Kebab lore throughout Fallowfield circa 2004 centered around Kashmiri Spice, and my mate Darren Beattie’s ever growing tab that he managed to set up on a Friday night after Robinski’s. This ensured he could always be found tucking into a particularly greasy donner, whether it was on a Tuesday afternoon, or 3am on a Saturday in my room while I slept.
He must be the exception though – kebabs are not exactly what you would call an acceptable meal, especially the kind of stuff that we get served up here in the UK. This isn’t always the case with other countries though. Head over to Berlin or Turkey and you will be delivered a kebab of such quality that even the Queen would consider popping her golden fork in there for a few strands of meat.
Quality kebabs anywhere in the UK can be difficult – with you unsure as to whether you’re getting a nice bit of spiced lamb, or the contents of the pigeon traps on top of The Printworks.
Step up Electrik in Chorlton then, who have been home to a Yadda Yadda pop up for the last few months, and which has now become a permanent feature to their kitchens.
Offering a range of sharing dishes and some top-quality kebabs, the new menu hopes to pop a rocket up the arse of the current Chorlton offerings, as well as provide people with a more unique taste of the Middle East.
We went down to check out the permanent menu, on a Wednesday no less, where we enjoyed the food, a great choice of drinks and some top tunes courtesy of the One Deck Wednesday night that was on.
We decided to begin with some sharers, and then add a couple of kebabs to the mix and see how we coped. As mentioned earlier, the emphasis is more on sharing food, using your hands and getting stuck in – here, Yadda Yadda goes all out.
We started with the Keralan Fried Chicken (£6), Beetroot Hummus (£4.50) and Salt & Pepper Fries (£4). The Keralan Fried Chicken is tender pieces of chicken thigh coated in a light, spicy batter. Dipping into the accompanying Lime Leaf Mayo, you’re faced with a fresh explosion in your gob – with the sweet, fresh sauce complementing the spicy chicken perfectly. Very moreish.
I was looking forward to the Beetroot Hummus almost as much as the kebabs. I had eaten the dish a few weeks previously, while interviewing Luke Cowdery about the place, and never really forgot about it. It’s fantastic – the chunkier than expected hummus worked perfectly with the sharp twinge of beetroot and with a massive bowl of Salt & Pepper Chips with which to dip into it – it hit all the right notes.
Around this time our two kebabs came out. I ordered the Lamb Shawarma (£9) and the Jerk White Fish (£8) kebab. The Jerk White Fish came adorned with a splattering of Mango salsa, which worked so well with the fish that I only managed a couple of bites before being growled at by my girlfriend and told to keep my hands off. The fish was succulent and juicy, perfectly spiced and the mango salsa escalated the dish to a whole new level all by itself.
The Lamb Shawarma was one of the highlights of my kebab-eating career. A perfectly cooked naan bread was topped with crispy chunks of pulled apart lamb, with lashings of salad and yoghurt. The lamb was fantastic – with the right balance of crisp and meaty juicy-ness. Although perfect for the sharing concept, it’s unlikely you’ll let anyone get their mitts on it once you’ve started.
On top of the chosen two, Yadda Yadda also features other kebabs on their menu, including Beef Kofte and a Beetroot Bhaji for any vegetarians out there. It’s a packed menu, with plenty of dishes to get to grips with. Although they’re not open at 3am on a Friday night – it might be an idea to just have a KitKat instead and wait until the next day for your kebab – it’ll be worth the wait.
Yadda Yadda @ Electrik, 559a Wilbraham Road, Chorlton, M21 0AE
0161 881 3315
http://www.electrikbar.co.uk/
