A line on Mrs. A’s Kitchen’s website states the concept of Indian cuisine is “outdated” and “we want to reinvigorate how food from the Indian Subcontinent is served.”
Saying that’s bold is an understatement, and is even more so when I discovered the Bangladeshi takeaway serving authentic Indian dishes.
Mrs. A’s Kitchen, tucked away in Eccles, is founded by a ‘proud Salfordian’ mother of five children. Owner Jahanara Ahmed came to the city in the 80s and opened the business in 2019 to spread her love of cooking.
Mrs. A has fond memories from an early age of cooking with her mother. Since then, she hasn’t gone one day without making fresh food, as she now wants to revolutionise Indian food in Salford.
That family-feel homemade style we all love is at the heart of Mrs A’s culinary philosophy, and has put the Greater Manchester city on the map for a much sought-after curry.
Whilst the Eccles Shopping Centre, admittedly, might not be known as the most glamorous foodie hot spot in the Salford region, Mrs. A’s manages to stand out firmly with its vibrant decor; possibly to symbolise the spices they use in every dish.
Upon walking in, I immediately felt like I was transported to a bustling city in South Asia. Wall paintings of a sunset beach setting complete with tigers and elephants, sacks of ingredients scattered around on display, an actual tuk-tuk as the interior’s centrepiece. Yes, they do deliver, but we suspect it might be a via a more modern form of transport.
I only had to spend a minute eyeing up the menu screens before the man behind the counter asked, “Is it your first time here?”. An embarrassing yet totally warranted question as the choices were simply too much for me to digest.
Speaking of too much choice, Mrs. A’s rotates their main menu of signature curries every single day. I was on the hunt for the spiciest curry available to really test their mettle on whether a menu item with five pepper icons next to it is the real deal or not.
The server kindly suggested I get the popular ‘Thali’ dish, which comes with two curries, one ‘small bites’ dish, a choice of rice or naan (flatbread) and a side of salad.
Seeing as it was just me eating in, it sounded like the best value for money at £11.95. I placed my order and went to take a seat next to the wall map of Bangladesh.
The map showed the locations of all sorts of iconic landmarks in the country. I vaguely say ‘all sorts’ because, quite frankly, I didn’t even get to take a proper look at them since a waiter appeared with a hearty plate of food at my table not even two minutes after I sat down!
“That was quick!” I said, to the visible amusement of the waiter. He showed me where the cutlery was but, as an Indian raised from infancy to eat curry with his hands, I broke off a piece of naan and got stuck in.
The food did indeed arrive quickly and hot to the touch. However, it wasn’t exactly steaming off the plate, which planted a seed of doubt in me about the promised freshness of the homemade dishes.
Nevertheless, I tucked right into the Chicken Shaboosh, the aforementioned spiciest dish on the day. The tender chicken broke off into the naan perfectly. The aroma of the chillies emanating from the naan I used to scoop it up was almost as good as the taste. And what a taste it was; the citrus-filled, sweet taste of the coriander complemented the abundance of fiery greens wonderfully.
I loved the dish. A lot. Personally, however, I was hoping the spice levels were raised just a touch to keep true with people coming to Mrs. A’s looking for the food to resonate with their own individual culinary roots. For the average consumer, though, who’s perhaps not accustomed to a colourful punch of seasonings, the Chicken Shaboosh is delightful. Just be prepared to reach for your drink after every bite if spice isn’t your thing.
Next up was the Lamb Assarr, a special curry more on the tangy side with an equally aromatic set of spices as the last dish. The zesty hit of mango was the star of the show, and a surprisingly delicious change of pace. Coupled with even more succulent meat that melted in my mouth, cooked to a degree to achieve a moist texture, the two curries were nothing short of immaculate.
By this time, I was already muttering ‘Oh my God’ to myself. Aside from the plate not being hot enough (temperature-wise) when I got to the Lamb Assarr, this meal was on course to being perfect.
So much so, that I forgot to try the Chicken and Spinach Pakoras, which were meant to be the light appetiser before the heavy-hitting curries. It’s hard to mess these up, and they certainly didn’t. The crispiness of the pakora coating went beyond my initial expectations, and the chicken housed inside wasn’t dry like others I’ve tried, but juicy and full of flavour.
You only get three pakoras in this starter, which may be disappointing for a larger group, especially if you decide to buy them separately at a hefty price of £5.45. With the ‘Thali’ deal, though, it’s a satisfactory amount. But I think we’d all agree we could do with one or two more if you were to try one for yourself!
All in all, Mrs. A’s Kitchen promised homemade Indian dishes that ooze confidence in the fact that they are actively making generic South-Asian food a thing of the past, one curry at a time. They certainly delivered on that front; accompanied with quick, no, ridiculously quick, rather, table service, a beautiful, clean seating area and an enjoyable variety of spicy eats, particularly in their ‘Thali’ dish, there’s not much to complain about.
My Indian spirit was satiated to the fullest extent. There’ve been many a time where a curry was drowned with oil and grease to the point I got put off taking a second bite, or where the naan, which is just as (if not, more) important than the curry, wasn’t fluffy or failed to break easily.
Outside of the ‘Thali’ dish, I do worry about the steep prices when ordering several curries separately. Children in large families will go home happy with their bellies stuffed for the night, but the parents having to fork out almost £10 a curry for a not exactly humongous portion may leave without all their hunger completely sated. For a small group or single diners, I’d say your wallet won’t be left with that much of a dent.
At a 9/10 score, and of the six other Indian spots in Greater Manchester I’ve tried, this is the best by far in Salford, and maybe even the tastiest in the region.
Ultimately, you truly are getting a selection of delectable curries, tandooris and unique specials that epitomise the credibility of the words plastered above the counter – “If we don’t eat it, we don’t serve it!”
- You can order Mrs. A’s Kitchen online or eat-in at 30 Church Street, Eccles, Manchester, M30 0DF. Mrs A’s Kitchen is open from 5pm-9-30pm Mon-Thurs and 12pm-9:30pm Friday-Saturday, when they also have a lunch menu available from 12pm-3pm.
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