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“Learning is the only thing the mind never exhausts, never fears, and never regrets.”— Leonardo Da Vinci
As you well know, Indian/Pakistani food is the most popular form of eating out in the UK.
However Indian and Pakistani cuisine is going through an exciting period of a renaissance.
The fearless trailblazers who moved from the deepest and darkest India and Pakistan in the late ’50s and early ’60s pioneered the restaurant business, they saved up pennies from working back-breaking jobs in shipbuilding and public transport to buy Italian cafes and turn them into “Indian” restaurants.
They did not have any written recipes, as many could not read or write but literally asked their mums how to cook, then through trial and error, they figured out what suited the western palette and developed dishes to suit.
The indigenous population loved the novelty of it all and the early restaurants were established, a case in hand is the Shish Mahal in Glasgow.
The Renaissance that is happening now is that the Indian and Pakistani restaurant scene is now changing, the grandchildren of the early restaurant pioneers are now bankers, doctors, lawyers, and tech entrapanurs and are no longer interested in restaurants.
In its place are passionate individuals who see restaurants as an Art and chefs as artisans, no longer is the food adapted to the western palette but authenticity is the buzz word, the new Renaissance men are Aktar Aslam of Opheem, Birmingham, Chet Sharma of BiBi Mayfair, Jaf Ali of Khai Khai Newcastle.
They have turned their back on successful careers in banking and science and followed their passion for food and restaurants.
This week we followed one such Renaissance Man and we visited Khai Khai in Newcastle.
KHAI KHAIKHAI KHAI
Khai Khai is the brainchild of the Indian Street Food pioneer Jaf Ali, who owns the Dabbawal chain of street food cafès, he made street food interesting before the likes of Dishoom and Mowgli got into the act.
The Chef is the Michelin-starred Alfred Prasad, so you know which way the restaurant is heading.
Pappad and dips £3.95
We kicked off the proceedings with the Pappad basket, the basket was a mixture of Tapioca furr furr , crackers, and poppadoms, the trilogy of dips was the mint chutney, tamarind sauce, and the smoked tomato
The dips and chutneys went well but we missed the spiced onions.
Beef Shammi Kebab £7.95
Next was the Beef Shami, the wee bite-sized tikkis looked delicious, however, once we delved into the shammis it was a little dense and dry for my liking, usually, the shammis are light and airy as the meat is very finely minced.
Chicken 65 £7.50
The Chicken 65 is once removed cousin of the Korean Fried Chicken, the medallions of chicken breast is marinated with freshly ground masala and cooked in oil, and dusted with chaat masala.
The Chicken was delicious, tender yet crisp and the seasoning was on point, tangy and mirchy at the same time.
Kolkata Chilli Chicken £7.50
The Kolkata Chilli Chicken is a Bengal street food classic, the hand-ground spices, and sun-dried chillis are rubbed into the chicken breast and stir-fried, again well seasoned it was very tasty or should I paraphrase… “Bangin”!!!
Josper Murgh Tikka £14.50
The Josper Oven is a combination of a grill and an oven in a single piece of equipment. It cooks the chicken using charcoal heat only. The Chicken Tikka is extremely tender and moist, which is the “holy grail” of Chicken Breast.
Signature Tandoori Broccoli £7.50
In Indian cuisine, Broccoli is a misunderstood ingredient, usually relegated as an ingredient used in Sagg.
Here the Broccoli has been elevated to hero status, the Broccoli is marinaded in paneer, cream, and masala and then slow-cooked in the tandoor, one word delicious. the Broccoli was soft but not mussy, the masalas did their job.
In Conclusion
Khai Khai promised
“Let’s take a journey back to the way things used to be. To heritage Indian comfort food expertly prepared with fire and smoke.”
In many ways they did exactly what it said on the tin, the meal was expertly prepared using fire and smoke, although the dishes were far from original, what was original was the innovation being used in the ingredients and the cooking.
The Service was professional and business-like best of all friendly without being overfamiliar
The Star of the Meal?
The Signature Tandoori Broccoli and the Josper Chicken Tikka were definitely the stars of the show
The miss of the Meal?
It would be unfair to say the Chicken 65 was the “miss”
Honorable Mention
So how did Khai Khai compare with its Indian Renaissance peers?
The Three best Indian Renaissance restaurants so far have been Opheem, Birmingham, BiBi Mayfair, and Jamovar Mayfair
Khai Khai holds its own against the London Hard hitters
Halal Rating
The Chicken, Beef, and Lamb are confirmed 100% Halal
Alcohol is served on the Premises
NO Pork is served on the Premises
100% impartial Guarantee
Alfie Foodwala visits all restaurants anonymously and pays for the bill like any other customer, Alfie Foodwala does not accept free meals in return for reviews.
Hey Foodwala boys and girls… hope you are all safe and well
Please remember to subscribe to the Alfie Foodwala Facebook and Instagram pages, tag, and please share with six people if you like this review, message me if you have constructive feedback.
If you would like to “Eat with Alfie Foodwala” please email me at alfiefoodwala@aol.com
Furthermore, if you know of a restaurant that I should review please let me know.
“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”.
You must think the above quote is a highly odd thing to write in a restaurant and food blog.
But humour me, all will be revealed.
The above quote was uttered by the physicist Robert Oppenheimer as he witnessed the first detonation of a nuclear weapon on July 16, 1945.
A piece of Hindu scripture ran through the mind of Robert Oppenheimer:
“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”.
It is, perhaps, the most well-known line from the Bhagavad-Gita.
Now what is the point of all this gloom and doom, well I visited BiBi, which is the brainchild of Chef Chet Sharma, he moved from India to Oxford University to train as a Physicist.
however Chef Sharma’s passion was food rather than theoretical Physics, so he made an unbelievably brave decision to leave his profession and go to work in a restaurant kitchen.
That is like saving all your parent’s money and buying a BMW and then trading it in for a Dacia Sandero!
