Topic: Do we aspire to recreate junk?

[Graeme]

I have never had a BIR 3 course meal for ?7 and never seen one open until 3am.

He is very privileged to have customers willing to give him ?21 for monkfish. There is also charging for presentation ! I am sure if another bir opened next door he would over time reduce his prices until he is once again serving the local "average" food and driving a clapped out Volvo doing celebrity home delivery for couple of quid.

I tried to edit this earlier but got called away...round here a over the last few years the bir's have fallen to a poor quality but a couple i know have indeed tried to come up with new dishes. A cod starter being one of them, a little over priced at times but they have tried to improved.

[emin-j]

George I know where your coming from  After my lessons at the Myristica Restaurant in Bristol where everything is made from scratch my opinion of BIR fayre took a nose dive, you wont find yer Korma's and Madras type Curry's on their Menu (although they do CTM & Vindaloo) but every meal is made from scratch.I took the Mrs there for a meal some time ago and asked if they could do a Madras as that's our favourite and they duly obliged  - and it was lovely !
I still enjoy making BIR Curry's but feel I have reached where I need to be and can better most local BIR's Madras at least.
I also enjoy making the odd Curry from scratch and using all fresh ingredients takes some beating and I think I should be putting in more effort in this direction.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Well, I read all of the replies before reading the article referred to in the opening message of the thread, and I was expecting to find in the article many things with which I might disagree.  I was therefore very surprised to find myself feeling that the article was actually a genuine, from-the-heart, statement of belief.  Although I do not know where I could get a three-course BIR meal for GBP 7-00 (I do know where I can get four BIR dishes for GBP 10-00), and nor do I know of any Indian Restaurant that stays open until 03:00, I do know that in the village where I grew up (which shall remain nameless), the Chinese restaurant set their standards much higher than the two Indian restaurants, and regularly refused to accept customers who had spent too much money on alcohol in the course of the evening, turning them away very politely with the words "Very sorry, Sir, we are fully booked this evening; perhaps you might be able to get a table at the ... Restaurant down the road".  So the poor Indian restaurant and its customers ended up with all the drunks, while we who patronised the Chinese restaurant were able to dine in peace and quiet.  It may also have helped that the owner of the Chinese restaurant was a young, fit, martial arts black belt in at least two disciplines.

But all in all, I found myself agreeing with everything that the author wrote.  Which came as quite a surprise.

** Phil.

[Razor]

Hi Phil,

Unfortunately, I know only too well of the type of restaurant that the author refers to.  Many of them opening until 3 and 4 am, full of drunks.  These places specifically cater for that type of clientele and there decor is reflected in this.  Very sparse furnishings, tablecloths situated under perspex coverings, plastic glasses and so on.  Not the place you would take your much better half for a romantic meal for two.

Not quite sure I agree with his insinuations with regards to the quality of the food though.  Unfortunately, the great paying public can be very gullible when it comes to quality. 

For instance; serve up a bowl of curry, with a couple of serving spoons, dunked in it, accompanied by a mountain of rice served in a cold balti bowl, with a couple of 'bin lid' sized naans, and charge 8 quid for the lot, this is the typical style of your 3am BIR.

Now, take the same food cooked in the same kitchen but on a clean, white shiny plate, present a portion of the rice, shaped from a serving ring, with a couple of 5" lengths of chives placed on top as a garnish.  Then offer a half size portion of curry presented in a beautifully decorated receptacle, garnish with a sprinkle of fresh coriander.  Finally, offer two dinner plate sized, hot naans, brush with a coriander and garlic butter.  All this served in a 'cosy' lit alcove of the restaurant with gentle background music and adequately friendly staff, and most would gladly pay 20 quid for the privilege!

All that glitters ain't gold ;D

There are many places cropping up in Manchester that claim to serve 'Traditional' Indian food, Zooks being such a place.  I've never ate there so I can't really comment on how good they are.

I suspect that they will be very good for this reason, their focus seems to be to offer a 'dining' experience rather than a quick turn around, which can only be for the good of the diner.

Ray

[gazman1976]

First of all very good and very valid comments - totally understand it can be hard to find good BIR food nowadays - i am from glasgow and moved 30 miles away - i now frequent a takeaway in Dumbarton called the TAJ - it is AMAZING - my local now and similar to the 80's BIR - they also stay open till 3am at the weekends !

Garry

[Razor]

Oooo, just remembered, the Lasan Chicken tikka came 5th out of 6 on the Tikka group test

I guess their food isn't all that afterall ;D

Ray

[Graeme]

5th out of 6th well there you go !!

So much self hype from these celeb chefs that i don't believe
much of what is said anymore.

However i do feel for any owner who has to put up with foul mouth drunks.

Oh Oh are we getting another cook book soon !!!

[loveitspicy]

What all you guys are missing - why the article is well written and put together which helps promote the chef - he didnt write it! It was written by Angela Levin award winning journalist
http://angelalevin.org.uk/
A true fact: any business caters for its customers ( not always with quality ) and client el - if all that frequents an establishment are folks under the influence of alcohol between the hours of 2300 pm  and 0300 am - Im afraid they will not experience a culinary delight of good quality Indian food. Also as pointed out - most of the TA's and restaurants go under the guise of Indian when in fact they are Pakistani as well. As far as the monkfish - ha ha ha very over priced - this guy is trying to be a Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, Rick Stein type which may or may not work and im sure he is looking for fame and fortune - reading between the lines in the article!

[Peripatetic Phil]

What all you guys are missing - why the article is well written and put together which helps promote the chef - he didnt write it! It was written by Angela Levin award winning journalist http://angelalevin.org.uk/

True, something that completely failed to make any impact on my stream of consciousness the first time that I read the article, as did the quite amazing set of sponsorship logos on the good chef's apparel : Cobra, Benz, Aga, ... ! (can anyone make out the one on his left breast ?  Look like a small flame with a six-or-so letter word commencing "LO?S?...").

A true fact: any business caters for its customers ( not always with quality ) and clientele - if all that frequents an establishment are folks under the influence of alcohol between the hours of 2300 pm  and 0300 am - I'm afraid they will not experience a culinary delight of good quality Indian food.

But as that same chef wrote (via Ms Levin), just because your current clientele are piss artists doesn't mean that you have to stay saddled with them : "re-position yourself in the marketplace", throw out the drunks, attract the smart set and the world can be your oyster.

** Phil.

[coogan]

Lasan? possibly.

Monkfish has always been outrageously priced - back in the early eighties it used to be about 9.50 sterling a portion and was called LOBSTER!