Zouk Cookery School, Manchester: Best Bhajis in Britain

When your day job is teaching, normally just the very mention of the word "school" is enough to give you palpitations and necessitate a quick lie down. Not so when preceded by the word "cookery" and located at Zouk, the much-lauded Pakistani and Indian restaurant tucked away at the top end of Studentville; indeed, so exciting was the prospect I willingly got up early on a Saturday morning and headed there in search of education, knowledge and new skills (and the prospect of a substantial luncheon).

I'd never been to Zouk before, but pretty much everyone I mentioned it to had already been and already loved it - although were surprised to learn of their regular cookery schools, so the restaurant perhaps needs to shout about this a bit more. Classes start at 10am with a welcome talk and a cup of masala chai; there are thirteen of us in all, including lots of people on their own, and everyone gets on immediately - united in our greed and enthusiasm for Indian food. The course I attended was "British Favourites", which promised to show us how to make all those anglicised dishes that everyone secretly really likes - Seekh Kebabs, Onion Bhaji, Chicken Tikka Masala, Lamb Rogan Josh and Channa Masala, along with rice and naan - but which never come out quite the same at home and which are so often garishly coloured and profoundly disappointing from one's local takeaway.

This is a refreshingly laid-back type of cookery school - we are given the recipes but told we won't need them, and we gather round a few tables in the restaurant area that have been pushed together and covered with tempting pots of herbs and spices. Much of the course is demonstration-led, but there is plenty of hands-on participation too: we are each given a metal tray filled with sliced onions and are at liberty to season at will (my bhajis are pleasingly heavy on the garlic and the coriander) before learning how much gram flour to use - this is the crucial bit - and how to combine the ingredients in such a way as to incorporate plenty of air. Our fledgling bhajis are then whisked away; next time we see them, they are sizzling away happily in the restaurant kitchen. Seconds later, most of them are in my mouth, hot from the fryer and quite simply the best bhajis that any of us has ever tasted (genuinely, and I've tasted a LOT). We also get hands-on with the chicken tikka, and whilst my tray of raw chicken might not look that appetising, its transformation once grilled on long skewers over (very) hot coals is quite something.

Much of the rest is handled by the chefs. Ali, our tutor, shows us how to make the seekh kebabs, which we enjoy along with some more bhajis and the chicken tikka over a very welcome tea break (well, Coke/beer break - soft drinks are on the house and alcohol can be purchased at the bar). Then - thrillingly - he lets us loose in the kitchen, where we run amok and, truth be told, everything gets a bit chaotic. It's fun though, with the three different main dishes on the go as well as the largest pan of rice I have ever seen. We are allowed to supervise, and stir, and taste, and ask questions, and generally make a bit of a nuisance of ourselves - the chefs are genial and tolerant, however, and I learn lots of new things, including how to make an extraordinarily good Channa Masala. The real surprise, though, is the Chicken Tikka Masala (seen below in its massive vat, which I was hoping was all for me) - a dish I normally avoid for its bland creaminess but which is quite simply a revelation in these expert hands.

Perhaps the nicest touch of all is that the budding chefs are each allowed to have a guest join them at the end of the course, to help eat all the food they have made. I had forgotten this until someone mentioned it during the morning, and it is to my friend's great credit that she responded so nobly to my late call, bravely hotfooting it across town despite a code amber hangover in order to admire our handiwork (she decreed her race against time well worth it). Each course is individually priced but the average is around £80-90 - not cheap, but this seems good value for the time and attention you receive and the generosity with the food you've helped to make. I was given a complimentary place on my course for review purposes but will definitely be booking more as a paying customer: full details can be found here on the Zouk website. In the meantime though, I now know how to make the world's best bhajis, so if anyone fancies popping round and helping me slice some onions, you'll be more than welcome.

- Zouk Tea Bar and Grill can be found at Unit 5, The Quadrangle, Chester Street, Manchester M1 5QS; tel 0161 233 1090. They won the Best Restaurant Award in the Manchester Tourism Awards in 2012 and I can see why, so it's to my great discredit that I'd never been before (an error I intend to atone for on a regular basis).