He went on to catch the eye of the visionary owner of the restaurant stable JKS restaurants, Karam Sethi who harnessed Chet’s passion and bankrolled BiBi in Londons Mayfair.
BiBi
London was experiencing an Indian Summer when visiting the restaurant, the restaurant was a hive of activity.
The staff was very friendly, keeping in mind that the restaurant is bang smack in the middle of Mayfair, or in other words Mumbai upon Thames or Londongrad.
The street outside the restaurant was knee-deep in Rolls Royces and Bentleys.
The restaurant interior was a tastefully modern Rajhistani look with warm mango wood and wood kiln tiles.
Wookey-hole Cheese Papad (v) £7
I kicked off the proceedings with the Wookey-hole papad, the papad was what deceptively looked like a green mint chutney, which is standard fayre up and down the country, nothing special in that I hear you say. But this was not any old green mint chutney, under the green sauce was a layer of creamy soft cheese and then a layer of sweet mango.
I was absolutely bowled out, it was delicious exciting, and innovative… loved it
Nashpati Bhel (ve) £14
Next up was the Chaat course, I opted for the Nashpati Bhel Chaat,
Bhelpuri is a savoury Chaat from the beaches of Mumbai, It is made of puffed rice, vegetables, and a tangy tamarind sauce, and has a crunchy texture. Chef Sharma made the Chaat his own by cooking each element individually and constructing it using the finesse and then adding a watermelon granita on top to give the chaat a contrasting sweet frozen element, simple yet clever.
Dahi Aubergine (v) £14
Up next was the Punjabi Dahi Aubergine, the Aubergine is a fiendishly difficult vegetable to master, cook it too much it becomes a mushy glop, and cook it too early the Aubergine becomes rock hard and earthy.
The Aubergine in question was marinaded and then cooked in the Josper oven, resulting in a delicious smoked, meaty slice and topped with spiced whipped yogurt. tasty.
Sharmaji’s Lahori Chicken accompanied with Kaima Yakni Pilao £22
The Awadi Chicken is An integral part of every Royal Moghul banquet this dish portrays the true nuances of the Lahori Nawabs. Light, silky very fragrant, the sauce was constructed with care and passionate expertise.
In Conclusion
BiBi deserves all the accolades it is receiving and Chef Sharmas, audacious career move is definitely being honored, He was cooking in the restaurant when I visited, and it was fascinating to see the master at work.
The food was a labour of love, you could see the care and attention going into each dish.
This is a real passion, where you sacrifice for your art, as opposed to the woke sanitised muttering of snowflakes.
One small cloud in the sky was the chipped plates, I have always been brought up as chipped plates being a big no-no, maybe I am old-fashioned and chipped plates are the new drive to authenticity.
The Star of the Meal?
The Wookey-hole Cheese Papad was a revelation.
The miss of the Meal?
It would be unfair to say but I could have done without the chipped crockery.
Honorable Mention
So how did BiBi compare with its Mayfair peers?
The Two best Mayfair restaurants in London so far have been Gymkhana from the JKS stable and the sublime jamavar
BiBi is in a shoo-in for a Michelin star and it is deserving of the accolade (just watch the crockery)
Halal Rating
The Chicken is confirmed 100% Halal
Alcohol is served on the Premises
NO Pork is served on the Premises
100% impartial Guarantee
Alfie Foodwala visits all restaurants anonymously and pays for the bill like any other customer, Alfie Foodwala does not accept free meals in return for reviews.
All reviews are the personal opinion of Alfie Foodwala based on his 30-year experience as a restauranteur
Six by Nico 1132 Argyle St, Finnieston, Glasgow G3 8TD
Hey Foodwala boys and girls… hope you are all safe and well
Please remember to subscribe to the Alfie Foodwala Facebook and Instagram pages, tag, and please share with six people if you like this review, message me if you have constructive feedback.
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Furthermore, if you know of a restaurant that I should review please let me know.
“Never Meet Your Heroes”
I never really understood why people say never meet you, heroes, surely the reason they are your heroes is that you want to meet them…sounds a bit like an Oxymoron.
My brothers and I are great cricket fans, but we love good cricket as opposed to supporting a certain team for jingoistic purposes, so imagine our excitement when we found out India was coming to Scotland to play a one-day international.
At the time the great Sachin Tendulkar was the captain of India and was one of the greatest batsmen ever.
We were giddy with excitement, so I set off with my brothers Goblees and Ralfy Foodwala to track down the elusive Mr. Tendulkar.
We set about the chase like a military operation, we phoned all the hotels until we found out where they were staying, we then went to the hotel to see him but found out he had just left for dinner.
The staff was not forthcoming or the whereabouts of the dinner venue, We eventually found the loose-lipped concierge who told us where he was after a few crisp twenty-pound notes accidentally fell into his pocket.
Sechin was at the Nandos at Springfield Quay… the chase was well and truly on, we piled into our bashed but trusted Toyota Camry and headed for Nandos.
We arrived at Nando’s as he was just finished his meal and was about to leave, imagine our excitement of meeting one of the all-time greatest cricketers.
We gingerly walked up to Sachin
“Sachin Sir…we are your greatest fans”
we breathlessly and nervously chanted in unison
“Can we have an autograph and a photo”
Sachin turns around from the people he was having an animated conversation with and said
“get lost yar…I am busy”
the words hung in the air like a bad smell, maybe we did not hear right or got lost in translation.
“Mr Tandulkar can we atleast shake your hand”
Sachin just looked at us aloofly and brushed our hands away and walked past.
To say that we were disappointed is an understatement, any enthusiasm for messers Sachin Tendulkar drained away from us like shaving foam in a sink.
We found out the hard way to never meet your heroes.
This week I was with Shai Foodwala and we visited one of our culinary heroes, Six by Nico
We walked into the restaurant and it was full of couples reverently sitting at the tables, there was a weird absence of conversation and atmosphere.
as if they were waiting to worship at the altar of Nico Simione.
