Hot and spicy in Glasgow (The Wee Curry Shop, Byres Road, Glasgow)

Member Name: sunmeilan

Product:	The Wee Curry Shop, Byres Road, Glasgow
Date:	25/06/09 (136 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great food

Disadvantages: Not a huge selection

A recent trip to Glasgow resulted in a couple of meals out, one of which was in The Wee Curry Shop along Byres Road in the West End of Glasgow. The Wee Curry Shop has three outlets in Glasgow: Ashton Lane, which is the West End's bar street and Buccleuch Street, which is near the Glasgow School of Art. I didn't visit either of the other two outlets, but friends who have claim that they are similar, with some differences in the menu.

Location:

41 Byres Street
Glasgow
Tel: 0141 339 1339
Website: http://www.weecurryshopglasgow.co.uk



This is near Hillhead underground station and is within 20 minutes walking distance of Hyndland overland train station.

Decor

First impressions weren't all that brilliant. Going straight in through the door takes you directly into the restaurant and it seems really small, with the bar to the left and a couple of tables towards the back with padded seating, which looked a little casual and would probably be better for lunch. Thankfully, there is another part to the restaurant - upstairs, which is where we were taken. There are only about six tables upstairs though, so this isn't a massive restaurant - no doubt that's why it's called The 'Wee' Curry Shop! The decor isn't anything out of the ordinary - I remember purplish walls and comfortable padded chairs, but that's about all - it isn't unattractive at all; it just didn't leave a big impression either.

Service

My friends are no strangers to the restaurant, eating there at least once a week, and all the staff seemed to know them well. We were served by two members of staff, both of whom were very polite. One of the party struggled with waiter's pronounciation of the specials, but he was patient and repeated it twice until everyone had got to grips with it. There were a few other tables of people in, but we were served promptly and we didn't have to wait too long for food and drinks to be served.

Food and drink
I was quite surprised by the menu, which was basically just an A4 list of starters, main courses and sundries - I had expected a much wider variety. However, there was more than enough to chose from, including Pakoras, Lamb Karahi, Chicken Tikka Chasni, a couple of fish and vegetarian curries and four or five other meat curries (chicken and lamb). There were also three specials, once of which was a Garlic Chicken that one of the party ordered. Another of the party didn't want anything on the menu and asked for a 'chicken curry' - the waiter obviously knew what she meant because they wrote it down without any questions. According to the website, there is also a chai menu up to 7pm, but as we arrived after then, I didn't get the chance to see what this included.

We ordered one lot of chicken and potato pakoras and another of vegetable pakoras to share as a starter. Pakoras are a deep fried snack made from gram flour (and obviously chicken, potato and vegetables). Both were delicious, although I preferred the vegetable ones, which were lovely and crispy. We were also given a free starter - some type of dumpling with a minty sauce - I thought they were delicious, but the others in the party weren't too keen.

For a main course, I had Lamb Karahi with boiled rice. When it arrived, it looked rather boringly brown and there wasn't much in the way of vegetables in with it - just a pepper sauce. However, it was extremely tasty and the lamb was beautifully tender. I had asked for it to be hot and it wasn't particularly - but then the staff probably thought that I wouldn't be able to take it and it was pleasant enough. My friends were happy with their chicken curry, Garlic Chicken and King Prawn curry. We also ordered paratha as a side dish - paratha is a type of Indian bread. It was delicious, beautifully fresh and obviously straight from the oven. My only criticism is that it wasn't salty enough for me - but I do love salty things although I know it's not good for me. There were also a variety of other breads, including naan and roti.

There is a note on the menu that some dishes may contain nuts, so if you have an allergy, obviously check what you're eating.

Judging by the well-stocked bar as we went by, most drinks are available. We ordered beers and ciders, which were served promptly and were lovely and cold. We didn't have any dessert, nor were we asked if we wanted any, but by that point, we were too full anyway.

Facilities

The toilets are on the second floor and are clean and hygienic, if a little boring. The restaurant is accessible to wheelchair users, at least downstairs, but it would be a bit of a squeeze.

Cost

The price was really quite reasonable. We paid just under £70 for four people, and that was including drinks and starters, although obviously wine would have upped the price a little more. The starters were around the £5 mark, while main courses were from £6 for the vegetarian dishes, going up to £12 for the prawn dish. It is worth noting that there is a 10% service charge for parties of eight or more.

Conclusion

This isn't the best Indian restaurant I've ever visited, but it was good food for a reasonable price and the waiters were very pleasant. My friends visit the restaurant on a weekly basis, so they obviously like it, and I can see why - it does have a relaxing atmosphere. However, I prefer my curries to be a bit hotter - particularly if I have deliberately said I want it to be spicy - and food-wise, there are certainly better restaurants out there. Three stars out of five - worth it if you're in the area and want a curry, but not good enough to deliberately go out of your way to visit.

Summary: Good food, but I prefer it spicier