I like this little bit of Manchester. Late on a Friday lunchtime it has a slightly raffish air, the streets are busy but not with your regular city centre suits. They're a more eclectic crowd, perhaps workers in the textile industry that still seems to exist in the back streets round here (at least in warehousing and wholesale if not manufacturing) and maybe dodgier characters fresh from a stint in Strangeways.
All good and lively I thought as I legged it through the drizzle to Qila Khyber. This was my first visit here, I usually go to Moghul's Taste just a bit further up the road but I fancied a change. A good dose of rice and three was in order, I'd had no breakfast and was going to be at a beer festival come tea time.
I wasn't disappointed. Lamb karahi, lentils and keema peas were all spot on, distinctively flavoured and freshened up with a generous chilli and coriander garnish. Equally as good as at Moghul's taste and definitely among the best of Manchester's curry cafés.
I'd like to expand on the flavours, but to be honest I shovelled it down, in part due to hunger and in part due to nerves brought on by the angry faced man in a bobble hat who stared at me relentlessly in a slightly unhinged fashion, all the while inhaling bhajis at an impressive rate. The warm fuzzy feelings towards the local characters and recently released inmates were rapidly waning as I imagined the inevitable 'what are you looking at?' followed by upturned tables and general mayhem.
As it happened he continued to glare at me until his plates were emptied, then left without so much as a backward glance.
Madmen or otherwise I still like Bury New Road. It's got some of the best curry cafés in town and is handily positioned only a minor detour off my route home from Salford. Rice, three curries and a can of pop will set you back £5.20 at Qila Khyber.
There's also free on-street parking, it's handy for the prison and the show-offs even have a website. What more do you need?
7/10
19 Bury New Road
Manchester
M8 8FW
http://qilakhyber.foodkingdom.com/SupplierWebSite/21/Default.aspx
All good and lively I thought as I legged it through the drizzle to Qila Khyber. This was my first visit here, I usually go to Moghul's Taste just a bit further up the road but I fancied a change. A good dose of rice and three was in order, I'd had no breakfast and was going to be at a beer festival come tea time.
I wasn't disappointed. Lamb karahi, lentils and keema peas were all spot on, distinctively flavoured and freshened up with a generous chilli and coriander garnish. Equally as good as at Moghul's taste and definitely among the best of Manchester's curry cafés.
I'd like to expand on the flavours, but to be honest I shovelled it down, in part due to hunger and in part due to nerves brought on by the angry faced man in a bobble hat who stared at me relentlessly in a slightly unhinged fashion, all the while inhaling bhajis at an impressive rate. The warm fuzzy feelings towards the local characters and recently released inmates were rapidly waning as I imagined the inevitable 'what are you looking at?' followed by upturned tables and general mayhem.
As it happened he continued to glare at me until his plates were emptied, then left without so much as a backward glance.
Madmen or otherwise I still like Bury New Road. It's got some of the best curry cafés in town and is handily positioned only a minor detour off my route home from Salford. Rice, three curries and a can of pop will set you back £5.20 at Qila Khyber.
There's also free on-street parking, it's handy for the prison and the show-offs even have a website. What more do you need?
7/10
19 Bury New Road
Manchester
M8 8FW
http://qilakhyber.foodkingdom.com/SupplierWebSite/21/Default.aspx
2 comments:
Thank heavens their food is better than their website.
Your review is spot on with my experiences of the Qila Khyber, except I have never seen the unhinged guy - must be your dress sense.
I'd also add the staff are friendly and accomodating.
Anon - cheers. He was definitely a madman though. I wasn't even wearing my red trousers.
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