Curry Recipes Online
Indian Restaurant Reviews => Really Bad British Indian Restaurants => Topic started by: Peripatetic Phil on May 10, 2013, 11:30 PM
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I will refrain from naming the restaurant concerned, but on visiting a friend today she told me of a recent very disturbing experience in a local restaurant which, when I first visited it, was amongst the best I had ever tried. She invited a friend out for an Indian meal, and both chose Chicken Tikka Masala. When Trish's arrived, she thought it was not properly cooked, as it was barely warm; she looked at her friend, and saw that she too thought there was something wrong. Not wanting to create a fuss, they ate their meals, but when the time came to pay they told the waiter that their meals had been only warm at best, and the waiter replied "Sorry, we didn't know how long to microwave them for". Unfortunately the owner was not on duty that night, but Trish will be taking it up with him when she next sees him.
** Phil.
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Right, so, I suggest 3 minutes full on at 800w, 2:50 on above 800w
::)
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I have a restaurant near me that was refurbished with an open view kitchen and with a very much modern take / new style Indian feel about it. The menu also includes many thing not usually found on a BIR menu. The old favourites are still available but this makes the menu quite sizable.
The problem with having such a large menu is much of it will have to be pre-cooked in order to be able to serve it when busy. This is quite a large restaurant too and despite it's fairly large open kitchen, sadly, you can clearly see dishes being microwaved!
Of course it begs the question as to why they have an open view kitchen when they are clearly microwaving dishes. How many I do not know but I never go there anymore.
:-\
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Just seem this thread. Last year I got chatting about food quality in general with a restaurant owner whist waiting for a takeaway. He told me that occasionally he and his staff go out to different places for a curry, mainly to check out the competition, menus, prices, etc. He told me that once they went to a rather well known restaurant (part of a chain) and weren't at all happy with their meal. On this occasion they all had a dhansak,not warn enough and too salty. They asked to have a word with the chef and requested that their curries be made again. "No can do" replied the chef, and suggested they order another dish. The guys explained they were in the trade themselves and wondered what the big deal was about knocking up a few more curries. The chef explained that all the mains were brought in ready-made (in portions) from a large hub in another city, and just re-heated in the micro. So if they had another dhansak it would be just the same. All they did in the kitchen was the tandoori cooking. I said to the owner he was winding me up. He smiled and suggested I keep an eye out for the large van arriving in the restaurant's car-park, and the crates being unloaded, marked korma, bhuna, Jalfrezi, and so on.
Rob :D
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Oh. That could explain a great deal. Anyhow, having recently spent over GBP 60-00 on an Indian meal for two recently at a widely-recommended restaurant in Tudely, I had a take-away for one last night from a take-away in Coxheath. I ordered a lamb dhansak and and a keema naan, and the waiter kindly reminded me that the dhansak automatically came with a pulao rice. The total was less than GBP 10-00, I received a complimentary popadum and onion salad, and of the two recent meals, the T/A from Coxheath represented far better value and arguably higher quality cuisine. It offers a "super Wednesday" special this evening for GBP 10-00 (starter, main course, rice or naan and side dish) and I shall definitely be trying this out.
** Phil.
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Noticed that myself Phil. Hefty price tags don't always correspond with food quality or value for money. Enjoyed a lunch last week at a smart Bangladeshi cafe/restaurant in Small Heath Birmingham though. Waiter served lamb samosa, with a fine salad including black olives. Lovely freshly made samosa with delicious spicing. Much bigger than I'm used to, so one was enough for me. Served with chilli sauce, mint dip, fresh green chilli and a glass of iced water. Came to pay up. The bill was 85 p. I'll be going back there!
Rob :)
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Hi
Bb, please name and share.
Regards
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Hi
Bb, please name and share.
Regards
Nah. You have to be careful what you write on public forums when big names are involved. They can slap libel suits rapid. Anyway, it's pure hearsay. I didn't believe a word of it.
