Karachi, Bradford

OK so it’s a cliché, but there is no better town for a curry than Bradford. It’s not like I’ve not tried. Birmingham comes close. And anyway, if Rick Stein says it’s so, it’s so. Thirty years ago the carpets were swirly, the tables were formica and you had to ask for cutlery. So, no change there, then. The aforementioned Mr Stein beams down at you from pole position by the serving hatch, with the cheery chefs gathered round him for the group photo made during a visit for his Food Heroes series. His choices are in huge capital letters on top of the ghastly laminated menu (a relatively recent innovation, but it does bear the legend ‘As seen on TV. 100 yards from the Ice Skating Ring’) and you could do worse than the beautifully flaky, greaseless, subtly spiced samosa (just one, on a pyrex plate, without so much as a slice of cucumber to jolly it up) and chicken and spinach karahi. But for me, it’s got to be the lamb, the tender chunks with a sauce so deep in flavour it makes you weep. With chapattis as ‘light as bleedin’ angel’s wings’ (my Auntie Ethel’s pronouncement on good pastry/bread/biscuits etc) it’s heaven on a plate, and all for £7.50. (Open Sun-Thurs 11am-1pm.Fri-Sat 11am-2am)