Restaurant Review: Ziya Asian Grill, Rusholme

There are few things more likely to make me feel nostalgic than a trip to Rusholme. I lived here for four years, first as a student and then as a penniless graduate, and I loved it - loved its lights, and its buzz, and its shops filled with beautiful pink sweets and, of course, its ever tolerant curry houses, patiently welcoming us after a boozy night out and turning a blind eye to the fact that we would spend about £3 a head over a period of approximately four hours. And then, I grew up and got a job - a real one - and stopped going. Part of this was laziness - I'd moved to Didsbury and had decent curry houses on my doorstep - but part was a sense that its delights had faded for someone who no longer needed to eke out a basket of poppadums over three hours with twelve of their mates.

Anyway, I'm back. You've all known about Mughli for some time, that ferociously successful and ever-excellent Wilmslow Road institution, now expanding into other parts of town to sate its baying public. And it turns out that some of you also knew about Ziya Asian Grill just across the road, quietly garnering an excellent reputation over the last 18 months or so whilst I remained unaware of its charms; I've found it now though, and found much there that will lure me back on a regular basis.

First off, the venue is a good one, spanning three floors (the uppermost of which is available for private hire - it seats 30 and is pictured above), with an open kitchen (by which we choose to sit) and a fresh, clean, open feel. Secondly, the staff are ace - they happily share a box of Indian sweets they'd been given by the manager as a gift with us, polite smiles remaining in place as we snarf the lot. Thirdly, the drinks list is a well-chosen one, offering some excellent cocktails (more of these later) and some decent wines (we share a bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon that arrives suitably chilled and which matches the spice in the food beautifully). All of this means nothing, though, if the food is average - in the face of so much competition on the Curry Mile, it needs to be exceptional, particularly as the prices are dearer here than at some of their more bargainous neighbours (although interestingly, they are much in line with The Place Across the Road).

And the food is very good indeed. We allow the manager Devang to choose for us; a wise move as it turns out. Poppadums arrive promptly, already broken into bite-size pieces (the lazy girl's dream) and accompanied by a tray of chutneys which include a nice spicy onion as well as a tart coriander dip that I proceed to slather over the entirety of my dinner. For my starter, I request something meaty and am duly provided with an almighty Tandoori platter consisting of Chicken Bites, Lamb Kebabs & Peshwari Lamb Chop, each succulent and well flavoured, particularly the chop. They are fastidious about using fresh produce every day rather than anything frozen, and it shows. For my date, I've brought along The Awkward Friend, who doesn't like things too hot and who is sensitive to dairy - Devang's solution is a starter-sized portion of the Chilli Garlic Fish from the main menu (sea bass fillet coated with fresh spices, green chillies and garlic, pan grilled and served with dosai potatoes) and the recommendation is 100% spot on. The unexpected highlight of Round One though is a portion of Szechuan chips from the lunch menu that are brought to us unbidden to try - they are astonishing, hot and spicy and flecked with cashew nuts, and I will need to have them every time I go even if this means crying in front of the chef.

For mains I request a fish curry of some description and the recommendation is instant - the Goan Fish Curry, with tamarind and coconut milk, is clearly something of a favourite here. Little wonder, really - the fish remains chunky rather than disintegrating and the whole affair has a freshness and lightness unusual in such a rich dish. I also desire something spinachy and have a portion of Saag Paneer on the side; spicing and texture is perfect, but the amount of cheese in the dish makes it very substantial - this is definitely a main rather than a side, even for a greedy girl. The Awkward Friend hits the jackpot again with the Rahara Lamb - chunks of meat cooked alongside minced lamb to give a really unusual texture. We also have some plain rice and the world's prettiest naan bread, the layered textures of which means it isn't as heavy or as filling as is often the case.

Despite this, we are of course full by now, and a waitress who has clearly seen such gluttony many times before cheerfully packages up our leftovers for us to take home. For dessert we each have a cocktail perched at the bar - these are on the pricey side at £7.95 a pop, but they don't fall into the trap of being too sweet and they pack a nice boozy punch, so it's hard to imagine not having one for dessert on future visits. My Fig and Ginger Dakka (pictured here with the tall, fruity Bollywood Smash) was perfect - I am particularly fond of both these flavours and am delighted to find them in a cocktail for ease of consumption.

