Imran's Takeaway and Diner

Calling all omnivores and carnivores!

The other day, I received a wonderful email from a young gentleman called Gulshan Mehboob.

Although both food lovers, Gulshan and I have very different tastes. So, in the interest of diversity, I thought it would be a good idea for Mean Muncher to enlist its very own 'guest blogger'.

Take it away Master Mehboob...

Dear Mrs.Muncher,

I am Gulshan Mehboob. I am 19 years old and am currently working as a part-time Potato Rumbler at Fat Sam's Burger Van whilst undertaking my Apprenticeship in Catering and Bakery from Barnsley College. You might think that I have a lot on my plate (pardon the pun) for such a young man. I do.

I stumbled upon your blog by accident whilst searching for Meat Muncher, one of my fave online publications. It has been a big month in the world of meat so you could see why I would want the MM P.O.V. on things.

However in your blog I was delighted to find a fellow creative and culinary enthusiast and you have inspired me to write my very own food review. I apologise in advance if my writing seems naive and uncrafted - I'm used to expressing my feeling through food not words but you have shown me a way to combine both. Thank You Mrs Muncher and I hope you enjoy reading my review. 

Imran's Takeaway by Gulshan Mehboob

The name Imran's immediately conjures up a thousand exotic images in my mind and maybe that is why this establishment sits so comfortably in the culturally rich surroundings of the Wicker in Sheffield. As you walk along the picturesque canalside taking deep into your lungs the smell of Southern Fried Chicken and Istanbul Donner, you feel drenched in the history that surrounds you. 

Just metres away is Just Halal Donner, the first place to sell donner meat legally in Sheffield. Before Just Halal Donner, or BJHD as it's commonly known, you would have to meet men on the barges by the canalside, unsure of what was exactly in the meat. I'm glad we've come a long way since then.

Up the road is Mangla restaurant which some people call the Mumtaz of Sheffield but I could write a thesis on why Mumtaz is the Mangla of Bradford. Then there's Kebabish: as famous for its Mixed Grill platter as its scene-stealing appearance in Four Lions, for me the only time since the Towering Inferno where the venue has upstaged the actors. 

Beyond the bright neon lights of Hollywood-haunt Kebabish stands the true star of this picture. Imran's is not a leading man like Kebabish, the household name that gets all the attention - the Kevin Costner or Michael Bolton. Imran's is more the Danny Devito, the little guy that you love that will give you what you want. Imran's is The Jewel of the (takeaway) Mile. 

I don't know if 'O Holy Night' actually plays when the doors of Imran's open or whether it's in my imagination but once you enter the golden gates you know you have entered culinary paradise. I am also the first to admit that it can sometimes feel like a market scene off Indiana Jones and the meek can get lost amongst the crowd but those adventurers determined to get their hands on the fine exotic delicacies on offer will no doubt be rewarded with the tastiest of tresure...The Imran's Meal Box. 

This treasure chest contains healthy shavings of both lamb and chicken donner meat and what some may consider an ample portion of fries (though ordering an extra portion as a side might be recommended for the mightier gentleman).

Then there's the world famous Imran's Chicken. It is rumoured that the colonel himself offered Imran a small fortune for the recipe but he was unwilling to give it up. I dread to think what Ghadaffi wanted with a spicy chicken recipe but I imagine he could have controlled the world if he had something so deadly delicious at his disposal. 

The box contains three pieces of this culinary gold and I opt for leg, breast and wing so as to have the full gastro experience. The box in which it arrives has also become a bone, pardon the pun, of contention. Imran's served the original Meal One in a cardboard box. It was rustic and simple and the cardboard absorbed the flavour, almost becoming a part of the meal. The new polystyrene boxes fail to do this and often by the time you arrive at eating your second box it has become quite damp and stodgy as it has not been allowed to breathe as it would have in a vessel made from cardboard.  

Finally we have the arch de triumph, the Nelson on their Coloumn, their 'I Am the One and Only". God gave us taste buds and we gave them the greatest gift we could: Imran's Spicy Potato wedges. A treat so rich it should be wearing Pierre Cardin shoes. The potatoes are so fluffy they could be made from clouds or even poodles and they are coated in a sheath of Imran's spicy breadcrumbs. 

All this for a mere £3.30 and for an extra 60p you can have any flavour from the entire Rubicon range, even pomegranate for all you health nuts.

Usually two meal boxes are enough for even the heartiest of appetites but if you are like me then you might also be interested in the Chicken Fillet Burger which is altogether a more gourmet experience. The chicken here is of the highest quality, beyond free range to maybe even wild, farmed from the hills of the Yorkshire Moors and plucked by the hands of Imran himself.

It may not be as polished as McDonalds or as refined as Burger King but Imran's has heart and character and that's been enough to get me through life and it should be enough to make you want to go to Imran's.  I've been Gulshan Mehboob, reporting for Mean Muncher, happy eating everbody. 

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