Some years ago, I was standing outside an Indian Restaurant in San Francisco, when a car pulled out of the traffic and screeched to a halt: The driver leaned across and said: "Hey, Man you don't want to eat there it's f***ing c**p - if you want a decent curry, you want to go to the Gaylord on Ghiradelli.

So doing, we entered the same, some time later, without a booking: To be greeted, with Good Evening Mr. Solomon, your window table is ready for you, leading us past a waiting queue.

It occurred that the Manager, the Gaylord being a world wide chain, had just transferred from their Manchester operation, where I had had lunch every week.

So, maybe the difference between Indian cuisine in our two countries is not as pronounced as we might have thought!