Rob :-X
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...The chef explained that all the mains were brought in ready-made (in portions) from a large hub in another city, and just re-heated in the micro...
Sounds like a shocker to me, Bob! :o
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Hi
Bb, I was referring to the cafe in small heath
Regards
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Hi
Bb, I was referring to the cafe in small heath
Regards
Ha ha! Quality. No problem.
Mishti Desh. 546 Coventry Road. B10 0UN. Well worth a visit if you're in Birmingham. Also, just over the road is the Sonali supermarket, one of the biggest and best Bengali foods outlets in the West Midlands.
Rob :)
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...The chef explained that all the mains were brought in ready-made (in portions) from a large hub in another city, and just re-heated in the micro...
Sounds like a shocker to me, Bob! :o
It is I suppose. You couldn't make it up. But best to keep stum. A while back ol' Dan voiced a few choice comments about another restaurant chain in Birmingham; the results was:
http://www.catererandhotelkeeper.co.uk/articles/22/6/2012/344172/birmingham-restaurant-begins-legal-action-against-blogger.htm (http://www.catererandhotelkeeper.co.uk/articles/22/6/2012/344172/birmingham-restaurant-begins-legal-action-against-blogger.htm)
Rob :o
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...best to keep stum...
You're quite right, Bob. As my old Mum used to say, "Good folks are scarce!"
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Waiter served lamb samosa, with a fine salad including black olives.
Black olives in a BIR...do me a favour! ::)
Came to pay up. The bill was 85 p. I'll be going back there!
And then you woke up...! ::)
;D
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Waiter served lamb samosa, with a fine salad including black olives.
Black olives in a BIR...do me a favour! ::)
Came to pay up. The bill was 85 p. I'll be going back there!
And then you woke up...! ::)
;D
Challenge accepted. I am willing to wager 1 pounds stirling, for photographic evidence of the olives, including the bill, tomorrow.
Rob :)
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Challenge accepted. I am willing to wager 1 pounds stirling, for photographic evidence of the olives, including the bill, tomorrow.
Rob, I wasn't questioning the veracity of your statement I was bemoaning the use of black olives in any form of BIR cuisine. ;)
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Challenge accepted. I am willing to wager 1 pounds stirling, for photographic evidence of the olives, including the bill, tomorrow.
Rob, I wasn't questioning the veracity of your statement I was bemoaning the use of black olives in any form of BIR cuisine. ;)
Not sure where the olives came from. The waiter might have picked a few up for me from the salad bar they have. Also do a Russian salad apparently. Defo a proper BIR place this though. Full range of dishes and a lot more. Going over tomorrow for lunch. Can't make up my mind what to have. Fancy the Bangladeshi fish dishes, but the Friday buffet menu is also looking mighty tempting:
http://mishtidesh.co.uk/menu/bangladeshispecialfishdishes.html (http://mishtidesh.co.uk/menu/bangladeshispecialfishdishes.html)
http://mishtidesh.co.uk/buffet.html (http://mishtidesh.co.uk/buffet.html)
Rob :P
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I wasn't questioning the veracity of your statement I was bemoaning the use of black olives in any form of BIR cuisine. ;)
Sanjeev Kapoor would appear to be in favour (http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/bring-olives-to-the-table/article2093440.ece).
** Phil.
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I wasn't questioning the veracity of your statement I was bemoaning the use of black olives in any form of BIR cuisine. ;)
Sanjeev Kapoor would appear to be in favour (http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/bring-olives-to-the-table/article2093440.ece).
** Phil.
Didn't even look at it Phil. I'm talking traditional, old-fashioned BIR, not this new-fangled crap you see in some "BIRs" nowadays.
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Didn't even look at it Phil.
So I guess you're the guy in the middle then, Santa ('though you probably admire the one on the left as well ...)
