BEFORE Manchester entered this golden era of South Asian cooking, there were just three smart curry houses to enjoy. East Z East and Zouk are still going strong, but David Beckham and I are probably the only ones to remember Shimla Pinks where he used to celebrate wins at Man U with a chicken korma. By coincidence, newcomer Scene is in a similar location to Shimla’s (in what’s now known as Spinningfields) and it’s a professional-looking place, with terraces to the front and back. Nearest neighbours are the Dockyard pub and the People’s History Museum, and while Scene is a good looking restaurant, it’s not quite as fancy as Shimlas used to be.
Throw in a handful of melting hunks of lamb, and each one tastes like a prize
I felt slightly duped from the start, to be honest, as the menu sounds great. A savoury chaat selection, including unusual options like fruit and samosa chaat, is joined by vegetable pakoras and prawns among the starters. Smaller plates aimed at sharing include momos, chicken wraps, and Manchurian fried cauliflower (all around the £6 mark). Familiar curries, such as chilli paneer (£6.95), keema mattar (mince and peas, £11.95) and tandoori king prawns (£15.95) are listed alongside Punjabi chicken (Dhaba Murgh, £10.95) and North Indian-inspired grilled meats and fish. I like the sound of sizzling cod with cinnamon (Machli Masala Piaz, £12.95). Yet while Scene’s menu brings to mind the modern Asian cooking on offer at Rusholme’s excellent Mughli, it often reads better than it eats.
Scene Indian Street KitchenTo their credit, the staff were superb, even taking my twin toddlers in their stride. After starting in the bar, we moved into football pitch-sized restaurant for lentil dumpling chaat (£6.95) and pani puri (£4.95), a dish originally introduced to me by Manchester’s street food pop-up, Chaat Cart, who are currently resident at The Kitchens next door. Puri are papadum-like shells packed with raw onion, tomato, coriander and chick peas, served at Scene with bottles of tamarind and cumin water, and one of sweet yoghurt. You pour them over and throw each shell whole into your mouth. Sublimely textural lentil chaat (pomegranate seeds, crispy, garlic nuggets, cool yoghurt, fried lentils patties) was another highlight.
I chose the lamb biryani (Kachay Gosht Ki Hydrabadi Biryani, £12.95) over the chicken and rosewater version (£11.95) although, perhaps, either would have been good. The biryani had that thing I love about slow-cooked rice dishes, where some grains are almost crisp, others unctuous. Throw in a handful of melting hunks of lamb, and each one tastes like a prize.
Samosa Chaat
Dhaba MurghAfghani Murgh (£11.95) saw chicken cooked in olive oil (several mugs full) with green chilli, fresh coriander and tomato paste. Slightly lacking in flavour, this was not for me. The house Nihari (£12.95) also lacked its usual, aniseedy hit and I was reminded of better, cheaper versions elsewhere.
On the side, the Laccha Paratha (£2.95) lived up to the menu’s promise of butter-enriched layered bread. Probably the nearest Indian food gets to a croissant, we took the twins lead on this and fought over the last morsels. The naan (£2.95), on the other hand, was disappointingly spongy, as were the Gunpowder potatoes (£4.95).
To my mind, Manchester’s finest naans are served charcoal-smeared from the oven at Back Piccadilly’s Café Marhaba. Yet Scene is a far cry from a backstreet curry house and, perhaps, the comparison is unfair. Showy but not overwhelming, Scene's disparate parts come together like an vintage collage; I liked the huge glass pendants hanging from the ceiling, and Bollywood movie posters in the bar, as well as trinkets like family photo frames and mini rickshaws. Its modern Asian restaurant by numbers, smart and well cared for.
Kachay Gosht Ki Hydrabadi BiryaniWe were offered extra chicken nuggets and chips for the twins, before rounding things off with a pistachio-laden house kulfi (£4.95) and vanilla Movenpick ice cream. Drinks are largely forgettable; a zesty virgin mojito (£4.95) and full-bodied Indian lager, Lal Toofan, were the only beverages of note.
What can I say? There were some great dishes at Scene (biryani, bread and chaat, in particular) while others (nihari, afghani murgh, naan) fell short. The restaurant’s stylish blandness and excellent service make it ideal for work parties or family gatherings, but in terms of flair and consistency in the kitchen, Scene's got its work cut out amid Manchester’s burgeoning South Asian scene.
Scene, 4a Leftbank, Irwell St, Manchester M3 3AN. Tel: 0161 839 3929
Rating: 14/20
Food: 7/10 (Lentil Chaat 7, Pani Puri 7, Gunpowder potatoes 4, biryani 7, chicken 5, naan 4, paratha 8, kulfi 7)
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 3/5
