We’ve tried a lot of Indian restaurants around Greater Manchester in our time, especially in this very lucky line of work we find ourselves in, but very few meals have compared to the feast the fine folks at Asha’s served up when we tried their new ‘Live Like a Maharaja’ menu.
This limited-time-only offering from the much-loved Manchester restaurant, bar and globally renowned Indian franchise is inspired by the royal cuisine of Rajasthan and it certainly lived up to that billing on our visit.
Located just below the boutique hotel, Forty Seven, Asha’s boasts seven sites worldwide including their location here in the city centre and has regularly attracted glowing reviews and famous faces in equal measure as their reputation has grown.
Countless celebrities such as Heston Blumenthal, Amir Khan, The Rolling Stones; Priyanka Chopra and Tom Cruise have eaten at Asha’s since it was first founded back in 2002 and, more recently, Travis and The Killers stopped into the Peter Street site on their trips to Manchester.
With that in mind, it’s fair to say our hopes were pretty high. They didn’t let us down – not one bit.
There’s no better way to start a meal, is there?Credit: The Manc Eats
From the moment you walk into the luxurious entrance of Asha’s Manchester, you’re immediately met with a sense that you’re not just here for a meal but something special; from the warm welcome to the cosy but classy and stylish surroundings, we should have guessed we were in for a little something extra.
Namesake and founder, Asha Bhosle, deep-dived into how she came up with the menu through memories of her early childhood, where she spent years travelling around with her father’s theatre company.
“The company all had food together”, she explained, “with my father presiding at the head of the table. I enjoyed watching the joy on the diners’ faces as they savoured tasty delights… Over the years, I attempted to learn the diversity of Indian food, which changes from region to region. India is the land of countless religions, cultures, languages, dialects and taste buds.”
But we won’t dilly dally around the dressings up for too long – we can’t lie: the thing that bowled us over the most was the pure indulgence of the spread laid out before us as we sipped on two delicately balanced and refreshing cocktails with just a hint of the South Asian spices we were about to sample.
We were fortunate enough to get to try the whole menu and we’re not exaggerating when we tell you these were some of the most plentiful, flavour-packed and beautifully presented plates we’ve had at a curry house in a long while.
Each dish had big notes that you could discern from the next; the gravy base for every sauce was as thick and creamy as the last, but with the first mouthful of each you could instantly tell how the profile of, say, the rich chicken Jodphuri was entirely different from the lighter, more aromatic prawn Jaisamandi.
A ridiculous amount of punch with every bite.
We spent most of the meal trying to decide what we preferred most and it was genuinely overwhelming at times with the embarrassment of Rajasthani riches before us that we couldn’t help going back for more of. Even the rice options were so fragrant we kept grabbing another spoonful just for the sake of it.
And then there were sides and meat dishes that accompanied the curries: the Royal tandoori chicken, the larger Rampuri chicken biryani for sharing (complete with dried fruits, lentils, whole eggs and all), the frankly addictive almond patty battles, and not forgetting the saffron-stained tail-on Jaipuri prawns.
The Jungli maas was certainly the most fiery item on the menu, with some genuine heat going on amidst the slow-cooked pieces of lamb and spicy sauce, but we have to say that it was another lamb dish that proved to be the ultimate showstopper: the parda biryani.
Comfortably up there not just with the best biryanis but the best dishes we’ve ever had at an Indian restaurant full-stop, if this menu is supposed to be fit for a king or a queen, then this is undoubtedly the jewel in the crown.
From the sheer pageantry of lifting back the dough lid to reveal the steaming gold pot of succulent meat, spices, yoghurt and fluffy basmati rice, to peeling off a piece of that crust kissed with the perfect amount of char and caramelised sugars that made for a perfect mini-flatbread wrap, it was exquisite.
A mouthful so good we couldn’t include the video due to NSFW noises.
Our mouths are genuinely watering just reliving what we’re now calling a culinary core memory and though the whole grand banquet may have been designed for India’s bygone royalty and their endless stomachs, even trying one of the dishes with a side or two would leave you beyond full and content.
ButAsha’s ‘Live Like a Maharaja’ menu isn’t just about serving up very good food, it’s a whole experience where the description of the background, herb and spice blends, as well as the all-round attention to detail, is just as much a part of your meal as the eating is.
Even the cookware and crockery were specially crafted not just for this restaurant but for this menu only, designed, burnished and maintained to the highest standard as only a Maharaja or Maharani would expect. We’d happily eat all of this out of a takeaway box but getting the full treatment was a real treat.
Asha’s has created seven truly divine dishes to be served up in the most decadent manner with the Maharaja menu and you won’t be disappointed whatever you decide to order, but this special selection of Rajasthani gems is only available for a limited time only, so we urge you to try it while you can.
As the lady herself puts it: “The menu is inspired by the offerings of great chefs that I have met and I sincerely hope that you, your family and friends share in my family secrets and enjoy the recipes of my heart.” You can enjoy ‘Live Like a Maharaja’ now – bookings are advised.
Drag Race UK winner Kyran Thrax plans PERFECT Manchester day out ahead of hosting all-new racing event
Thomas Melia
Ahead of hosting the cleverly-named Drag Race event ‘Glam Prix’ in the city centre, Kyran Thrax plans their perfect day out in Manchester.
Now it’s not a secret that Manchester is home to music royalty, but this city has always been a must-visit for various celebrities – including Drag Race UK season six winner Kyran Thrax.
This talented performer has spent plenty of time in the city centre and is now sharing their Manchester city centre hotspots ahead of their upcoming appearance at entertainment venue Chaos Karts for ‘Glam Prix’.
