I have a confession to make. Until a few days ago I had no idea there was such a thing as 'National Curry Week', I certainly did not know that this past week was the 24th such celebration.
I should have known, of course. There is a special week for practically everything these days, so why not have a whole seven days dedicated to one of the country's favourite imports.
In the past, I have made no secret of my own love for a curry, especially when there is a bargain to be had. So when I spotted that Manchester restaurant Zouk was offering 90 minutes of 'bottomless' curry, rice and naan, as a National Curry Week special, for £20, it seemed too tempting an opportunity to pass up.
READ MORE : 'Is this tiny Prestwich takeaway really the best in the UK? I drove for forty minutes to find out'
Prior to my visit last Thursday (October 6) I had never actually been to Zouk, normally sticking with my local - The Royal Balti House, in Farnworth. However, I was very impressed by the gorgeously leafy outdoor terrace as I made my way inside just after 6pm.
Owner Tayub Amjad greeted me and I was taken to quite a large booth-style table at the back of the restaurant. Each day, throughout the week, there had been different curries on offer for the bottomless deal and when I visited, it was the classic chicken tikka masala (with the option of milli juli sabzi for vegetarians).
As I waited for my first portion to arrive, I had time to glance around the venue and I was impressed with its modern and stylish decor that does well to not stray into overly flashy territory. It also boasts a huge open kitchen and a very Instagrammable wall of flowers, displaying the restaurant's name. There was also the added 'behind the scenes' bonus, when looking through the windows, of seeing crews film new Luke Evans movie 5lb of Pressure, across the road.
Tayub came over to wish me luck when my food arrived and told me to 'take it easy' and not rush - very good advice that I probably should have listened to. Despite his words of wisdom, I had blasted through my first portion of curry and rice just 10 minutes later.
When I go for a curry, I normally get a madras so the tikka masala was mild in comparison but still with enough of a kick to let you know its there. The sauce was beautifully creamy and the chicken really tender and moist.
On the side, the pilau rice and plain naan complemented it well, soaking up that masala sauce like you would want it to. I knew I was rushing (and that I would probably regret it later) but it tasted so good that I really did not care.
Along with the food, a bottle of Kingfisher beer is also included in the £20 price tag, although I was actually given a bottle of Cobra and Kingfisher glass. I'm no lager connoisseur and much prefer a cider so I was not too troubled by this substitution and doubt I would be able to tell the difference anyway.
The waiting staff were incredibly attentive and as soon as they saw that I was almost finished, they offered me another round of curry and rice. At this point, I had not made the biggest dent in the naan so I thought it would be foolish and pointless to order another one of those as well.
Within an impressively short time, another piping hot curry was placed in front of me. Before I started, Tayub had told me that most people managed to eat two and order their third before throwing in the towel but at this point, I felt like I could easily smash that.
That optimism was short-lived. For context, I'm not the biggest man in the world, I'm only 5ft 8in (173cm) and as a result, my eyes are very often bigger than my belly, as the expression goes.
Although I finished all of my curry and the rest of the naan bread, I still had half a portion of rice untouched. I was only about 40 minutes into the meal at this point, not even half way through, yet feeling defeated.
It was also at this point that 'Bollywood dancers' started performing to music in the middle of the restaurant. It certainly provided something of a spectacle as I struggled through the mountain of food that I had ordered myself and having researched the venue beforehand, I knew that this was expected on a Thursday evening, which did not seem to be the case for all the diners, some of whom looked very surprised at the entertainment.
Noticing that my second portion of curry and my first naan bread had now gone, the attentive waiting on staff kept coming over to check if I wanted anymore. At first, I listened to my body and told them I was having a bit of a break, but after about 10 minutes, the pressure got to me.
I somehow managed to force every chunk of delicious chicken into my face from the third portion but most of that indulgent creamy sauce it was sat in remained untouched. Not wanting to completely waste food, I told the staff that bringing another naan out would not be necessary.
With around 30 minutes still left on the clock, I threw in the towel. It could have been 30 hours and I doubt I could have managed any more curry, rice, or naan, lovely as they all were.
Although it seems as if the bottomless curry offer was just a special thing for National Curry Week, I would love to see Zouk make this a regular thing... even if it is just to redeem myself and follow Tayub's advice this time round.
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
- We went to three big US chains to see which had the best chicken and wings and it was a close call
- I found the best Chinese in Greater Manchester and it ruined crispy duck for me
- Afflecks is 40 and doing better than ever - meet the special people who've made it what it is
- 'Fridays are not what they were' in Manchester and it's changing life in the city centre
- Harpurhey rapper Shotty Horroh launches his own professional wrestling promotion
