The Village : Yvonne's Treat

The three Tuesdays Hector has been in Glasgow this summer vacation the Village (Nelson St, Glasgow) has been the venue of choice.Yvonne wished to celebrate the last day of her holiday. She and Craig (absent) also wished to treat Hector for the fine work he did organising the recent vacation: "Hector's Hilpoltstein Happenstance".

Howard came along wearing his green suit.


Maggie, the lunchtime waitress was there to greet us at the Village . She assured us that Faruk, the good Chef, was on today and that the Village Lamb Desi Korma would be its usual self. It was.



For the first couple of mouth fulls, yesterday's Mother India's Cafe experience was still to the fore in the memory of the taste buds. Then wonder of The Village kicked in. The Citrus taste lingered for hours.



Howard chose the Lamb Laal Lahori, always a good alternative. This was again reported to be in fine form.


Howard at work

It is not a Saturday but in holiday mode we retired to the Allison Arms, we have not had German Bier for two days after all.



A Celebrity at The Bon Accord
Who is that with Hector?

Topsy Turvy was the main attraction at The Bon Accord until a TV celebrity walked in to enjoy the ales.

Mother India's Cafe : Marg's Treat

A Warm Welcome Home

Marg collected Hector from Edinburgh Airport. Mr. O'Leary's flight from Berlin was on time, as usual.
It was Marg who decided that the Butter Chicken at The Mother India's Cafe (Argyle St, Glasgow) was calling.
I do not know why we bother to look at the menu. However, today there was a Palak Pakora: Pakora with Spinach and Fenugreek. Unlike Berlin, these people know what do with the ingredients at their disposal.
Hector chose the Machi Masala and the Lamb Massalum with Okra (for a change). Two chapattis and the Lemon Rice with Cashew Nuts were the accompaniments.

The dishes are sublime. Two portions each is more than adequate. To have this virtually on one's doorstep; perhaps we Glaswegians are spoiled.


The Indian Mango in München was the last time I had tasted anything as good as this.

Wedding : The Garden Suburb (Berlin)

Sitting at Eschenbrau, Hector decided to do a local search on the BlackBerry to see if there were any places for a Curry-Heute that had not shown by previous searches.
Ah, the jokes that life can play. Six doors along from our accommodation on Tegelerstrasse was the Naveena Path, a Tamilische (Sri Lankan) Curry Haus with a full menu and not just the usual Sri Lankan coconut dishes.



Sadly, given the pattern of the days, this could not be visited. They were close on Saturday night when we returned to Wedding, and a Curry for Sunday brunch was defeated by the excellent buffet on display at Schade next door.

Now it would be ironic if the best Curry in Berlin was served around the corner from the best Bier!



The worst Curry Haus in Berlin?
Meanwhile reports have reached Hector that five of our party who missed out on the Weizen Bock on Saturday night went to the Amrit (Oranienstraße 202). Now Hector had seen this place mentioned in other dispatches. Comments should be added below by those who claim to have tasted "The hottest curry in Germany".

Namaskar, is the best Berlin has to offer?

What is Methi?

Berlin's Namaskar Restaurant(Parisier Str 57, near Hohenzollern Platz) is reported on other sources as the city's finest Indian Restaurant.
This was Hector's first Berlin Curry-Heute, and so a good place to start.
A noon rendezvous was usurped by Steve announcing he was there. This proved it was open. The scaffolding outside would have made the heart skip a beat otherwise.

The Methi Mansha nearly won as the meal choice (Cubes of Lamb with: Onions, Ginger, Tomato and Fenugreek).

The Oolarithayathu was similarly based as the Methi Mansha but without (Methi) Fenugreek, instead with Cardamom, Cinnamon and Cloves. Could I get this with Methi?

"What is Methi?" The waiter asked.

It came, a sauce lacking onion. No yogurt ingredient was mentioned on the menu description but was evidently used.

A tray with extra sauces was included, one hot...very hot. Indeed, it turned a bland Curry into a do it yourself assault on the senses.
Now we have a Curry-Heute.
Robin's Chicken Tandoori was good...but mild...but that is what he asked for.
Hövels Bier (the Dortmund Hausbräuerei) vom Faß was advertised...but we were advised that there were cellar problems.

Jonathan arrived late, not like him at all, but in time to take a photo of the three of us in front of the scaffolding.

"Once upon a time, Curry in Germany was a joke."
Well so states the banner at the top of this Blog. If this is the finest Curry Haus in Berlin, then they will have to do much better. Anyone can make a sauce that looks lke a Curry: where were the tastes of the ingredients listed on their own menu?

Nürnberg on Trial

Craig wiped Yvonne's dish: 'The day I ate a Vindaloo.'

Finding a Curry-Heute should not be difficult, in Nürnberg this apparently not so. The chaps walked in the pouring rain to the much hyped Indian Corner to find it closed...for six weeks.
We reassembled at Andechs and Hector proved he was not to be beaten. Mr Google gave the telephone number for the Ghandi, at least they answered. Craig was in the floor as I tackled the mission in a mixture of Deutsch and English: 'You are closed for two months...Also..'