The menu on this occasion was titled “Guilty Pleasures” and it was described as
“Prepare for 6-courses of pure indulgence, inspired by moments we all long to enjoy…
From staying in pajamas all day to binge-watching your favorite tv shows, or enjoying breakfast for dinner, or even singing cheesy pop songs we all have a secret guilty pleasure that we are not so quick to share…
However, with our next six-course tasting experience we invite you to embrace and celebrate your guiltiest pleasures with a complete disregard for what others may think!”
Croquettes £5
We kicked off the Six-course tasting menu…hence Six by Nico, with an amuse-bouche of potato Croquettes, with a dollop of white grape sauce.
The Croquettes were a little boring but tasted decent, I would not say they were fantastic, not poor, they existed as Croquettes.
Spaghetti Loops
The first official course was the “spaghetti Loops” and my expectations came to a crash, this was bland and boring, I don’t know whose guilty pleasure is spaghetti hoops but certainly not mine.
STRAIGHT FROM THE CAN
Round 2, Straight from the Can, Ceviche Of Tuna, Pickled Watermelon, Tokyo Turnip, Bonito, Dashi Jelly & Avocado Puree.
Sound delicious but in reality, it was not what I was expecting, Ceviche is fish in citrusy “tiger Juice” where the fish is slightly cured by the acidity, In my humble opinion this missed the mark as the dense Tuna needed some acidity to cut it but was lacking, the trace of watermelon did not help.
LAMB KEBAB
Course 3…Thankfully things started to get better, next up was the “Lamb Kebab” the spiced lamb belly kebab was cooked en point and the
Pickled White Cabbage, Rose Harissa Emulsion & Cucumber Chutney was a refreshing and imaginative accompaniment to the lamb.
FISH SUPPER 2.0
Course 4…The mini Fish Supper was a tongue in cheek reference of fish and chips, the Scrabster Cod was delicious and well seasoned, and replacing the chips was
Definitely an imaginative, delicious, and playful take on Fish and Chips.
NICO’S FRIED CHICKEN
Course 5 was Nicos Fried Chicken, I was fried chicken but not as you know it,
Chicken, Nfc Crumb, Leg Roulade, Barbecue Corn, Hen Of The Woods & Black Garlic Emulsion. essentially it was a deconstructed chicken in its elements and cooked in different ways, sounds a bit weird but tasted delicious.
NUTELLA & WAFFLES
Course 6, was my favorite..Chocolate & Praline Cremeux, Sour Cherry, Stroopwafel & Creme Fraiche, simply irresistible and yummy
the Cremeux was creamy and had a smooth chocolate moose, which was accompanied cleverly with sour cherry sorbet, a nice combination.
well-executed.
In Conclusion
The meal started off unsure, it was bland and boring
However by the 3rd course it actually got a lot better, I became a believer in what Six by Nico was trying to achieve.
There was a lot of imagination in the execution and the ingredients.
The temperature of the food was inconsistent, some elements were hot some were cold
The service was a little too efficient and felt a little rushed and conveyor belt-like.
With Six by Nico scaling up and opening numerous restaurants nationwide it has lost its authenticity and quirkiness and becoming an another chain restaurant
The Star of the Meal?
My star of the meal would be the Nicos fried chicken.
The miss of the Meal?
On this occasion, I have two misses, the spaghetti hoops and the straight from the can.
Honorable Mention
So how did Six by Nicos do against its peers?
Well, the peer is actually next door … Crabshak, Crabshak was in my opinion better in its selection of ingredients, service and taste.
Six by Nico, possible takes the imagination and creativity points
all in all, I would go for Crabshak.
Halal Rating
The Chicken served in the restaurant and HALAL
Lamb is not HALAL
Alcohol IS served on the Premises
Pork IS served on the Premises
100% impartial Guarantee
Alfie Foodwala visits all restaurants anonymously and pays for the bill like any other customer, Alfie Foodwala does not accept free meals in return for meals
All reviews are the personal opinion of Alfie Foodwala based on his 30-year experience as a restauranteur.
Hey, Foodwala boys and girls…hope you are all safe and well.
Please remember to subscribe to the Alfie Foodwala Facebook and Instagram pages, tag, and please share with six people if you like this review, message me if you have constructive feedback.
If you would like to “Eat with Alfie Foodwala” please email me at alfiefoodwala@aol.com
Furthermore is you know of a restaurant that I should review please let me know.
“if the train doesn’t stop at your station, it’s not your train”
I love traveling by train but particularly I enjoy observing life around the train station.
You can judge the pulse of a city by watching the ebb and flow of humanity around the station.
In fact, my favorite railway station is the grandly known Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai but known simply to the locals as Bombay Victoria station.
The imposing Colonial Gothic structure was built in 1887 and the interior is like a soaring Gothic Cathedral as opposed to a mass transit point.
I love sitting outside the Leopold Cafe and watching humanity flow in and out like the tide of the Indian Ocean just a couple of blocks away.
We have the locals scurrying out of the station going to work in the morning or wearily scurrying back depending on the time of day.
Then we have the begger class, beggers are classed as an unofficial profession in India and a whole cottage industry has grown around begging.
we have the beggers themselves who often maim themselves to make them more feeble and pathetic so to attract the big bucks from gullible western backpackers.
Next up we have the western backpackers who stick out like a Celtic fan at an Orange parade, they are the easy prey that all the scheming locals target.
The beggers know that backpackers’ misguided sense of “savior complex” will generate big bucks for anyone looking pathetic enough and need a savior from the pradomitaly affluent middle-class gap year saviors.
The most fascinating substrata of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus are the Dhabbawalas, which constitute a tiffin delivery and return system that delivers hot lunches from homes to people at work in the Bombay central business district.
The Dabbawalas deliver 200,000 tiffin boxes a day and the dabbawalas make less than one mistake in every six million deliveries.
