Yeah, Yeah ... Enough Edinburgh Malarkey, Let's Get Back To Helping Glasgow Reclaim The Curry Capital Title, Alright?


A change is as good as a rest, and so when it came to planning their summer holiday, TATTGOC opted for the busman's route by spending the month of August learning about their arch-rival Edinburgh and its amazing curry culture. You can relive this epochal journey just be scrolling down this page, to see what the Tramps made of the Athens of the North (to be honest, it's a bit like Tarzan in New York) but also to glean some vital recommendations from Edinburgh foodies and faces who actually know what they're talking about.

But while the festival city might have turned their heads a little, the Tramps will always remain loyal to Glasgow, Crossmyloof and hope to die. So it's time to start re-banging the drum for Curry Capital 2012. Just yesterday, the team of four restaurants who will represent No Mean City in the spicy Wrestlemania were announced. So who are the proud squad of curry champions representing Glasgow for 2012? Here's a clue:

The Glasgow-set Jossy's Giants reboot remains on hold

As announced by Lord Provost Sadie Docherty, it's gonna be a team of KoolBa, Mister Singh's, Mother India and Neelim. And that line-up doesn't represent a complete overhaul of the 2011 representatives. KoolBa and The Neelim are veterans of last year's team, and the other half of the 2012 squad comprises two restaurants that have been involved in previous Curry Capital competitions, so it's a line-up with a lot of history and experience. That can only be a good thing, because the Curry Capital places a high premium on restaurants that can demonstrate links with the community.

Nautical but nice: Britannia Spice is on the Edinburgh team

Over on the other side of the M8 in TATTGOC's newly-adopted second Scottish city of curry, Edinburgh have picked a team of Britannia Spice, Radhani, Spice Pavilion and Suruchi. While the Tramps haven't heard much about Radhani, the other three restaurants have been recommended by Edinburgh pals. There will be some deeper analysis – or at least what passes for analysis – on the next episode of Keep Calm And Curry On, the TATTGOC podcast.

In the meantime, here are the full teams for each city competing in Curry Capital 2012:

Glasgow: Neelim, Koolba, Mother India, Mr Singh's India
Bradford: Shimla Spice, Aagrah Shipley, Zouk, Akbars
Wolverhampton: Café Rickshaw, Bilash, Red Fort, Massala Club
Birmingham: Saffron, Lasan, Maharajah, Asha's
Leicester: Leeja Palace, Anjuna, Mem Saab, Curry Fever
Manchester: EastzEast Riverside, Moon, Zaika, Imli
Newcastle: Dubbawal, Khan's, Vujon, Sachins
Sheffield: Kasmiri Aroma, Cutlers Spice, Everest, Saffron Club
Liverpool: EastzEast, Spiceways, Gulshan, Sultans Palace
Leeds: Sheesh Mahal, Anaans, Spice Quarter, Akbars
Cardiff: Moksh, Mango House, Purple Poppadom, Mowgli's
Edinburgh: Britannia Spice, Radhani, Spice Pavilion, Suruchi
Northampton: Mem-Saab, LaZeez, Tamarind, Imperial Raj
Nottingham: Curry Lounge, The Cumin, Lime, Bridge & Bay Leaf
London North: Masala Zone, Eriki, Namaaste Kitchen, Zeen
London South: Ma Goa, Babur, Everest Inn, Nazmins
London West: Brilliant, Madhus, Five Hot Chillies, Indian Zing
London Central: Chakra, Trishna, Moti Mahal, Tamarind

So what happens now? While the restaurants will carry most of the weight when it comes to the national judging, it's still possible to vote directly for your preferred city by emailing votecity@fedrest.com – hey, you could even vote for Edinburgh! – although be aware that the closing date for such votes is September 21. 

After that, National Curry Week runs October 8-14, and then the winner of Curry Capital 2012 is announced on October 29. A lot can happen in seven weeks, and we're hoping that there will be many inspired stunts to promote all the cities in the race. After Bradford's giant bhaji trundled them to victory last year, who knows what's in the offing? At the very least, someone should stage a pilau fight ...

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Courtesy Of Cafe India, A Very Special TATTGOC Tapas Tastin'

1 comments:

The Tramp said...

It's not only The Tramp's that are getting behind the city - Glasgow's bid has BBC coverage too: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-19489289