Telephone: 01618 347 222
Address: 73 Liverpool Road, Manchester M3 4JN
Website: akbars.co.uk (Manchester details yet to be added)
"It is," said JD in between mouthfuls of karahi lamb with spinach, "a gamble for an Indian to open in central Manchester."
JD lives off Wilmslow Road, better known as the Curry Mile and home to a neon-fronted array of identikit establishments. He was incredulous that an Indian restaurant should set up stall in a city centre already oversubscribed with smart restaurants, ignoring the thousands of people who flock to the south Manchester suburb of Rusholme every night.
But here we were in Akbar's, a brand that has achieved near-legendary status in Bradford, serving food of the Indian/Pakistani variety. In Manchester, the Lithuanian waitress informed us, Akbar's has been open one month. Already, it was busy enough and seemed to be very popular with well-heeled Asians in their 20s.
JD and I were offered a table looking out towards the tasetful Anglo-Indian decor. Unfortunately, we weren't looking at each other and had to twist ourselves round so we could talk face to face.
The poppadoms were passable while the starters were only slightly more hit than miss. I chose the paneer pakora (£2.75), or deep-fried homemade cheese and seekh kebab (£2.45). JD was drawn to the chicken nambali (£3.45) - chicken pieces smothered with melted cheese and served with onions, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes. It resembled the top of a spicy chicken pizza scraped off and reconfigured in a hot plate; I had never seen anything like it on any Indian menu. My deep-fried cheese was bland but livened up by the potent green chilli and coriander dip. The kebabs - compact cylinders of spicy, juicy lamb - were the most successful of the three dishes.
For mains we veered towards the desi-apna dishes - that's "traditional fare" to the uninitiated. I went for a chicken biryani (£8.25) and persuaded JD to order lamb with spinach (£5.95). We also asked for a garlic naan (£2.45) and its arrival was a highlight of the meal. Akbar's naans are the size of a small country and come impaled on a metal stick. We called ours Mr Naan on a Stick. My biryani was flawless, nearly as good as my mum's, and JD was overwhelmed by the saag gosht, which tasted as if it had been freshly prepared with chopped up ingredients and everything.
After a shaky start, followed by a winning second act, JD and I braced ourselves for pudding. My favourite Indian sweet is gulab jamon (£1.95) - soft and sweet spongy balls - and Akbar's serve them with a hot and creamy sauce. The waiter said they had run out of hot and creamy sauce. JD was devastated to learn there was no chocolate bambino (£2.85) and was given a chocolate brownie (£2.50) instead. I only got two sponge balls, they were halved. We both felt cheated.
After dinner, unable to move, JD and I realised that Indian restaurants just can't do desserts. Nor can they do anything that isn't tried and tested. But what Akbar's can do - and do very well - is serve classic subcontinental dishes that are delicious, authentic and satisfying.