The theme of Dabbawalas at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is actually the central premises of this week restaurant, Bombay Bustle
Bombay Bustle is in Maddox Street in Mayfair which soon could be called Curry Alley if they are not careful as the street has three Indian restaurants.
The interior is designed like a luxurious train cabin with quaint period features.
BOHRI LAMB SAMOSA
We kicked off the proceedings with a Bohri keema samosa, the hand-ground Hampshire Mutton was delicately spiced with Kashmiri chili and the pastry was thin and crispy, the chili sauce had a smooth kick yet fruity.
MURGH MALAI KALI MIRCH
The Black Pepper, Cheese, Mace, Green Cardamom marinade chicken tender was delicious, delicate in its make up yet the different elements made themselves known, a definite master’s touch.
PRAWN CALDEEN
The Goan mild Peppercorn, Coriander, Curry Leaves, Coconut Milk based non-spicy shrimp curry was smooth yet surprisingly flavorsome, the prawns were firm without overcooked
Dum Lamb Biryani £28
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Dum Lamb Biryani was a revelation, the second coming, the piece de resistance…I cannot give it the superlative it deserves.
simply put the biryani was absolutely delicious, the lamb was cooked in its spicy stock until it was falling off the bone, it was then added to the rice and sealed and cooked until the rice was fluffy yet individually standing to attention like soldiers on the parade field.
The spice was rich and pungent yet did not overpower the different elements of the meal.
i loved it, a wee bit of cloud in the sky was there was some bone still in the biryani and could cause someone to chip a tooth.
In Conclusion
I loved the Bombay Bustle, its from the stable of the Leela Hotel group and the sister restaurant of the Jamavar, the cooking was top notch as well as the ingredients, the Leela touch could be evident as they have some of the best chefs and the training id industry standard.
The decor was fresh quirky and playful and that translated down to its food.
I was looked after by Rodger from Barcelona, who was knowledgable and friendly, and attentive.
The Star of the Meal?
I would make the 400 mile trip to Bombay Bustle again and again just for the biryani, who cares it costs £28
The miss of the Meal?
The rogue bone in the biryani
Honorable Mention
So how did Bombay Bustle do against its peers?
Definitely on par with Jamavar, Kutir, Kahani, and Indian Accent
I loved it equally as the Gymkhana and Opheem
Halal Rating
The Chicken, Beef, and Lamb is Served in the restaurant and HALAL
Alcohol is served on the Premises
Pork is served on the Premises
100% impartial Guarantee
Alfie Foodwala visits all restaurants anonymously and pays for the bill like any other customer, Alfie Foodwala does not accept free meals in return for meals
All reviews are the personal opinion of Alfie Foodwala based on his 30-year experience as a restauranteur.
Hey, Foodwala boys and girls…hope you are all safe and well.
Please remember to subscribe to the Alfie Foodwala Facebook and Instagram pages, tag, and please share with six people if you like this review, message me if you have constructive feedback.
If you would like to “Eat with Alfie Foodwala” please email me at alfiefoodwala@aol.com
Furthermore is you know of a restaurant that I should review please let me know.
Hey Guys…. truth can be stranger than fiction, as they say
“you cannot make this up”
So apparently in the 1920’s the resistance movement against the Englisher colonial rule was being conducted by the Indian resistance led by Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Mahatma Gandhi.
The resistance was being carried out in London as well as India.
The urbane and charismatic barrister turned resistance leader Jinnah was in charge of recruiting sympathetic public figures in the United Kingdom to further the non-violent agenda of the independence movement.
Jinnah would recruit and meet the supporters in secret, Mr. Jinnah is an affluent barrister as well as a dapper young man who stayed in Mayfair, as he wanted to stay close to home and his supporters and he did not want to cramp his style so he would arrange recruitment drives in various locations in Mayfair.
He would hold decadent parties where the who’s who of the English social establishment were invited and from there Jinnah and his band of subversives and Indian Princes would recruit.
One of the venues for the recruitment parties was the Claridges Hotel in Mayfair, Mr. Jinnah’s parties were the talk of the town and he would hold court in his Saville Row tuxedos.
One unlikely recruit from the party was one Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin, or as me and you know him…Charlie Chaplin!
Mr. Chaplin was a vocal supporter of the Indian independence movement and used his stature as the leading film star of his time to spearhead the agenda.
Mr. Jinnah being sophisticated and clever
discovered the best recruits came from the world of showbiz and media, as they would then carry out the PR required for the independence movement.
After recruitment the resistance movement would meet in clandestine at the then newly opened Veeraswamy restaurant in Regent Street, this venue was chosen as the owner was sympathetic to the cause and apparently, Charlie Chaplin was a descendant of Indians and loved his Indian food, his particular favorite was Lamb Rogan Josh!
This amazing story of Spies and the resistance movement got me wanting to visit the Veeraswamy as well, who had just won its first Michelin star.
Veeraswamy
The restaurant had recently been refurbished during the lockdown to celebrate the Michelin Star, I particularly loved the quirky display of turbans as wall art and the coloured glass jars as lights, very creative.
Amuse Bouche Dahl and Saib soup
We kicked off the proceedings with this wonderfully quirky Dahl and Saib shorba ( yellow lentil and apple soup) it was a playful concoction of earth-spiced lentils and fresh green apple, imaginative and delicious…definitely a great start.
Wild Tiger Prawn mint and chili
Since I chose the tasting menu, the chef brought out his greatest repertoire, so this was Tiger Prawns with Mint, Corriander, and Chilli. Tiger Prawns are notoriously difficult to get right, cook too little they become soft and mushy, cook too much they become chewy and inedible.
This was en pointe, well marinaded with the hand-ground mint, chili and coriander paste, the masala complimented the delicate prawns rather than overpower.
Murgh Masalum Boti
The boti used chicken thigh to great aplomb, the nutty masala was delicately placed on top and pan-cooked to give tender but flavorsome tasting notes.
