It’s not that often we visit Chorlton. I suppose we don’t really visit enough as it’s probably the best foody destination in Manchester. But, when we do, there’s invariably lunch at the Chapati Café. Good location, next to the car park and, for the foodies, ideally placed – walk one way for the butcher, fishmonger and greengrocer, walk the other way for the excellent Barbakan Bakery and Unicorn Grocery.
As for lunch, the Café is a “leafy suburbs” version of the city centre’s curry cafes in the Northern Quarter. But with one significant difference, the Café is spotlessly clean, something not guaranteed in the Quarter. The deal is similar – three curries from the day’s selection of seven or eight, with rice, chapatti (or both), salad and chutney. I went with lamb keema, samboro (a lightly spiced dry fry of cabbage, carrot and peas) and a quite zingy chickpea curry in tomato and tamarind sauce. My companion in life is often on a vegetarian track in Asian places and chose the chickpeas, a potato dish flavoured with curry leaves and a really nice dhal made with pigeon peas.
Good lunch. Then time for a bit of food shopping.
