STREET food is to Sunday roasts what Bolt is to Farrah, all moreish little samosas, droolsome burgers and spicy noodles, perfect for popping in the mouth on the go.
Traditional South Indian dosas are a thrill, cooked to order on a round, pancake-style griddle plate as you wait
Bars and cafes touting this trend have recently sprung up in the Northern Quarter alongside Manchester’s own streetfood fair, Guerrilla Eats, which takes place just opposite Salford Central Train station this coming weekend (@Guerrilla_Eats).
Kukoos
The latest gang member is Kukoos, a new street food take away from revered Indian and Pakistani curry house, Zouk. But this time we're a mile or so south of the Northern Quarter on Oxford Road opposite the old BBC studios.
It’s a lively Lebanese/Moroccan/Indian takeout from a restaurant that’s famous for succulent lamb curries, fresh naans and sumptuous service. So they’re going a little off piste with menu of dosas, kebab-wraps, biyrianis, salads and pressed juices with an interior that breaks the design mould too.
Down one wall, wooden blocks etch out patterns in oak and copper as a madly oversized bench runs the whole length. Lights that would look at home in Ian Simpson’s Beetham Tower penthouse swing serenely overhead. This is a takeaway as the W hotel chain might conceive it. Alice in Wonderland meets Mumbai we thought. Apparently Manchester's coolest interior designer Ferrious has been involved which explains a lot.
The man who had the idea for Kukoos is Mudassar Bashir, of Zouk. He's teamed up with chef John Farrer, latterly of Teacup, to deliver the new 'concept'.
Bashir left, Farrer, right
Certainly, the traditional South Indian dosas are a thrill, cooked to order on a round, pancake-style griddle plate as you wait (£3). Made from fermented, ground lentil and rice batter, ours came stuffed with spiced potato curry and two chutneys. A rare tick for authenticity here, the thick, coconut and mint spread and soft, spiced carrot chutney were just as you’d find them in the deep southern Indian states.
Accompaniments were fresh and ungreasy, the pancake ever so slightly flaccid. My friend recommended Withington’s Dosa Express for a crispier slice, while others I have asked since will not be swayed from Sindhoor in Burnage (click here). I thought it was all grand, big earthy flavours and complementary textures.
Wraps (£3 or £5 with salad) were mostly on the money too. The bread was that thick, kebab-house stuff. But as you’ll see from the pics, it was exceptional value with buckets of fresh, chilled and spicy salads to choose from.
Our spicy chickpeas with chilli, a smoky babganoush and fragrant red cabbage coleslaw were magic with the lamb, spiced spinach and hummus wrap. The tender hunks of meat reminded me of Zouk’s lamb schwarma and the cute wooden tray was a nice touch. There are none of those elephant doner legs at Kukoos either.
Unfortunately, the Indian lemonade wasn’t so hot. We visited in January, shortly after opening, and I suspect that the salt and the sugar jars in the kitchen had not yet been labelled.
Cue one hell of a bitter purgative for £1.95. It was just one of those things though, as my pal’s just pressed apple juice (£1.95) was a marvel worthy of the most hardcore of yogi - and a fraction of the typical price.
Overall, the only genuine bum note was a cauliflower and paneer wrap (£3) which was too much bready and not enough sauce. The situation was aggrevated by the fact that our meat samosas (£1 a piece) remained locked behind the glistening glass, eye balling us suggestively. I would have asked for them again but portions are a good size, and we were struggling to get through what we had.
A month down the line opening kinks like effective order taking, an operational card machine and that all-important salt and pepper labelling will have hopefully been ironed out.
It could be an issue for the owners that Kukoos doesn’t look like your 'real Indian streetfood' deal. But authenticity is hard to pin down at the best of times (let alone during a horse meat crisis) and what you’ve got here is an imaginative takeaway, offering something more healthy and flavoursome than other like-minded joints in the area.
It's certainly very popular with Confidential people already, Schofield, fellow Confidential writer, and the editor, loves the place. Just as much as he loves Ashiana on Upper Chorlton Road in Old Trafford.
Certainly try it. Kukooz is a late night friend for the figure conscious, and very welcome. You suspect it will only get better.
You can follow Ruth Allan on Twitter here @RuthAllan.
ALL SCORED CONFIDENTIAL REVIEWS ARE IMPARTIAL AND PAID FOR BY THE MAGAZINE.
Kukoos, 12 a Oxford Road, Manchester, M1 5QA Tel: 0161 236 7989. You can follow Kukooz here
Rating 14/20
Food 7/10 (dosa 7.5, lamb kebab 8, cauliflower and paneer kebab 6)
Service 3.5/5
Ambience 4/5
