When we think about the legendary band that was The Smiths, our brains don’t exactly jump to Chicken Tikkas and garlic naans. But Deaf Institute-based This Charming Naan has managed to put a fun, unexpected twist on classic Indian cuisine – combining their love for good Indian grub with the iconic North West band. The result? Incredible dish names and fusion dishes that can’t be found anywhere else.
Taking inspiration from the legendary Northern music scene – which birthed iconic bands such as Joy Division, New Order and, of course, The Smiths, the fully vegan Indian restaurant is home to a number of cleverly named dishes – each of which is just as satisfying as the dishes themselves. Chow down on dishes such as Girlfriend in a Korma, Shiela Tikka Bow, Madras Is Murder, Last Night I Dreamt That Some Bhaji Loved Me, and Love Will Tear Us A-pathia. Every menu item is humorously named after a famous rock n roll song, with heavy inspiration taken from Manchester-born The Smiths – making their location at the Deaf Institute incredibly appropriate.
Formerly residing at Retro on Sackville Street, the Indian street food spot was founded back in 2020 – when it started life at Hatch – with an aim to celebrate “everything that is great about northern Britain”, in particular, our love for a good old Ruby Murray.
Today, This Charming Naan can be found within The Deaf Institute – Manchester’s legendary music venue where the likes of Johnny Marr, The 1975 and other big names have performed. Find them Wednesday – Sunday from 4pm until 10pm.