It seems as if Birmingham has, yet again, decided its ‘curry’ reputation is no longer important. Last year’s bid for ‘Capital For Curry’ was a last minute debacle with a last minute bid being rushed in with the inevitable ignominious result. This year invites have gone out early from the organisers and proposals to involve Colleges and the local community were put to the local media, Marketing Birmingham and University College Birmingham. The proposals included a Home Cooked Recipe Competition, a Cook Off involving Restaurants, Use of Traditional but not widely known Asian Vegetables by Restaurants in a Charity Week, A Birmingham Curry Guide and A Best Suburban Restaurant for each City Suburb.

Unfortunately Marketing Birmingham response was that they had no financial resources to contribute, the local media said that it would conflict with their own proposed generic ‘Best Restaurant’ feature and the UCB failed to respond after an initial expression of interest. I wonder what the Urdu expression is for ‘C’est La Vie’?’

Visit England have just published a list of the best 101 things to do in England and some of those have a culinary theme. The Sun newspaper have even condensed that down to 23 to celebrate St George’s Day. Surprisingly(!) neither include, ‘Go For A Meal in One of Birmingham’s Michelin Starred Restaurants. However it DOES include ‘Going For A Balti’.

Nuf sed !

A recent email was received from Susan Meacham who runs ‘Taste of the Raj’ in the south west of France. She was trained by a Gujerat chef many years ago and has run takeaway and delivery services for over fifteen years. She asked if we could authenticate the Balti dishes on her menu. So we sent her a Balti ‘audit’ form and her method of cooking a balti qualifies it as a ‘proper’ B’ham Balti apart from serving it up in the balti itself …. which is not surprising as it is a takeaway and delivery service!

We wish the best of luck to Susan for spreading the word so next time you are in France and have had too many snails ….. Her website incidentally is www.indian-cuisine.fr.

The latest edition of the renowned Cobra Curry Guide is now out featuring over 1500 of the circa 9,000 ‘curry’ restaurants in the UK. Based on reader recommendations, it includes a West Midland section that has several pages on the Balti Triangle. Restaurants featured are Adil, Al Frash, Al Faisal, Grameen Kadah, Imran, Kababish, Popular, Shabab, Shahi Nan Kebab House, and Shereen Kadar. Congratulations, by the way, to Jewellery Quarter Restaurant ‘Itihauss’ which is one of only nine restaurants over the last 25 years to secure the coveted ‘Best in UK ‘ Hall of Fame category.’

A recent article on obesity unfairly targetted the Balti Triangle and attracted the following response in the Birmingham Evening Mail ….

To: letters@birminghammail.net

Subject: TAKEAWAYS

Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2012 22:55:47 +0000

Birmingham finished a lamentable 6th in the latest competition which, given the half baked approach of the relevant agencies, wasn’t really a surprise. Not that ‘trendy’ restaurant Lasan could care as they patronisingly poured scorn on the many restaurants who serve up traditional ‘curries’ for their customers’ enjoyment.

Surely,as a supposedly multi cultural City, we should have a proper ‘go’ at  entering next year’s competition, and I have suggested that the City Council, Marketing Birmingham and the Evening Mail sit down at least three months before the 2013 Competition, with the various Associations, to put in some real time and hopefully some modest resources in preparing properly…

Remember those balti meals at Xmas? Bored with a plated dinner and the brussel sprouts? For those looking for a Xmas Meal with a difference, parties of between 20 and 50 can book a three course Balti meal (private room) with a cookery demo, a curry quiz and fun prizes. For more information contact Andy Munro on 07985-169462 or munroandy@hotmail.com

Top balti restaurant Shabab, on the Ladypool Road, has had to close for a few weeks following an incident when a drink driver crashed into their premises in a late night incident. Luckily nobody was hurt in the incident and the Police apprehended the driver.

STOP PRESS;THE RESTAURANT IS DUE TO REOPEN FOR BUSINESS ON THURSDAY  8TH NOVEMBER

DEFRA have confirmed that the application to safeguard the ‘Birmingham Balti’ has successfully come through the UK Objection Period. The next steps will be a pilot to test out the authentication process before submitting to the EU Commissioners.

Two new restaurants have recently opened in the Balti Triangle, Imlees on the Moseley Road (previously the premises of Cinammon Red) and Mughal e Azam, in the Springfield area of the Stratford Road.