The Thali
Next up was the thali consisting of the Lamb Rogan Josh
lamb Rogan Josh
Butter Chicken
Butter Chicken
Prawn Moilee
Prawn Moilee
The Lamb Rogan Josh was rich, pungent, and fragrant, with the right blend of masala, the lamb was tender and cooked until it fell apart on touching with the fork
The butter chicken was mild with a little spicy kick, the spicy kick was more of distant memory after the mildness, the chicken again was cooked to perfection.
The prawn Moilee, paid its due to its Bengal heritage, with tasting notes of cream, mustard and maithee it was smooth and flavorsome.
The Pineapple Quorma was not to my liking, overly sweet and cloyingly clingy to the palate, I would definitely have given it a miss.
Halva Tart
Dessert was the Sojee Halva tart, Halva is a reduction of semolina boiled with milk, almonds, sugar, butter, and cardamom on a tart base.
It was good, but not amazing, the halva did not lend itself to being a tart however the sorbet helped cut the sweet halva.
In Conclusion
I loved the veeraswamy, being a legacy restaurant it did not rest on its laurels, the decor was fresh quirky, and playful and that translated down to its food.
The Michelin Star did not make the food or service stuffy and overbearing.
The service was friendly and efficient
The Star of the Meal?
I would make the trip to Veerasweamy for the Lamb Rogan Josh.
The miss of the Meal?
I would definitely give the Pineapple concoction a miss.
Honorable Mention
So how did Veeraswamy do against its peers?
Definitely on par with Jamavar, Kutir, Kahani, and Indian Accent
but not as good as the Gymkhana and Opheem
Halal Rating
The Chicken, Beef, and Lamb is Served in the restaurant and HALAL
Alcohol is served on the Premises
Pork is served on the Premises
100% impartial Guarantee
Alfie Foodwala visits all restaurants anonymously and pays for the bill like any other customer, Alfie Foodwala does not accept free meals in return for meals
All reviews are the personal opinion of Alfie Foodwala based on his 30-year experience as a restauranteur.
Hey, Foodwala’s boys and girls…hope you are all safe and well.
Please remember to subscribe to the Alfie Foodwala Facebook and Instagram pages, tag, and please share with six people if you like this review, message me if you have constructive feedback.
If you would like to “Eat with Alfie Foodwala” please email me at alfiefoodwala@aol.com
One of the most surprising places I have had Desi food was actually in deepest darkest Nathan Road, Hong Kong.
I was visiting Hong Kong with Benz Foodwalee and Mokee Foodwala and I had a craving for Salan Roti (Desi Food), so I called the Hong Kong Central Mosque and asked them where I can go for some desi food, If you ever want to find out the best places to eat ask the local mosque or a taxi driver, they usually have the finger on the pulse.
The Mosquewala said to go to Karachi Club in Chungking Mansions, Nathen Road, That sounded very grand, I was expecting something like the Gymkhana in London, Colonial elegance with amazing Indian food.
I was staying in the Mandarin Oriental in Central Hong Kong and asked the taxi driver to take me to the Chungking Mansions, the taxi driver did a double-take and asked if I really wanted to go there, I thought that was unusual, maybe it was very grand and I was not dressed appropriately.
The taxi dropped me off close to Chungking Mansions as possible, I asked a passer-by where it was and he pointed at the Rolex sign.
I walked up to the Rolex sign and all I could see was a grubby 60’s concrete building peppered with air conditioning units dripping condensation, the entrance was full of indeterminate African men hustling, It actually looked like Mogadishu or Lagos.
I asked one of the men where Chungking Mansions were and he pointed at the entrance, my heart sank.
I asked another Indian boy where Karachi Club was and he said follow me, I should have turned back then but I followed him into the bowels of the building, it got darker and darker as we went in and became seedier.
The boy/guide then came to an antiquated rusted scissor gate lift and beckoned us to get in, the lift was damp from some unidentifiable liquid, I should have turned back but for some reason, I walked into the lift, then the boy spent ages trying to close the liftgate as the rusted scissor gate kept jamming, that should have been reason enough to go back but I dumbly stood there with my wife and firstborn, I know dumb or what.
We then arrived a pich black floor and the guide beckoned us Gollum like to follow us “my precious” and we started to slowly make our way down the corridor, which was lit by a single flickering lightbulb, It actually reminded me of the corridor scene in the “Shining”
I was at the end of my tether and was turning back when “Gollum” grabbed my wrist, he was surprisingly strong for such a slight frame and I was about to go into the “fight or flight” mode when he showed me the old brass sight, defaced by graffiti and It said “Karachi Club est 1935”
He pushed against the heavy mahogany door and we were greeted with bright lights and a room full of families eating plates heaped with desi food, Lollywood music blared on the loudspeakers and GEO News played on the Screens.
The walls were painted with Lahori cinema characters,
To say I was surprised was an understatement, The food was absolutely delicious too.
The point of my story is that I drive up and down Eglinton Street four times a day and I have never noticed the Desi Dhaba Chaiwala, it is in a car park tucked behind a war wash with mo signage!
Desi Dhaba Chaiwala
I would never have thought it was a place serving food. This place was discovered by my friend and chief scout Shai Foodwala, on this many street food discovery treks.
The Interior is equally Punjabi Pind quirky
They call it “Pind Chic” apparently
The lady behind the counter greeted us with a list of her specials of the day, I asked her to bring one of everything!
Keema and Sabzi Samosa
We kicked off the proceedings with some Keema and sabzi samosas, the shortcrust pastry was a little soft and greasy, I use the samosa yardstick with Benz Foodwalees samosas, her pastry is always crispy and fluffy even when they are cold, the filling was delicious, fresh filling with just enough seasoning. 6 out of 10
Student Biryani
The house specialty was next up…called the “Student Biryani” from Karachi, the cubes of Chicken was a wee bit dry, however, the biryani rice themselves were full of flavour and seasoning, you can tell that the biryani was freshly made without the use of “biryani powder” as it did not have the overpowering cardamom flavour in it. excellent effort if only the chicken was not overcooked
7 out of 10
Keema Mattor
The keema mattor was delicious, the mince was delicately spiced, rather than the overpowering of most restaurants, the green peas were not the cheap ones from Lidl, rather the plump frozen ones from Birds Eye.
