothing like a korma, it has never seen cream or coconut. It can blow your head off if you dare ask for extra chillies. This is now regarded as the Friends of Hector as the signature dish of the café. So why does it change every time one orders it? Hector wrote to Mr Baig the owner last year to point this out. Things did improve; indeed we are convinced they switched it with the Tawa to avoid the confusion, now we just accept that whatever gets served it will be excellent. Some days it is creamier, some days it has more citrus, some days it is brown and some yellow.


The Curry-Heute: Jonathan met Hector today for lunch. Jonathan had the Chicken Desi Korma, Hector had the Lamb Tawa. Both resembled the dishes we had eaten before, nothing is ever a perfect match. Perhaps this is part of the adventure, but is does mean that first time visitors may or may not be impressed. Lord Clive’s last visit from Crawley made him a convert. Dr Stan has been meeting us with increasing regularity for Saturday lunch, he has even been known to eat the same meal! Steve was not impressed last year and as far as I know has not been back. Alan now expects that we go there before Motörhead every November…and it does not sell cider…or any other alcohol for that matter.

There is also the question of The Blackboard

As one enters the café a blackboard displays an ever rotating range of curries that have never made the menu. After Hector decided towards the end of last year to have a mid afternoon curry before meeting the chaps for ‘bier today’, there was a realisation that one could not have the Tawa or the Desi Korma every week. Experimentation became the norm and the blackboard provides scope for this. The Aloo Gosht is normally lamb on the bone, superb! However the dish of the moment has to be the Nahiree. This is big, and I mean big, lumps of lamb cooked in the Desi sauce. It is the most old-fashioned tasting curry I have had since, well the first restaurant curry experienced in the Green Gate (Bank St, Glasgow) back in the 1960s.
Hector has started asking Mr Baig if he has ever thought of building flats upstairs? One feels a feeling of disappointment when the Saturday ritual curry is over. One also has to fight off the munchies of an evening, yes; a second curry in one day has to be admitted to.