The Tadsch Mahal. (Johannis Str 10) may well have been the source of Google's previous phantom pursuit. They are open! This is Nürnberg's oldest Curry House. The layout is superb with tables on their individual dais. Craig, Yvonne, Robin and Hector were ushered up a spiral stair to the mezzanine.


Lamb Michiwali, or Vindaloo was the choice for Hector and Yvonne. I assured her that no German Vindaloo would ever be too hot.

The Goan Fish, a Tandoori dish, tempted Robin. He described it as excellent but mild.
To overcome his fear of Spice, Craig had the Chicken Tandoori. This was despatched and Craig was then mopping up Yvonne's sauce.

"I'm more of a Vindaloo man myself", declared Craig.




As Glasgow is the given place of origin of the Chicken Tikka Masala, it is strange to see both of the Tandoori dishes served without sauce.

And so to the main event.


Yvonne declared the 'Vindaloo' to be 'Madras' hot: there was a kick.
Hector reports the sauce to be genuine, the Lamb variable from tough to excellent; however, the portion was decidedly small. I was happy to help Yvonne finish herd. The heat was from the added Chillies rather than the Masala itself.
There was a lot of rice.



The meal was good, but the long wait could have been broken with some Popadoms etc. These were not even in the menu to order. Yvonne was not impressed. The Tadsch. Mahal is a popular place, but where is the competition?

A day trip to München (Munich) : Indian Mango

No Stone Left Unturned

Neil and Marg fly home today...so Jonathan and I came down to see them off.....em...have a Mango Curry-Heute...maybe visit the Augustiner Tap? Text Howard from Andechs am Dom? St Jacobus is out of the question. For a nice day out in München!
In the end, Jonathan had to return towards Hilpoltstein to rescue a 30l Faß of Pyraser Landbier, any excuse. So no Curry-Heute for him, only Bier today.

The luggage was checked, Hector, Marg and Neil took the S-Bahn to Isartor...and minutes later were at Indian Mango (Zweibruckenstraße 15).
Mein Host, Herr Jolly Kunjappu, was there to greet and advise.
There was no Spezial Board...just ask was the remedy. The Fish Chettinad: 'My Mother's Recipe' was the objective of the day. Marg, her ever ecumenical self, ordered the Lamb variant. They come with Reis, a Nan was suggested: there was compliance.

This is just what the 'Curry-Heute Hector in the sky' ordered: no sauce to speak of, crunchy - minuscule chopped onion and tomato added just before serving, curry leaves, maybe finely chopped Coriander stalks..., the Fish served in flakes: well this was how Neil and I re composed the meal on the walk back to the Viktualienmarkt.
Marg's Lamb Chettinad was similar, of course the Lamb came from The Pot and had a bit more Masala.

A Raita appeared magically, just in case Marg was finding the Curry-Heute to be 'hot'.
Including one Mango Lassi and two waters...
€15 each. This was probably the best service ever had in a restaurant! Of course Hector had his photo taken with Jolly.

Neil and Marg were waved off and boarded the easyJet flight to Edinburgh only one hour late. Well, our previous two bookings on this route were cancelled, one volcano, one flurry of snow.


Not many people know this, but Jolly is a Percussionist.

In 1974 he played with the Rolling Stones.
In 1976, Neil did not go to Hampden Park to see FC Bayern v St Étienne in the European Cup Final, he went to Glasgow's Green's Playhouse to see The Rolling Stones. Neil will bring corroboration to all this soonest.



This is the BBC
Now for some messages to our friends:
Der Hahnschen ist Tot...Wir sint and der Zone..
The Fish Chettinad is eaten. We are in the zone...
Chicken 1 is just leaving Ingolstadt - not in the zone yet! Where do we meet?
The Hen has left The City, The Cock shall approach a new Zone.
The Ducks have resurfaced all is Spezial.
Susy retires, the quest slows to be reawakened.
The men from Delmonte will come...

And so to Andechs am Dom, the Hofbräuhaus, and of course: The Augustiner Tap.


Food for the train
A quick visit to The Indien Express (Schiller Str) proved to be disappointing - closed. A Ruhetag hopefully.
There were three Hauptbahnhof served Asian Imbiss meals consumed on the 2108 Zug nach Nürnburg. Well he told me he was not hungry.

Sangam, Nürnberg - The First Happenstance Curry

The Sangam (Königstraße 87) was the first Curry House discovered Heute in Nürnberg. One could hardly miss it, it is on the way to The Andechs House.
After a day out in the city, Hector knew that the first opportunity for a Curry had to taken.
Hector and Marg, who had already eaten, left the group and headed first for another phantom Google Map location near our Hotel (Astoria). And so The Sangam it was.
Bhunna Gosht with Reis for €10 is good value.
Pork and Duck were also available
The Curry was red and the sauce quite creamy. For a Bhuna far too much sauce. The Lamb was on the tough side, a reasonable taste but not outstanding. There were the occasional blasts of Coriander, and a hint of Coconut. There was a level of satisfaction, but not sufficient to add this to the Recommendation List.

Hector's Horrible Holidays
Marg had peely wally tea..it was meant to be a Special Earl Grey.

Hector is in Bayern, he knows where es gibt ein zehr schön Curry-Haus...
Hector's Horrible Holidays