Simple no-nonsense Keema Peas is an art in itself, It is like an artist knows when to stop painting a picture before he/she overdoes it 7 out of 10
Lamb Chops
The lamb Chops ware sauteed in some masala and Shallots, the lamb itself was brilliantly tender and soft, the masala was seasoned as not to detract from the hero element, Usually, the Lamb is over seasoned to mask the aroma of the lamb… go figure, however, this was made with panache and skill 8 out of 10
Tarka Dhall
The Dhall was another exercise in restraint, the Moong Dhall was folded on roasted spices and shallots but was not oily or greasy, I prefer my dhall being masoor (orange lentils) but this was an excellent effort 7 out of 10
Aloo Paratha and Roti
To scoop up all the delicious salans (curry) was a decadent Aloo paratha, again not greasy yet with soft pillowy potato staffing, not over maslad, a wee bit crispy and crusty, yummy 8 out of 10
In Conclusion
In conclusion, Desi Dhaba Chaiwala was a revelation, the food was fresh and delicious, even more, remarkable was it was prepared in such humble surroundings. It definitely gave restaurants a run for their money.
the staff was friendly, efficient, and good humor, the wee Dhaba was chilled and quirky, you could tell it was a labour of love.
The Dhaba is full of colour and fun.
The Star of the Meal?
The Lamb Chops and the Aloo Paratha
The Miss of the Meal?
Possibly the Samosas, as everything else was so good.
Honorable Mention
So how did Desi Dhaba Chaiwala do against its peers?
For somewhere so humble and basic, the food punched way above its weight, In my opinion, the food was like the Hazara Dhall in Faisalabad or Ravi’s in Dubai, not the Karama branch but the Original Satwa one.
or closer to home, Yadgar
The food was like “homemade” without the cliche
Halal Rating
The Chicken, Beef, and Lamb is confirmed 100% Halal
Alcohol is served on the Premises
NO Pork is served on the Premises
100% impartial Guarantee
Alfie Foodwala visits all restaurants anonymously and pays for the bill like any other customer, Alfie Foodwala does not except free meals in return for meals
All reviews are the personal opinion of Alfie Foodwala based on his 30-year experience as a restauranteur.
Hey, Foodwala’s boys and girls…hope you are all safe and well.
Please remember to subscribe to the Alfie Foodwala Facebook and Instagram pages, tag, and please share with six people if you like this review, message me if you have constructive feedback.
If you would like to “Eat with Alfie Foodwala” please email me at alfiefoodwala@aol.com
As you will have gathered, we are still under the second lockdown and all restaurants are closed unless they are doing takeaway service.
I love restaurants pure and simple, I love the theatre of restaurants, the sheer buzz of a well-run restaurant.
and I love food, all kinds of food, I have even driven up to Anstruther one lunchtime to try out the amazing fish and chips at the award-winning Anstruther Fish Bar.
I love the experience of food, be it sitting on the Sea Wall in Stonehaven eating Fish and Chips, or an Alley behind the Taj Palace Bombay eating kebabs at Bademiya.
The trilogy of restaurants, food and experience is what fires up my passion, It is what gets me up in the morning…As Mr Ali from the Shish Mahal so eloquently puts it
“you can’t put a price to passion”
So this week I pondered what other avenues of food I can try, I tried out the Supermarket Food last week so this week I decided to try food from an exclusive boutique caterer called Home X STA.
Even the same suggested something out of the ordinary and exclusive, so I called them up and a Moneypenny type voice answered, very cool calm and collected.
I explained what my requirements were and when I needed the home catering.
since caterers cannot come to my home, they packaged the dinner with precise heating and serving instructions.
The package arrived in a refrigerated courier at the time and date promised.
HOME X STA
Shrimp dynamiter 8 out of 10
First Up was the curiously named Shrimp Dynamiter, succulent North Atlantic King Prawns, pan-fried and then tossed in a siracha Port Mahon dressing, It was actually very delicious 8 out of 10
Balsamic Spiced Lamb Shanks
The Balsamic Spiced Lamb Shanks was an excellent example of Balanced flavour, the Ayrshire Lamb was sous vide then dipped in a Black Pepper Balsamic Reduction, the Umami of the lamb went perfectly with the firey Talichery Black peppercorns and the sharp sweetness of the Balsamic. 9 out of 10
Oriental Wild Salmon
The certified Wild Scottish Sockeye Salmon is delicious just eaten with some lemon, as the flavour profile is so delicate, the Salmon was then sympathetically brushed with some Soy sauce and reduced sugar cane jus, this gave the salmon a subtle sweet and sour flavour note, again spot on 8 out of 10
Wagyu A5 Slider
This slider was a flavour bomba, the Wagyu was hand diced and then folded with some salt, pepper and shallots and then gently grilled when the Wagyu fat started to run it was then placed in a butter brioche bun topped with mild Asiago Cheese, as not to upset the flavour note of the Wagyu 8 out of 10
Panco Chicken Saccate
The Chicken Saccete, or in other words Baby Chicken Lollypops was marinated for 24 hours in spiced buttermilk and then dipped in ground Tonkatsu bread (Panco) and then cooked in extra virgin sunflower oil, the wings were amazingly crispy on the outside yet so soft and moist inside, very nice indeed. 8 out of 10
Lebanese Fajita Platter
The Lebanese Fajita platter went down a storm, the harissa shawarmaesk chicken was moist and juicy and went perfectly with an assortment of meze filling, something very different and unusual but equally flavoursome. 8 out of 10
In Conclusion
In conclusion, The Food by HOME X STA was absolutely delicious, the flavours were put together with expertise and flair, no ingredient was allowed to overpower the “hero” element of the dish.
