Karachi - Bradford (August 2013)

August's club not only spilled into September, but it also took us out of the LS postcode area as we delved into Bradford for Temple's instalment, to sample what 'the 2nd home of the curry' had to offer. Early indicators for pre-curry drinks led us to the conclusion that only Wetherspoons & hardcore Belgian trance nightclubs are open on Thursday nights in the city centre. No bad thing though when its only £1.50 a pint in the former! After witnessing a young lady in a wheelchair wheel herself to the bar, only to then stand up ("It's a miracle!") to neck her Strongbow, it was time for us to head to Karachi.

Karachi - Bradford

Having read that Rick Stein had championed this restaurant, good things were expected from the group. A Guardian review from 2009 said the food was excellent but the restaurant itself was a shocker. And upon arrival, it was clear they hadn't updated the décor since then, with our surroundings somewhat resembling a living room…..a shit living room…..with shit furniture. Still, I'm one for authenticity and don’t care if the décor is poor, as long as the food is good then that overrides all. As we sat at our table, the vin rouge began to flow - albeit from tumblers - and anticipation was high as we perused the plastic takeaway style menu. Not the best start as we had to shout the waiter from the kitchen to take our order as he was too engrossed in the cricket conversation with his chef. Anyway, he was a friendly chap and adopted the service with a smile approach. Looking at the menu, it was clear that the value for money was certainly a plus here - with 3 chapattis included with every main. Order taken with Rick Steins chicken & spinach dish proving a popular choice. Poppadoms ahoy with cauldron size pickle trays - nice. Starters arrive and the cutlery doesn’t - looks like we're dining with our mits. No bother. The mixed starter of onion & mushroom bhajis, pakora etc was tasty enough but nothing to shout about. Broady & Tosh Lynes' chicken tikka arrived as a full size breast - daunting! Still, you can't fault the volume of food in the starters and it was reasonably tasty. The mains arrive and chapattis come in some sort of plastic mini wash basket. Time to dine - but we need cutlery to tackle a curry please waiter! Cutlery piled in the middle of the table - cheers waiter. Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that the food was a let down, with Rick Stein's dish a little bit bland and watery. Temple & Andre (guest FONO appearance) both enjoyed their dishes but the overriding feeling was one of disappointment, encapsulated by Tosh's refusal to 'bag up' the remains - unheard of. A tense mood of unsatisfied diners vs club host taking the food dissatisfaction personally concluded a relatively disappointing meal, but overall an enjoyable evening. Temple's cloak and dagger technique with the bill means I can't comment on cost and value. The following days gas'o'meter seems to be a positive one, with deathly smells and uncomfortable toilet visits nowhere to be found. Roll on Septembers club.

Thanks

Danny