Pasha Restaurant

This Kurdish café is located down an alleyway off the main road in Rusholme. Keep an eye out for their sandwich board on the pavement — there is no fascia on the premises which are inside the black doors on the left side of the alley.
Once inside the doors, there is no evidence you are still in England! (OK, maybe some football shirts.) K-​pop videos play on the large TV, the walls are largely undecorated, and the occupants are mainly a close-​knit groups of Kurdish guys enjoying their food.
No menu! Instead, have a look at the contents of the deli fridge — hummus, sauerkraut, salad, olives — the food on the tables and in preparation at the tandoor oven and grill behind the counter. As a vegetarian, I was still drawing a blank and so Beston (the owner) brought out first a yellow consommé and then a tomato & okra soup for me to try. For £6, I’ve found I can enjoy rice garnished with noodles, the tomato & okra soup which serves as a sauce for everything, salad mezze and one tandoor naan bread — it’s a good meal! I also tried a cold yoghurt and lemon drink which was refreshing, if a bit sour for my tastebuds.
There is a lot more choice here for the non-​vegetarian — various soups and stews are ready to serve. Also, I was as fascinated as a child by the sparks flying from the grill which is simply a metal tray of hot charcoal over which skewers are laid beneath a brick chimney — what more do you need!
The vibe in here is like a Kurdish social club which left the door ajar — but you are very welcome to join!