Kyran Thrax and a whole host of Drag Queens are coming to Chaos Karts for their ‘Glam Prix’ event in Manchester / Credit: Supplied
Thrax begins the day with a light walk through Urbis to reminisce their teenage years, and a must-have time has to be a “three pound can of cider”.
From this, our horizons and tastebuds take a two-minute journey to the always-beautiful Corn Exchange ,which houses a huge selection of food options – but this performer loves one spot in particular.
A special shoutout to the team at the Italian eatery’s city centre site as the performer notes: “[Vapiano] never hits as hard as it does in Manchester”.
After munching down on some much-needed carbs and cheesy goodness, the Drag Race UK winner must pay a visit to not one, but over 60 independent retailers, as they take us toAfflecks.
Afflecks is one of Thrax’s favourite spots and with a huge selection of independent retailers we can see why / Credit: The Manc Group
The UK Drag Queen reveals a fun fact about themselves, noting: “I actually got my nipple pierced in Afflecks and she’s still going strong”.
Now that we’re dazzling in vintage fashion, jewellery, accessories and an all-new nipple piercing courtesy of this independent shopping hub, a night out on Canal Street is definitely necessary.
The Drag Queen has frequented this party paradise, also known as Gay Village, many times and has even performed on various stages.
Thrax recounts: “I was on stage so late that when I left it was daylight. Everyone was going to work with their briefcases and I’m here, 30 inch wig, face immaculate, but my beard’s coming through,” – a stellar night out, if you ask us.
Gay Village is known for throwing some of the best parties including Manchester Pride Festival / Credit: The Manc Group
Kyran Thrax will be hosting Manchester’s first-ever Drag Queen Drag Race event ‘Glam Prix’ at Chaos Karts in Manchester with a team of iconic performers who are ready to take to the tracks.
The event, which cleverly combines both meanings of the phrase Drag Race, takes place just days before Manchester Pride Festival 2025, on Wednesday 20 August.
Although a whole host of Drag performers have been announced, there’s also chance for three lucky members of the public to try and secure pole positions by racing alongside these UK Queens.
If you fancy attending and racing as part of the ‘Glam Prix’ event at Chaos Karts, you can find all the information you need as well as your chance to enter HERE.
Featured Images – Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)
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Bohemian FC are giving away five of their viral Oasis football shirts
Danny Jones
Irish football club and growing cult favourite footy fashion industry-leaders, Bohemians, recently dropped a limited edition Oasis shirt to celebrate the Live ’25 reunion tour.
Now, if you were at the Heaton Park dates or any of the comeback shows, you will likely have seen a fair few gig-goers donning the Bohemian FC x Oasis kit collab.
In fact, even if you’ve walked through Manchester city centre over the past couple of months, the chances are you passed someone wearing one of these Britpop-inspired shirts, which have quickly gone down as music culture collectables.
And while pretty much every bit of Oasis’ official adidas Originals clobber and countless other bits of merch continue to sell out, ‘The Bohs’ are offering you lucky lot the chance to cop a free kit. If you’re interested, keep reading…
The Bohemians x Oasis collab shirt is one of our favourites of the year. (Credit: Bohemian Football Club (supplied)
For anyone unaware of the background behind this crossover, the Bohemians are a 100% fan-owned, not-for-profit organisation, who also happen to be the oldest club in the League of Ireland.
Based in Dublin, the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division side has remained deeply immersed in the local community and its sporting culture throughout their history, and of late, they’ve been further infusing that heritage with their equally deep connection to the arts.
Over the past few seasons, they blended footy with the music world, releasing several exclusive and highly sought-after kits that all tie back into the club in some capacity, including shirts inspired by Bob Marley, compatriots Thin Lizzy and Fontaines D.C. (equally viral), as well as our very own Oasis.
Liam and Noel Gallagher’s following and its Irish contingent, in particular, are as strong as they’ve ever been, so ahead of the reunion shows getting underway last month, Bohemian FC revealed their special FAI Cup shirt paying homage to the Burnage boys.
Featuring the band’s iconic logo in the traditional blue tones of Dublin City, it went down as an instant hit among Oasis and Bohs fans alike, as well as among footy kit culture connosieurs.
Better still, all the profits from the shirt sales are being split between Bohemian FC and two key charities back in the Emerald Isle and in 0161: Music Generation Ireland and Irish Community Care Manchester, based on Stockport Road – not too far from where the Gallaghers grew up.
Now, although the Manc music legends never played Bohemians’ home stadium at Dalymount in Phibsborough, the Gallaghers remain two of the most iconic green and gold-blooded musicians ever.
Having crossed off Cardiff, Manchester, London and Edinburgh off their Live ’25 reunion tour, their Dublin double-header is up next this August, with two shows taking place at Croke Park, less than a mile from the hallowed ground.
Whether or not you’ve got tickets to see them in the ancestral homeland, or anywhere else for that matter and want to look the part, or just want to wear your colours for as long as Oasis mania lasts, you might as well throw your hat in the ring to win one of five FREE Bohs footy shirts.
As for how to enter, it’s all very simple: fill out the competition form HERE; like and share this post on X (formerly known as Twitter), and follow our Audio North music page, as well as the official @bfcdublin account on Instagram.
Oh, and tagging a friend or sharing a pic of your best Oasis memories wouldn’t hurt either.
That’s it; we didn’t want to make things complicated – this is a giveaway not only in the hopes of scoring our readers with a freebie but a charitable one that helps Irish cousins over the water and here in Manchester.
Danny Jones -
18th July 2024 
