SO, it's Friday night, we have the usual drizzle in the air, plus a distinct drop in temperature. We have been working much later than planned and the Other Half suggests a curry. He has enjoyed the real thing for many years during trips to India, where the smells, sights and sounds of street food being cooked right in front of you is simply mesmerising.
As Kebabish Grill is renowned for its late-night dining until midnight, we head over and receive a warm welcome, despite walking through the door at 10.15pm.
The open kitchen is said to have the longest charcoal-fired grill in Scotland, and the smell, sizzle and heat from the flames that rise from the grill as the chefs efficiently prepare traditional desi-style dishes from the Punjabi region (desi is a Sanskrit word meaning “from the country”) is captivating.
"The rich sauce covering the lamb is extremely moreish"
Kebabish Grill has a takeaway section, with seats at the window, but also has a raised dining area that provides an elevated view of the kitchen.
There are a couple of booths for more intimate dining, as well as a 60-seater dining room off to the side. The décor is stylish, with wooden floors, high-backed leather chairs and glass balustrades.
As an alcohol-free venue, we order two mango lassi – made with 70 per cent yoghurt, milk and fresh mango – along with a jug of water. Lassi is a refreshing drink, and a lovely accompaniment to spicy food, helping tame some of the punch.
Our waiter takes our order, returning with a complimentary dish of spiced salad for us to nibble on.
Five minutes later another waiter arrives with our main courses. We had ordered starters, however, we are told our full order had not been put through. Full of apologies, the waiter offers to take the mains away while starters are made. Hunger on our part overrules and we make an executive decision, suggesting that the mains are left on the table, and the starters are brought when ready so we can have ourselves an Indian banquet. In an instant, a late-night error has turned into a cosy midnight feast.
I ordered vegetable samosas (£3.95) and am delighted when two large parcels of crisp filo filled with potato, peas, onion and sweet potato arrive to join our table of treats – these are the freshest and lightest samosas I have ever tasted.
The Other Half’s Lahori chicken on the bone (£4.95) is a bowl of small pieces of chicken, mildly spiced and deep fried. The perfect starter or side dish.
Wishing to try something different from my usual Tikka Masala, I instead opt for the Machli Grill (£6.95), a whole fillet of fish coated in spices and grilled. It arrives served on a bed of onions. It is faultlessly cooked and mildly spiced, which is spot-on for my delicate palate.
The Other Half selects Desi Karahi Gosht (£9.50), his favourite lamb on the bone. It arrives as a bowl of beauty with the tender lamb covered with rich, thick sauce which has a deep, full flavour that is extremely moreish.
To accompany, our waiter suggests we share a portion of pilau rice, a plain naan and garlic naan. The naan bread is exactly as it should be – big, light and puffy.
The lateness of the hour prevents us from indulging in a pudding – plus we are relatively full after our colourful feast – but I do intend leaving room in order to try the Gulab Jamun Indian donuts, soaked in warm sweet syrup (£3.20) on a return visit.
Kebabish Grill is undoubtedly all about the food. The opening hours suit the local population, but ear-wigging at other tables tells us people are coming from all over the city to eat here. They don’t shout about being continually ranked as one of the top five Indians in Glasgow – they are just getting on with the job and concentrating on cooking good, honest Indian food. The Other Half proclaims that it is the best and most authentic curry he has tasted outside of India. You can’t really ask for more than that.
HOW MUCH?
Starters £3.25 - £4.95
Main course £4.95-£13.95
Puddings £2.95-£4.95
ALSO ON THE MENU
Kebabish is renowned for being a family-friendly restaurant and has a children’s menu offering burgers cooked on the grill, as well as the usual chicken and fish fingers. Instead of the children’s menu, Mini-Me has taken to sampling a couple of starters when eating out as an alternative – here the vegetable, mushroom, chicken, fish or mixed pakora would go down well with her, along with the prawn platter.
The grill is a definite, with the Mixed Grill (pieces of chicken, lamb, chicken wings, lamb chops and seekh kebabs) said to be a must-try at some point. The T-bone Steak Desi (marinated in spices) will no doubt also weed out the men from the boys.
On the curry menu, Sizzling Chilli King Prawns and Garlic Chilli Chicken are on the hotter side. The Kheer (rice pudding) and Gajjar Halwa (sweet, carrot dessert) from the pudding menu sound enticing too.