All in all, we really liked Ziya. This was a complimentary meal as we were invited in to review, but I am already in the process of organising a weekend visit as paying customers for a number of friends who now want to go, having seen the photos I thoughtlessly plastered all over Facebook. And those leftovers? Even better the next day.

- Ziya Asian Grill is at 65-67 Wilmslow Rd, Manchester M14 5TB; telephone 0161 257 2010.

Top Night at The Brew House, Altrincham; Local Girl (Brave) Doesn't Even Feel Homesick

Honestly; never let it be said that I am not adventurous of spirit. This week I am a foot-weary traveller with a passport full of stamps; a hoary old wanderer with a knotted handkerchief tied up with memories of the new and exciting worlds that lie at the very edge of the limits of human experience. Yep: this week, I have been out of Didsbury, TWICE.

First, it was Chorlton. Then, last night, even further: Altrincham. And I didn't even have a MAP. There was of course a sterling reason for such unprecedented levels of adventuring derring-do: The Brew House, the specialist world beers bar and one of my most favourite places on the planet, is there rather than here. If you yourself are considering such a foray, here are the pros and cons of such a venture:

Pros:

1. The Brew House is a gorgeously warm sort of a place for a chilly evening, like a welcoming red cavern lit only by flickering candlelight, the glint of bottles, and the wholesome love of beer that pervades the entire premises. True, they have painted over the Tin Tin pictures that used to adorn the walls since rebranding from the exclusively Belgian Le Trappiste, but I'll forgive them on the basis that they now sell a wider range of beers than they used to. And this is a good thing, because...

2. ...boys like beer, and when they are permitted to have beer, they become genial, and consider you to be the finest wife in the universe. This leaves you free to chat happily with female friends over a decent bottle of red from the wine list whilst they all discuss dull Man Things (one of the party had recently built a Man Cave in his garden, which obviously prompted much debate) and drink terrifyingly strong beer from test-tube-shaped glasses.

3. The music is amazing. Owner Martin clearly understands the joy inherent in a good mix tape, and chooses to play Buzzcocks, Squeeze (Up the Junction, to which I sang along in a loud and heartfelt manner, much to the delight of all other customers), Oasis and Happy Mondays - amongst others - to his grateful and discerning clientele.

4. Martin also knows everything there is to know about beer, and is happy to make recommendations and chat with geeky boys eager to learn more about the fine art of opening a bottle of something and pouring it down your throat. He even makes it sound poetic, describing a particularly malodorous beer as having the aroma of a Manchester bus shelter. And I suspect Mr Liz will be reminscing for years about "the night Mr Brew House showed me his cellar" - apparently it's, ahem, impressively well-stocked *pictures grandchildren looking bored and whispering "oh no...not this story again" to each other*

5. They now sell bar food that consists entirely of pies.

6. And if you don't fancy a pie (in which case you are probably reading this blog by accident anyway), you can always pop to curry house Dilli for tea. This is what we did, and I can't help thinking that next time I go for a curry and am NOT presented with a whole duck breast amid a sea of perfect sauce it's all going to be terribly disappointing. The duck breast was just one of the extraordinary dishes on the current fancy dan special menu for the Rajasthani Food Festival that runs till the end of March - don't forget to take along your Brew House receipt for a discount from your bill *money saving expert face*

7. Finally - and don't underestimate the importance of this one - if you give them a ring before you go they will let you reserve a table, meaning that you can wear your very best impractical Taxi Shoes secure in the knowledge that you won't have to stand uncomfortably all evening with a slightly sad, martyred expression on your face - much better for everyone.

Cons:

1. It's located somewhere I do not live.

Verdict: case closed.

- The Brew House is at 18 Shaws Road, Altrincham WA14 1QU; tel 0161 941 1981

- Dilli is at 60 Stamford New Road, Altrincham WA14 1EE; tel 0161 929 7484 /0161 927 9219