When ordering, the process was so simple and easy, all kinds od allergies and food intolerances were taken care of.
I would definitely recommend HOME X STA.
The Star of the Meal?
Hard to point out, but my arm was twisted I would go for the Salmon or the Shrimp.
The miss of the Meal?
For once I am lost for words in this category.
Honourable Mention
So how did HOME X STA compare with the stalwarts of the home catering industry, likes of Rhubarb Catering and Dirty Lobster in London or 1762 Catering Dubai, It certainly gave then a run for the money in terms of food, menu selection and technical ability.
Keep an eye out for future reviews from home caterers.
Halal Rating
The Lamb is Halal
The Chicken is Halal
No alchaol is used
100% impartial Guarantee
Alfie Foodwala visits all restaurants anonymously and pays for the bill like any other customer, Alfie Foodwala does not except free meals in return for meals
All reviews are the personal opinion of Alfie Foodwala based on his 30-year experience as a restauranteur.
Hey, Foodwala’s boys and girls…hope you are all safe and well.
Please remember to subscribe to the Alfie Foodwala Facebook and Instagram pages, tag, and please share with six people if you like this review, message me if you have constructive feedback.
If you would like to “Eat with Alfie Foodwala” please email me at alfiefoodwala@aol.com
As you will have gathered, we are under the second lockdown and all restaurants are closed unless you are doing takeaway service.
Last week was the 22nd National Curry Week, which went away largely unnoticed by the Indian and Pakistani restaurants, possibly they were too busy trying to survive rather than taking notice of the patronising PR walla’s
The loudest shouting National Curry Weeks participants were M&S and they were extolling the virtues of their “authentic M&S Indian Food” this got me a little curious.
I decided to review the M&S Indian range and see how well they stack up in the taste department.
Obviously, M&S Indian Food cannot compare with the stalwarts of the Indian Restaurant scene, like the Shish Mahal or Mother India, however, I devised a scoring algorithm that would take into factors like
Price Point
Ingredients
Chefs
expertise
Bulk Preparation
presentation
reheating
health and safety
a non-Indian food eater as control
control dishes
In the interest of fairness and impartiality, the algorithm would essentially give M&S Indian Food a “head start” and secondly the chef will present the M&S food in authentic karahis and reheated according to the instruction on the back of the packets, and we made identical “control” dishes so they were blind tasted for impartiality.
This would mean that when the panel and I taste it, it will be as fair and balanced as possible.
M&S @ Home
We kicked off the proceedings with some starters
Onion Bhajis Sweet Potato and Onion Bhajis
Firstly, the Onion Bhajis were seasoned adequately, however, the basin(chickpea batter) was still raw and stodgy and the onion filling was mushy… 2 out of 10
The Sweet Potato and Onion Bhajis was the same story, I had to read the label to notice there was sweet potato in it 2 out of 10
Veg Samosa Vegetable Pakora
Lets Start with the Veg Samosa, the filling was negligible, we could not identify the veg, secondly, the pastry shell was so soggy it was falling apart, I suspect the oil had infiltrated the pastry shell in the initial cooking in the factory 1 out of 10
The Veg pakora was however seasoned better and the veg content was more decipherable, 3 out of 10
Next Up, we moved on to the mains
the mains were accompanied with nan bread
Nan
The two nan bread were poles apart, one was undercooked and stodgy, with just a bready flavour, the other was a bit too well done with the same dense stodgy flavour 2 out of 10
The pilao rice was under seasoned and a bit too al dente to be al dente, 3 out of 10
Sagg Aloo
The Sagg Aloo was truly offensive, the slimy off green sludge on top of
the diced potatoes were supposed to be spinach, horrible 0 out of 10
Vegetable curry
The Vegetable curry was not as offensive as the previous curry but the potato was undercooked and we could identify and other vegetables 2 out of 10
Tarka Dahl
The Tarka Dahl, the dahl in question was Chana and orange lentils, however, it was just lentils in gravy, no tarka (roasted spices) to be found 3 out of 10
Chicken Tikka Masala
The Chicken Tikka Masala. originally created by Mr. Ali at the Shish Mahal. This version was anything just chicken in a wee bit spiced creamy sauce, no nuance or seasoning. 2 out of 10
King Prawn Chettinad
This was described as King Prawns in a sweet and sour sauce, firstly there were no King Prawns (6/8 +) rather it was size 51/60 prawns on a creamy and mustard seed sauce, not wholly disagreeable 4 out of 10
Chicken korma
The Chicken Korma was…. boring, chicken breast in cream…no redeemable feature 1 out of 10
In Conclusion
In conclusion, The M&S taste test was done as scientifically and fairly as possible, however, what we deduced was if you wanted an urgent lockdown curry fix, please call your local restaurant for a takeaway, we could not recommend substituting the M&S meal for an authentic meal made in a restaurant.
The Star of the Meal?
At an absolute stretch? possibly the King Prawn Chettinad
The miss of the Meal?
Everything else, particularly the “Sagg aloo”
Honorable Mention
So how did M&S do against its peers?
Keep an eye out for future reviews from Waitrose, Asda, Tesco, and Iceland.
Halal Rating
The Chicken was NOT Halal
100% impartial Guarantee
Alfie Foodwala visits all restaurants anonymously and pays for the bill like any other customer, Alfie Foodwala does not except free meals in return for meals
All reviews are the personal opinion of Alfie Foodwala based on his 30-year experience as a restauranteur.
Hey Foodwalas, welcome to another tale of the trials and tribulations of Alfie Foodwala.
These are strange times indeed, I visited Carron to Mumbai on the day before the lockdown, so I am currently in self-isolation in Alfie Foodwala towers in deepest darkest Glasgow.
Please stay indoors and only venture out for essential trips and maintain social distancing.
