Yadgar Café Review

Excitingly, I had my first proper restaurant review published online yesterday on Manchester Confidential:
http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/Food-and-Drink/Indian/Yadgar-Caf-Review

So I'm finally on my way to being a food columnist! :D Like Carrie Bradshaw, but more awesome.

The original review I wrote was about twice as long. I don't begrudge the cuts at all, and to be honest, I do have a propensity to ramble. But I thought it'd be nice to post the full, unabridged version here, because I can.

Also noteworthy is that they edited my original score down! Lest you think my 13.5 ungenerous... :)

*

Yadgar Café Review

Alaka Prodhan visits a Northern Quarter stalwart in search of cheap, authentic curry

One thing I’ve learned about Asian cuisine over the years is that often, the most mouth-wateringly authentic and satisfying food can be found in the most unassuming of places: simple, sometimes dingy hole in the walls, tucked away down a back alley, with dog-eared menus (if any), cheap furniture and plastic tablecloths. Not much to look at it, but packs a punch. Diamonds in the rough.

Places like this, though they may seem unappealing initially, nevertheless draw huge crowds of locals who appreciate good food, and return, day after day, year after year, for good-value, simple, honest cooking.

Yadgar Café is a bit like that. This little curry house on Thomas Street must surely be one of the Northern Quarter’s oldest establishments. Its bright yellow and pink signage with its chunky, bubble letters – cheerily unfashionable – seems almost gaudy and out of place amongst the more slick, sophisticated eateries that surround it; the newer, trendier Thomases, Tusks, and Teacups.

Yadgar Café – 71 Thomas Street

But this is one of the reasons why I love the Northern Quarter. Solid, reliable old handers like Yadgar brush shoulders with well-presented, ambitious newcomers looking to make their mark with nary a sign of suspicion or antagonism. It just all adds to the mix.

I popped in to Yadgar Café during my Friday lunchtime to try their legendary “three curries & rice”, keen to see if, after 25 years, they still “had it”.

On entering, one of the first things I noticed was the diversity of the clientele. In one corner, a grizzly middle-aged fellow in a black leather jacket attacked his curry with gusto; a few tables down, two young men in hoodies – students, probably – were chatting over their chappatis; next to them a woman in her mid-twenties set down her oversized handbag on the floor and hung up her grey, woollen coat (Zara, I reckon) on the back of her chair; and behind her, a businessman in a dark navy suit and tan brogues stroked his slightly stubbled chin whilst perusing the menu. And then there was me: a fellow south Asian looking to satisfy her curry fix.

I went up the counter and asked for the three curries and rice (£6).

“Which are your best three?” I asked.

“They’re all good,” the gentleman said with a wry smile and noncommittal shrug. He lifted the lids of the silver containers, revealing a decent range of curries spanning meat and veg: chicken karahi; lamb karahi; lamb and saag (spinach - a special, I was told); lamb keema (minced lamb); mixed veg (potatoes, carrots and peas from the looks of it); kofta (meatballs) and egg; chana (chickpeas); dahl (lentils).

After a moment’s indecision (a common affliction for me when faced with too many tasty options) I decided on the chicken karahi, lamb saag and mixed veg. To go with it, I opted for the fried pilau rice over the standard white rice. I also wanted to some lamb chops on the side, but to my dismay, I was told that they no longer serve them due to low demand. Instead, I ordered a portion of chicken tikka (£3) and one seekh kebab (50p).

I was told that there would be a five to ten minute wait on the chicken tikka and the seekh kebab as he had to cook it for me. I said that was fine and sat down at one of the round, wooden tables with my loaded plate.

Rice and three curries: fried pilau rice with mixed veg, lamb saag and chicken karahi

Next mini-dilemma: where to begin? I decided to go anti-clockwise, starting with the chicken karahi first:

Chicken karahi

I tentatively poked a piece with my fork. Chicken breast. I’m not usually a big fan of chicken breast, preferring the more tender thigh, but my fork sliced easily through it. So far, so good.

I popped it in my mouth. Whoa. Taste explosion. A burst of intense flavour, and then an immediate kick from the red and green chillies provided a rush of heat: controlled, though, and not too overpowering.

Now, despite my south Asian heritage, I’m not the best when it comes to chilli hotness, much to the continued disbelief and mockery of friends and family, but this was seriously good.

The pilau rice, meanwhile, was OK but I was a little put off by the overload of spice, as if someone went a bit crazy with the garam masala. I reflected that plain rice might have been a better match to offset the strong flavours of the curry.

I snaffled down more chicken karahi, but after about four or five mouthfuls, my nose started to run. Uh oh. I pushed through, regardless, the sheer tastiness winning out over the tingling sensation in my mouth. Thankfully there were jugs of cold tap water and upturned silver cups on every table, so I quickly took advantage.

Time to turn the wheel o’ curry and try curry number two:

Lamb saag

Lamb saag is not a particularly appetising-looking dish, looking alarmingly, as it does, like dark green pond scum, but I was not perturbed by this. Instead I was heartened to see two curries next to each other which could easily be distinguished from one another. One pet peeve I have about some Indian restaurants is when you order three or four curries and they all look (and taste) kind of the same, since it’s obvious they all share the same generic base – lazy and inauthentic.

Not so here. I prodded my lamb, as I had the chicken. Encouragingly, it flaked under my fork, falling neatly away from the bone.

Like the karahi chicken, this, too, did not disappoint. The texture and consistency was amazing, the lamb tender, and the smooth spinach melted in my mouth. My nose caught a welcome respite, too, as this curry didn’t have the heat of the last one, but still matched it in flavour.

On to the mixed veg:

Mixed veg

Potatoes, carrots and peas, nicely spiced. This one was alright but underwhelming compared to the last two. Then again, I tend to lean more heavily towards meat than veg in my personal preferences, so that might have something to do with it.

At 1.30pm there was a lull in the café, but towards 2pm a second wave of hungry lunch-breakers rolled in: postal workers in luminous vests sat down, their lanyard IDs swinging perilously close to their curry; more suits; singles and pairs.

Yadgar Café during a brief lull

My chicken tikka and seekh kebab finally arrived, with a cursory portion of side salad and mint yoghurt and chutney:

Chicken tikka and seekh kebab

I tried the chicken tikka first. It certainly looked promising, but it was a bit dry. Disappointing. Also, something in the marinade threw off the balance of the flavours but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. Clove, perhaps, or star anise.

The seekh kebab, though, was excellent. Very tender and delicious without having to recourse to mouth-burning chillies (another of my pet peeves when it comes to seekh kebabs – they do not need to be hot to be flavoursome and this proved my point perfectly). I could easily have eaten another one.

By this point I was really slowing up. I think if I had more space in my stomach, or if I were sharing with a friend, I would have gone for a chappati to go with the kebabs. That might have helped counter the dryness of the chicken too. Next time.

All in all, my Indian feast for one (which could have easily been for two) cost me £9.50. I left with a doggy bag, a slightly runny nose, and a satisfied smile on my face. The mixed veg and chicken tikka were only disappointing in comparison to the other superior, authentic dishes on offer. For those on the go looking for relatively cheap, filling curry that tastes homemade, you’d do well to try this long-standing hole in the wall. Yadgar Café definitely still has it.

Follow Alaka on Twitter @EchoingBronze

ALL SCORED CONFIDENTIAL REVIEWS ARE IMPARTIAL. 

Yadgar Café, 71 Thomas Street, Manchester, M4 1ES.

Rating: 15/20

Food: 8/10
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 3/5