Birmingham 2022

The Beeb Website recently featured ‘Birmingham ..What’s to Love’ in honour of the City’s successful Commonwealth Games bid. In 60 seconds they whistled through everything from Canals to Heavy Metal. They also covered Brum’s foodie connections including Cadbury’s, HP Sauce and Birds Custard. Unfortunately all three are now owned by multi nationals but Balti (as the fourth food featured) saved the day. To paraphrase a current footie chant … ‘Balti … it’s one of the City’s own!’

Incidentally, it was good to see the BBC feature what looks like a ‘proper’ pressed steel balti bowl which the media normally get horribly wrong when depicting the City’s favourite dish..

It was good to see Balti acknowledged in the well respected Harden’s UK Restaurant Guide for 2018. (See Birmingham Mail article). Al Frash makes a prestigous appearance flying the flag for the Balti Triangle. Harden’s Guide has been around for almost 30 years and its ratings are based on diner surveys rather than the pomposity of a few foodie ‘expert’ reviewers.

My only slight grouse is that in featuring the excellent Lasan, the accompanying comment is ‘a cut above the normal Brummie Indian Restaurants.’ Perhaps, they need to be a bit cleverer because one would think that they are cocking a culinary snook at the plethora of Bangladeshi, rather than Indian, restaurants … many of whom will have a loyal following.

PS. If you pop into Al Frash, try their Baltis cooked in organic coconut oil … definitely worth the extra quid or so.

Castle Bromwich is not exactly the Balti Triangle but like a lot of the City’s suburbs boasts some great (and usually unsung) suburban curry houses. Step forward, the Lime Pickle apparently voted the best take away in the UK. Not sure about their rules on home delivery  though!

Incidentally, mine’s a Tetul Mix starter followed by Korai Maharajah with a Garlic and Cheese Naan … and don’t forget the poppadoms and dips.