(Everything he knows, he learned on the mean streets of Rusholme)
As any British expat in Berlin will tell you – and in fact, I am about to – it is really difficult to get a decent curry in this town. Very rarely do you even get something as decent as the Chicken Tikka Marsala from the Gandhi Restaurant on the main street of Burscough, complete with flock wallpaper and a 90% takeaway business, let alone the culinary delights of Bradford. If anyone was to have found the best curry in the Hauptstadt it is Jim…and he has found a couple that do a version of Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi cuisine that has not be tamed for the delicate tastebuds of the German market.
Last week at The Circus Hostel Jim decided to take up the challenge of producing Berlin’s best curry himself, which he unleashed on the guests for the price of nix/nada/nowt…none of us could have imagined the interest that such a special offer came about. Jim presented the curry at 7pm. At 7.05 all thirty portions were gone, and we were literally scraping the bottom of the pot. How good the curry was, I can’t tell you, because there was none left for me to try, although the big group of English lads seemed happy with the cultural marriage of a curry cooked by a lad from Stockport, washed down with a bottle of fine German beer.
Luckily for me Jim will be at it again, hosting his JIMBO’S CURRY EXPERIENCE 2 on the 30th August, exclusive for Circus guests (and perhaps one hungry staff member, eh Jim?) in the Circus Cafe. Your tastebuds have tried nothing like it…
Jimbo’s Curry Experience #1 – Don’t worry, there’s enough for everyone (except perhaps you at the back)
The combination of backpackers and free food was a surprising success that none of us could have foreseen…
Every seven years it is good to make a change, and our good friends at Rotation Records – three doors down from the Circus Hostel – are doing just that. Don’t worry vinyl lovers – you can still get all your top tunes for late night club sets (or just those dream moments where you imagine yourself spinning in some hip club – sorry, I’m not the right person for this - in the bedroom) – but the record shop is being transformed into a space for music, fashion, art and culture…from this Saturday you can a trip down the street to the Rotation Boutique!
What follows is Andrew’s selection of things to look forward to in Berlin and at the Circus this week. He is only bitter about the football because he’s Australian…
Hmmm…the first few days of the World Cup are behind us, and after a relatively low-key start the talking points revolve around the continuing tradition of goalkeeping howlers, regardless who is wearing the famous three-lions jersey between the sticks, and a wonderful performance from a young German team that produced the most exciting football of the tournament so far.
A bit short notice this one, and therefore maybe only useful for our readers who are actually already in Berlin, but starting today at the former Tempelhof Airport is the DMY International Design Festival.
Only a few more days to go and the first game kicks off in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup. It is amazing to think that it is already four years since we had the world in Berlin and Germany for the 2006 tournament, and I still have some very strong memories of watching games at The Circus.
Once again there are some great things going on both around town and at The Circus. , For those looking to hang out close to the circus and enjoy some good live music, can really recommend Schokoladen this Wednesday – 
Oh Lordi (geddit?), it is that time of year again. Every twelve months the nations of Europe come together in the spirit of cultural exchange, for an evening of poptastic fun that features more cheese than a Dutch lorry crossing the border into Germany. And every year at the Circus Aussies, Americans and others who did not grow up on this great continent of ours come down to Goldman’s Bar, look at the images, listen to the tunes and then turn to each other and say “What the f**k? Are these guys for real?”