East meets wild west
Take a journey from the Indian subcontinent to the American frontier at the latest and most unusual offering from Glasgow’s Harlequin restaurant chain.
MASALA JAK'S .
The Quay, Springfield Quay, Glasgow
0141 429 4492, wlemasalajakscom.Mon-Sun noon—1 1 pm
Standard Indian dishes are given an American twist
Friendly sen/ice and a relaxed, diner-style atmosphere"
On life
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THE MEAL ‘
ack in the great American goldrush ol’ 184‘). as
thousands of prospectors l‘locked west in search ol
their l‘ortunc. one man stood out among them. albeit lior panhandling skills of a dil'l'erent kind. llis name was Jagir Singh — aka ‘Masala Jak~ — a man who. despite having travelled all the way l'roln Punjab only to lail ill his search for gold. wasn‘t to give up on lame and l‘ortune easily. Instead. he found it by introducing the delights ol Indian cuisine to the great ['8 MA. And a legend was born.
Now that legend spawned a curry house in (iovan. named in Jak‘s honour and situated somewhere between an ()deon multiplex and a branch of Ben and Jerry‘s. isn‘t quite clear. It‘s all part of the Ian though. at this latest. and most unusual. branch ol‘ the Harlequin chain‘s ever growing Glasgow Indian eating empire. which opened at the end ol last year. overlooking the River Clyde.
Based on the slightly odd principle ol’ a traditional curry
house embellished with a wild
west—style l'lourish. .Iak‘s is. in many ways. liar l‘rom your
average Indian eatery — and. in others. not. The mahogany and
red brick interior initially
resembles a slightly tacky
American diner. with rows of
l‘our seater booths running tip
the middle. parallel to a
service hatch which reveals
the bustling kitchen behind.
The walls. however. are
adorned with much ol' the usual (and somehow reassuring) tlecor typical ol' British curry houses: stylised pictures ol‘ Indian royalty. tablas. sitars and the like.
The menu strikes a similar balance. the l'ood comprising standard Indian dishes given some stateside twists. Starters range from pakora and samosas to tasty masala potato wedges and hot and sour wings — all ol' which arrive on a platter for two amid a jungle ol‘ l'resh. coloul‘l'ul salad. Mains include the usual l'lurry ol‘ bhoonas. chasnis and kormas as part of a simple 'curry and rice' selection. while the pioneering spirit is embraced through steaming bowls of straight up camplireside—style mash. There's also a ‘desi style traditional' selection. which consists ol‘ chicken or lamb on the bone in rich. thick sauces. These are wonderfully messy. indulgent cats that should come served with a toothpick.
Service certainly has more than a hint ol~ Americanised ‘have a nice day‘ custom -— with waiting stall stopping by to ensure all is well just a little too regularly. Manager Shailly‘s cheery visits to give a knowing grin and thumbs up as you tuck in are a welcome touch. however. nicely embodying the Inn and unassuming spirit ol' a restaurant given plenty of character by one distant. peculiar vestige ol' the American dream. .lak would certainly be proud.
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