‘Girlfriend in a korma’ at Smiths curry house
Smiths-mad Max launches spicy tribute to his idols
A SMITHS superfan is hoping his customers will soon be starting something they CAN finish – at his new curry house dedicated to the Manchester miserabilists.
The restaurant – inside the Retro Bar music venue on Sackville Street in the city centre – is named This Charming Naan and features dishes including Girlfriend In A Korma, Heaven Knows I’m Masala Now and How Saag Is Now?
The food is even endorsed by band members, with former Smiths drummer Mike Joyce naming a dish on the menu – Last Night I Dreamt That Some Bhaji Loved Me.
There are no meat products used in the vegan restaurant (Morrissey would surely approve), which opened for takeaway in December.
Owner Max Paley, 25, has plans for customers to able to sit-in at the restaurant and eat among Smiths’ memorabilia, with their tunes playing in the background, when restrictions are finally lifted.
“I have been a bit overwhelmed by the reaction,” he said.
“We’ve had Johnny Marr’s son message me saying he loves it and will be down when we can open to dine in.”
Max, who previously ran a music venue, had just six months’ experience working in a kitchen before starting the business venture in March. After the Covid lockdown interrupted his plans, he opened as a pop-up stall at Hatch through the summer and earned rave reviews from customers, so decided to open again before Christmas.
The two-man operation – Max and his pal Joe Moores do all the cooking and take all the orders – has seen orders flood in from music fans in the city.
Max added: “I have been going to music festivals since I was 12 and I’d always had a dream of taking a food truck to festivals.
“A few years ago I had the idea of This Charming Naan and wanted to get a food truck together of that name.
“I fully intend to go around the festivals in This Charming Van as soon as we can and as soon as festivals can start up again.
“We opened again as a takeaway on December 1 and business has been good, but the reaction has really blown me away.”
Max moved to Manchester four years ago after falling in love with the city during a Stone Roses gig.
His earliest musical memories involved listening to The Smiths as a youngster as they are his mum’s favourite band and he grew to love them just as much.
He also cites Oasis and The Stone Roses among his favourite bands.
“I grow the menu organically whenever I want to update it,” Max said.
“I’ve taught myself to cook using the internet and videos.
“I’m a vegan, but I don’t push the vegan aspect of the restaurant to the forefront, it just is what it is. I’d rather people judge the food for what it is.
“As I expanded the menu, I tried to keep it to just Smiths songs, but it’s too hard thinking of them all to fit.”