Rusholme’s curry mile

[peoffrey]

I had an errand to run in Fallowfield the other day so I took the opportunity to revisit my old stomping ground of Rusholme where I lived as student.

It’s safe to say I was well fed back in 2000... But what on earth happened to all the curry houses and kebab shops? It’s been absolutely decimated. Full of Shisha bars, Middle Eastern cafes etc. The last few pubs gone too. It was unrecognisable.

My guess would be immigration rules preventing chefs and waiting staff getting over here mixed in with eating habits changing over time. Still a huge shock. All my favourites gone.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

I had an errand to run in Fallowfield the other day so I took the opportunity to revisit my old stomping ground of Rusholme where I lived as student.

It’s safe to say I was well fed back in 2000... But what on earth happened to all the curry houses and kebab shops? It’s been absolutely decimated. Full of Shisha bars, Middle Eastern cafes etc. The last few pubs gone too. It was unrecognisable.

My guess would be immigration rules preventing chefs and waiting staff getting over here mixed in with eating habits changing over time. Still a huge shock. All my favourites gone.

The reality is (imo) that for the main part, most of the venues weren’t of a very high standard. The way food from the sub-continent is perceived today doesn’t compare to 18 years ago. People can get much better food from that genre throughout Manchester now, so it has much less pulling-power.

I also know rents round there are stupid. Maybe the conventional Indian restaurant, with its overheads, can’t bear the cost of the rents along that strip anymore.

Maybe there’s more to the changes you’ve described than meets the eye.

Nothing lasts for ever.

 

[dronefromsector7G]

I think they all got closed down for using cat/rat/spunk

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

I think they all got closed down for using cat/rat/spunk

They all taste like chicken.

 

[purplenose]

Must admit surprised to hear this. That said its very true that you can get excellent South Asian food all over Manchester and in just about every town and even village in the country. Times change.

 

[dronefromsector7G]

They all taste like chicken.

I’ll take your word for it (apart from rat which I’m sure I’ve eaten)

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Must admit surprised to hear this. That said its very true that you can get excellent South Asian food all over Manchester and in just about every town and even village in the country. Times change.

To think, a generation ago it was almost exclusively used as a gateway to getting a late drink. The South Asian community latched on to the fact you could licence a restaurant past 11pm, as long as the drink was ancillary to the meal, which had to be warm and substantial. They were prepared to graft those extra hours and take the abuse that routinely went with that, because they wanted to succeed in this country. And many of them did.

 

[nw42]

I used to go for a meal in Rusholme at least once a month, even though it sometimes meant a 40 mile round trip, wouldn't even dream of it these days, no point, as GDM says, standards have changed and there are some cracking curry houses in town now, in every town tbh, just doesn't compare with 20 or 30 years ago.

 

[nw42]

To think, it was almost exclusively used as a gateway to getting a late drink. The South Asian community latched on to the fact you could licence a restaurant past 11pm, as long as the drink was ancillary to the meal, which had to be warm and substantial. They were prepared to graft those extra hours and take the abuse that routinely went with that, because they wanted to succeed in this country. And many of them did.

You're right again, back in the 70's the New Manzil in Hazel Grove used to stay open for us after we'd been in the Bamboo club, they knew we'd spend a few quid and although we could be boisterous they knew we meant them no harm. There was another one on Great Moor that stayed open very late, although, from memory, the Kushoom Koly in Heaton Moor was the latest opening place for a meal in Stockport, that place could be rammed at 3am bitd.

 

[peoffrey]

GDM is almost certainly right. It was a cheap meal but, as Maine Road regulars know, it was packed to the rafters post-match. Many full and you often waited for a table. Mughli was my favourite and I had kebabs in Abduls.

A real shock nevertheless. Sweeping change within one generation. Although I concede I’d make little effort to visit when I was away and since I’ve been back too.