Visit Birmingham – Tummy Happy

I’d heard the rumours long before – whispers from people making the bold claim that it was the “best chicken in Brum,” “simply phenomenal” and “KFC on steroids.” Alas, in a world of fake news I simply refused to believe until I had myself, bore witness to the wings behind the words.

Me and my work colleagues rocked up to Bonehead on a Tuesday night and at 6pm, it was already heaving. Although you can’t book tables, they did a tremendous job of fitting all 12+ of us in. There’s a good selection of drinks, from craft beers through to gins and the menu offers a choice of wings, strips, burgers and combos. Although the burgers and strips were off limits to me as they contained gluten and dairy, I could have most of the wings and so I ordered the sweet chilli & garlic with spring onion and seasame seeds option.

Now, many people will testify to the fact that I’m a bit of a wing addict. Truth be told, I’ve stunned many a waiter as they’ve seen me polish off a kilo of chicken wings without so much as batting an eyelid, so I wasn’t really expecting a ‘best ever’ dish here. Let me just say this: These wings were insanely good! See how I even used an explanation mark there and put aside my grammatical pet hate of shouting at people through words? Well, Bonehead made me do it! If I could list every filthy food porn word here I would – it was quite simply, the best chicken wings I have EVER had in my 28 years of eating, and as my friends know, that’s not a claim I make lightly when they’ve seen me consume somewhere in the region of 5,000 chicken wings in the past two years.

The sauce was incredible and a perfect combination of sweet and spicy, plus the fresh kick coming from the spring onion and crunchy texture on the seasame seeds gave it a rather pleasurable texture. The chicken was coated in a melt-in-your-mouth batter, sizzling with juice and filled with the most tender pieces of chicken that I’ve ever experienced in wings. The whole dish was sensational.

I had made the error of thinking the five wings would be small and so I asked the waitress if I could double up. After realising how big and filling the wings were, I would have been quite okay with just the one portion, but hey ho, God loves a trier and so I made it my mission to finish the 10 wings spread out before me. I was filthy after polishing them off, with chicken juice all over my hands and mouth, but at the end of the day, the best food always requires you to get stuck in. Bravo Bonehead, bravo.

All I can say now is; Nandos what, Nandos who, get yourself down to Bonehead too!

Having grown up on the outskirts of the Balti Triangle, the love of a decent curry is in my DNA. Catching up with friends on a weekend and ending the night with a curry is tradition and I always have a favourite curry house of the month. After all, when there’s so many curry houses in Birmingham, the competition is fierce and there’s no room for favouritism, for long anyway.

People had been raving about The Indian Streatery for yonks. Beginning their foodie roots at Birmingham’s very own Digbeth Dining Club under the name ‘Indian Rasoi,’ the eatery soon became a firm favourite amongst diners and eventually set up permanently at a premises on Bennett’s Hill. As with many Digbeth Dining Club regulars, the ‘family foodies’ brought with them a loyal following of locals already converted to the concept of ‘Indian tapas.’ Though relatively new to the food scene, Indian tapas takes traditional dishes and gives them a makeover, much like the Deconstructed Samosa Chaat and homestyle chicken kindly created by The Indian Streatery. The idea is to bring Punjab’s food markets to the people of Britain, using tried and tested family recipes, old memories, plus a side order of added ingredients to suit British palates – Indian Hotdog anyone?

On my visit to The Indian Streatery, I was excited to find out what all the fuss was about. I was damn sure I liked my curry in a bowl with pilau rice and poppodoms, no messing around, no food antics. It was then with great delight that I found myself enjoying a Fresh Spinach & Lamb Curry, marinated overnight with a host of spices, alongside what I can only describe as ‘bangin’ Masala Fries. Both dishes far exceeded my expectations and in fact, the lamb curry was one, if not the best curries I’ve tasted in a good 12 months. Normally I’d cringe at the thought of throwing in a portion of chips with a curry, but here, with a mix of fenugreek chaat masala and tamarind on the fries, blended in with succulent slow cooked lamb, I was on the verge of dribbling.

The menu comes with a listing of gluten free, dairy free and vegan dishes, easily identifiable and ranging in choices. The waiter was extremely helpful with my allergens and offered to accommodate any requests that I had regarding the menu. By the time I had finished my curry and fries, I was already dreaming of another portion. In fact, it’s pretty much all I talked about all week.

In an age where some are predicting the death of the Balti, I feel a sense of confidence in the future of curry houses in Britain. Rather than admitting defeat, establishments such as The Indian Streatery are building on existing foundations, adapting and recreating traditional recipes to bring them into an ever expanding modern day street food market. Whether it’s slapping a curry onto a burger, or giving an Indian twist to the classic chicken and chips, there’s no doubt that these Masala fries making, Pakora transformers are here to stay, and we love them for it!

Tag: Visit Birmingham

Move aside Colonel, there’s a new chief of chicken in town: Bonehead

From Punjab to Birmingham: The Indian Streatery