Food & Drink Fancy An Indian? I Do... By Anna McGeachie Shimla Cottage has been the Indian on the corner for as long as I have lived in the village. In fact Shafiq’s Shimla Cottage has been spicing up Bridge of Weir residents’ lives since 1973. A family run business, it was Farzand Ali, Shafiq’s dad, who started it all 45 years ago. The Simla Restaurant, as it was known in those days, is among the oldest Punjabi restaurants in the West of Scotland and, at that time, was the only restaurant serving Indian food outside of Glasgow – Farzand was a trendsetter. Shimla is now a familiar part of village life, and we would surely be lost without it. Now in its third generation, Tabby, his brother Anjum and their father Shafiq are warm and welcoming hosts, ever-professional, always with a smile and taking the time to listen to their customers, ensuring they get exactly the dish they want. (And if the customer is unsure of what it is they want, the boys somehow just seem to know and never fail to disappoint.) The quality of the food produced across the years has never faltered. Shimla prides itself on using the freshest of produce – and it shows. The spice mix is carefully thought about and most dishes are made to old family recipes. The garlic, ginger, coriander, chilli, cardemom and turmeric... each Tabby’s late Grandad Farzand Ali harmonious but, in the various dishes, given their own space to shine. The chicken tikka is a particular favourite here! Granted the price may be slightly higher than your average curry house, but because the boys at Shimla refuse to skimp on ingredients, and the time and love given to creating these dishes is such, there is an equvilance in price. And the old adage is true: you get what you pay for. As well as the wonderful food, the restaurant has been newly refurbished; adding a brighter and even more welcoming ambience to the overall dining experience. A small and heart-warming aside to the actual business side of the restaurant is a story I was made aware of some time ago, late last year to be more precise. Shimla Cottage joined forces with a Glasgow Mission, Mary Street Angels. Mary Street Angels is a group of volunteers who supply food, among other necessities, for the homeless and those who have, for whatever reason, fallen on hard times and find themselves in less than favourable circumstances. Tabby organised for batches of food to be prepared, cooked and delivered to The Angels for distribution on the streets of Glasgow; such a kind, selfless contribution made by a long standing local Bridge of Weir business. Farzand would certainly be proud. 16
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