Saturday, December 09, 2006

Currying a favour

A group of English cricket fans watching their team play in Australia were so desperate for a curry from their favourite chef that they ordered one from Britain, and the restaurant's managers promised to deliver.

Nasir Abdul, manager of the Bombay Nights restaurant in Bath, western England, said it was furthest takeaway order the restaurant had ever received, although it had flown food to Germany for football World Cup fans this year.

"We were shocked when we first got the order and thought someone was having laugh, but we then realised it was genuine," said Abdul on Friday.

"They had eaten at the London branch of our restaurant and enjoyed the chef's food, but when they called them up and were told he was now working in Bath, they called us," he said.

Abdul and his business partner hope to fly to Perth on Monday to deliver the order of lamb tikka masala, lamb dansak, mushroom pilau, tarka dhal, sag aloo and pratha bread at a cost of 1,500 pounds for food that would normally cost about 140 pounds.

The third test match between England and Australia is due to start in Perth on Thursday.

"They said there aren't that many Indian restaurants there," Abdul said.

The food will be chilled and put in cooler boxes inside their suitcases for the 9,000-mile (14,480 km) journey.

He hopes Australian customs will not confiscate the food.

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