It’s ironic that I have been thinking of my favorite Bruce Springsteen song, Born To Run and particularly the lyrics…
These epic lyrics paint a vivid picture of how we can break free from the clutches of COVID19 and get our lives back, how humans will to survive will actually be our salvation. when things are at their bleakest that is the point when humanity will play its trump card and our goodness and our love for our fellow human beings will shine.
All this running and riding of metaphorical machines has coincidently brought us to this weeks restaurant, Carron to Mumbai in Stonehaven, It is also designed as a metaphorical journey from Carron to Mumbai
The Carron
The restaurant is designed in an imaginative railway carriage and an art deco dining room.
We kicked off the proceedings with
Nature Lal Maan £8.95
The Lamb Chops were delicately seasoned, the lamb itself was moist and tender.
laknowi Chicken Pakora £4.95
The Chicken Pakora was average in its taste and composition, the portion was slightly on the small side.
Hash Moori Bash £7.95
Slow-cooked duck, red berry sauce, organic juniper berries, bamboo flakes looked interesting on the menu but when we got the dish the duck was dry and lacked any definitive taste, the red berry sauce overpowered the duck.
Pharsee Shundoram £13.95
This dish was billed from the Western frontier. Blend of seven wild herbs, folded with Urid Dall and Lemon Zest
the heavy-handed use of lemon and the dall being slightly raw took the edge off the dish, I suspect if they had used Dall Mash instead of Urid Dall the result would have been more palatable.
Lahori Karahi £13.95
The Lahori Karahi was unlike a karahi I have previously come across, whole pieces of green pepper and onion was cooked with chicken tikka, I could not pinpoint an overriding flavour profile to complement the karahi.
In Conclusion.
Carron to Mumbai should be given credit for the innovative menu, but executing the dishes needed a lot more skill and dedication.
The service was extra relaxed and over-friendly.we were the only customers in the restaurant, and usually, I would not eat at an empty restaurant.
Need to try harder
The restaurant design was quirky and interesting
Honorable Mention
In my opinion, Carron to Mumbai was average but the presentation was good, way behind the superstar Indian restaurants likes of Mother India.
Hey Foodwala’s… welcome to another episode of the trials and tribulations of Alfie Foodwala
Hankie
[ han-kee ]
noun
a gentlemen’s folded handkerchief
2. Hankie Roti also known as Rumali roti also called Manda is a thin flatbread originating from India and Pakistan, popular in Punjab Pakistan and India. It is eaten with tandoori dishes. The word rumal means handkerchief in many north Indian languages, and the name rumali roti means handkerchief bread. In Punjab
Sometimes you can get a most memorable meal in the unlikeliest of locations, I was with my grandfather in the deepest darkest Muridwala and my grandfather had just taken delivery of his latest Toyota Carolla.
The car had a slight defect and we decided to take the car to the closest Toyota dealership, which was in Faisalabad, on the way we picked up Uncle Taj, who had one of the biggest bus companies in Pakistan and was a complete petrolhead.
We arrived at the dealership and in his inimitable way uncle Taj marched up to the dealer principles office, past a protesting secretary and office boys and barged into his office, the startled man looked up and was going to complain when Uncle Taj throws the keys at him and harangues him for selling him such a terrible product.
The manager scurried to his service department and told the engineers to stop all work and give my grandfather’s car priority.
But with the engineers and other staff, he was kind and courteous
He explained that to get the true measure of a person look at the way he treats the waiting staff and other services people.
The staff, in turn, appreciated the way Uncle Taj stood up to the hated dealer principle and invited us to eat lunch at the staff canteen.
As we stepped into the staff canteen we were treated to a cacophony of scraping chairs and animated conversation and the aroma of spices.
The chef brought over some chicken curry and romali roti, honestly, it was one of the best meals I have had, the chicken was lovely and tender and the accompanying broth was thin yet incredibly flavorsome. we dipped the fresh hot romali roti into the gravy and it was sublime.
The chef would keep an eye on our plates and topped up the hot shorba when it was going low and the roti wala would come over with hot roti, the meal was absolutely delicious yet so simple.
The romali roti can only be made by a true artisan and has to be whirled over his head to make it so thin it is like a silk handkerchief.
Hankies
The Hankies restaurant is situated in the exclusive Montcalm Hotel in Marylebone Village, it was an elegant room with dark woods and leather giving a clubby feel.
amuse-bouche Sabzee Shorba
The pleasant waitress first brought over the amuse-bouche, which was an intensely flavoursome vegetable soup, it had an incredible depth of flavour for something so small.
Mantu £6.50
The Mantu Chat was first up, steamed chicken momo’s or as Hankies grandly called it chicken ravioli in a chili oil yogurt dressing and topped with lentil salsa.
this was a very unusual and innovative chat, the momo was soft and flavoursome and the chili yogurt was equally smooth and subtle, the lentils in the salsa was on the raw side of Al Dente, but altogether it was pleasant.
Chili Lamb Chops £9.00
The Chili lamb chops are the signature elements of the Hankies Menu as well as the Romali Roti, The lamb chops were marinaded in ajwain and chili, although the marinading was spot on the flavour was not a million miles from the lamb chops from a standard curry shop.
The chop itself was fatty in some bits to a point that it was difficult to bite through.
Handi Gosht £9.50Romali Roti £1.75
The main event was the Handi Gosht with Romali Roti, the lamb was cooked in a clay pot (handi), the lamb was cooked to perfection, the lamb was soft and tender and the spices were cooked through without overpowering the lamb.
The thick rich gravy was on the right side of spiciness and was sublime, scooped up with the romali roti it was delicious, the lamb was tender enough for the delicate romali roti to pull apart.
In Conclusion.
The food at Hankies was definitely above average, the menu was innovative without showing, yet the signature lamb chops were average in my humble opinion.
The service was efficient and friendly.
Honorable Mention
In my opinion, Hankies was above average, yet behind the superstar, restaurants likes of Gymkhana and Indian Accent in London and Opheem in Birmingham
Halal Rating
The Lamb and Chicken are both verbally certified HALAL, the Goat is not halal