Shabirs Kabana Cafe

Vega St.

February 2012
New find and first visit to Shabirs. This place is on a back street off Bury New Rd. You would really have to be looking for it - hence not having been before.  It's got a nice vibe, the guys behind the counter were helpful, the place was clean and reasonably bright whilst still reataining the ramshackle feel that makes us love curry cafes. The choice of curries wasn't inspiring - lamb, chicken, chickpeas, potato and spinach, daal and a cauliflower dish. Nothing particularly interesting or out of the ordinary. Nor was it all that interesting to eat - I can't really complain at all. But the nearby Moghuls Taste and Qila Khyber are quite far ahead in terms of choice and execution. This isn't to denigrate Shabbir's - it's a decent place, just not exciting. The bread was excellent - done freshly in a tandoor - as was another diner's chicken tikka. So it looks promising for kebabs - another visit required. The price was £4.70 for the curries, 60p for chapati and a cheeky little hidden cost of 40p salad - something I've never encountered before. Hey ho, still under £6 for a good feed. I can't complain too much. I think the pictures give an accurate impression of the place. Decent, if not particularly exciting, which, to be fair, is what plenty of people want.