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I was surprised to see 3 large tubs containing large olives in different oils in the local indian wholesalers. Must be becoming more prevelant in BIR cuisine!
Barry
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Challenge accepted. I am willing to wager 1 pounds stirling, for photographic evidence of the olives, including the bill, tomorrow.
Rob, I wasn't questioning the veracity of your statement I was bemoaning the use of black olives in any form of BIR cuisine. ;)
Not sure where the olives came from. The waiter might have picked a few up for me from the salad bar they have. Also do a Russian salad apparently. Defo a proper BIR place this though. Full range of dishes and a lot more. Going over tomorrow for lunch. Can't make up my mind what to have. Fancy the Bangladeshi fish dishes, but the Friday buffet menu is also looking mighty tempting:
http://mishtidesh.co.uk/menu/bangladeshispecialfishdishes.html (http://mishtidesh.co.uk/menu/bangladeshispecialfishdishes.html)
http://mishtidesh.co.uk/buffet.html (http://mishtidesh.co.uk/buffet.html)
Rob :P
Nice Menu, I wish I could pay them prices and get them dishes here!
I only have one problem with that menu. I hope the garabi (gravy but I can't pronounce it) lovers don't start calling a dessert a dessart! :D
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I only have one problem with that menu. I hope the garabi (gravy but I can't pronounce it) lovers don't start calling a dessert a dessart! :D
But that is pure ART, Will, you must admit !
** Phil.
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dessArt indeed, I could eat them all :P
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I hope the garabi (gravy but I can't pronounce it) lovers don't start calling a dessert a dessart! :D
You have just reminded me of something, Will, apropos of "garabi". Someone (Frank, I think, a.k.a. Dal Puri) wrote earlier that he was unhappy with our use of "garabi" rather than "gravy" or just "curry sauce", because (I am quoting without referring back, so may not make his point quite as he intended), for an Englishman to say "garabi" is both patronising and racist (Frank, please correct me if I am unintentionally mis-representing your position).
Well, I have just returned from three days in Japan, where a larger number of English words have been partially or fully assimilated into the language. But Japanese phonology does not allow a syllable to end in a consonant or consonant cluster, so wherever an English word so ends, the Japanese append an "u", whence "milku", "cashu", "cardu", "beeru", etc. And what became quite clear during our time there is that communication is greatly facilitated if we native English speakers also append the "u", and similarly say "milku", "cashu", "cardu", "beeru", etc. Omit the "u" sound, and the Japanese (in general, not all : some speak perfect English) have difficulty in identifying the word; append the "u" and communication is greatly enhanced.
So, whilst not identical to "gravy" / "garabi", I do think that the situations are sufficiently similar to confirm my belief that to adopt a non-native speaker's pronunciation of an English word is neither patronising nor racist (unless specifically intended so to be); rather, it can be (and often is) an accommodation to facilitate communication with non-native speakers.
** Phil.
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the Japanese append an "u", whence "milku", "cashu", "cardu", "beeru", etc.
That could cause a ruckus if they try to use the word f**k! :o ;D
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the Japanese append an "u", whence "milku", "cashu", "cardu", "beeru", etc.
That could cause a ruckus if they try to use the word f**k! :o ;D
I couldn't of put it better myself... ;D ;)
I do think Phil's trying to set us up here! (;-))
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I do think Phil's trying to set us up here! (;-))
Definitely not : the four words I cited (milku, beeru, cashu, cardu) are in everyday use in Japan, as are many other adopted English words to which a final "u"-sound is appended ("pantsu", ="underwear", comes to mind).
** Phil.
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I do think Phil's trying to set us up here! (;-))
Definitely not : the four words I cited (milku, beeru, cashu, cardu) are in everyday use in Japan, as are many other adopted English words to which a final "u"-sound is appended ("pantsu", ="underwear", comes to mind).
Phil, we get it old chap ( in fact you're telling me nothing I don't already know). I just went off on an anglo-saxon tangent. ;)