Yup.  Around my way (Birmingham) the TA taste seems to be as dead as disco.  Has been for a long time. Also, take your average garlic naan for example.  The fresh garlic was replaced years ago by garlic salt (nightmare) and more recently with garlic butter.  I asked my local takeaway if I could have fresh sliced garlic in mine, instead of the butter.  They said, "sorry mate, that's the way it comes".   

Quote from: getonthegarabi on August 21, 2012, 08:41 PM
Yup.  Around my way (Birmingham) the TA taste seems to be as dead as disco.  Has been for a long time. Also, take your average garlic naan for example.  The fresh garlic was replaced years ago by garlic salt (nightmare) and more recently with garlic butter.  I asked my local takeaway if I could have fresh sliced garlic in mine, instead of the butter.  They said, "sorry mate, that's the way it comes". 

Well aint life just a bitch.

Les

Haldi,have to agree with you 
Got to say though I / We prefer our Curry's quite spicy which is how I make them but when we have a t/a they seem very bland and just hot !
A few weeks ago I was in our local t/a kitchen watching them make our Curry's ( madras ) and was very surprised to see they used no extra spice in the Curry other than what was in the Gravy  when I asked the Chef he said most customers do not like spicy Curry  so I asked if I could make my Curry and he agreed !
Although I made my Curry basically the same as the Chef I added about 1/2 tbs of spice mix and this brought my Curry up to my spice level and made it much tastier than my Wife's bland Curry  ;D
So it could be that your own Curry's have improved so much that you are now making better/tastier Curry's than the takeaways   

Think i'd be tipping them b******s and find myself a more obliging and appreciative eating establishment

Yes Haldi,
I agree with your post.

You?d think the shear numbers of TAs in most of the big cities would mean only the best would prosper.  But it doesn?t seem to work that way.  There are loads of TA?s near me and they?ve been there for several years.  At the one I used to go the phones started ringing as soon as they opened.  People must in general be happy with the food.  Each to his own I suppose.

I do know a pretty good takeaway in Tamworth.  They?ve been there since the 70s.  Although the last time I went it wasn?t anything like as good as I remembered.  I didn?t notice one of the usual chefs being there, so that may explain the difference. Or, I could be been making comparisons with my own newly acquired BIR skills (efforts).  Did note that their sheek kebabs had doubled in size since my previous visit though.  This proved to be down to a different recipe including lots of binder, flour or whatever.  This could be a bad omen. 

Just spent two weeks in scarborough. Tried a popular restaurant recomended by locals and the taste wasn't there, no savoury BIR taste, my wife and i were really disappointed. Decided to try one away from the main touristy places which we visited a few years earlier. Aaaahhh the taste was still there. Came away happy but the beer was expensive.
Steve

The worst part is that this forum is joining the club Haldi.

Having been off the forum for some time I come back to see we're now overwhelmed with recipes that rely on Patak's pastes, the very reason why the old style (and infinitely superior) curries are disappearing.

It's a bloody tragedy.

See, I don't remember the curries from old, but I do agree that there is an awful lot of substandard BIRs out there that produce, at worst, complete slop.

I know there a quite a few members on here that covet the taste of the 80s, but are there any that feel they've actually attained it? What are the recipes on here that are closest to the old taste?

Quote from: Ramirez on August 27, 2012, 09:32 AM
I know there a quite a few members on here that covet the taste of the 80s, but are there any that feel they've actually attained it? What are the recipes on here that are closest to the old taste?

I think that's the key question, Ramirez : it matters not one iota (IMHO) whether the recipe includes Patak's, Shan's or Uncle Tom Cobbley's products so long as it achieves the results we are seeking.  For myself, I don't think I am there : I can replicate and better most modern Chicken Madras's, but re-creating the taste of the 70's is another matter entirely.

** Phil.