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Restaurants In Birmingham 1960s
- Thread starter Pam Smith
- Start date
Shortie
master brummie
There was another Chinese near/in the Bull Ring - been without my computer for four days (seems like four years), - unless I have miss-read these posts, no-one has mentioned it. Called the Slowboat. Opposite the church, probably in the 1960's building (which I cannot remember the name of), on the corner of Park Street. I always wanted to go inside, Chinese food was a mystery to me at the time, but it took me about 40 years to pluck up the courage to have 'foreign' food. If it has been mentioned, I apologise, blame it on old age.
dek carr
gone but not forgotten
Shortie I,m glad you never went into the Slowboat they got prosecuted for selling illegal meat if I remember right.Dek
Shortie
master brummie
Oh Dek, that's interesting. I am sure my parents went there or at least I remember some conversation about it. I had no idea about the illegal meat. I think there may have been a lot of that going on in the early years when foreign food was fairly new to the city. Lucky I never went in though, as you say. I was very late getting used to stuff from overseas, being a very visual eater, just as well in this case!
Phil
Gone, but not forgotten.
The Slowboat was indeed on the ground floor level of St Martins house. They used to advertise between films at the Odeon Cinema along the the lines of "Why not enjoy a meal at the Slowboat Restaurant after the film". It wasn't all that long after they opened that a Public Health visit revealed that they were using tinned cat food Kit E Kat in some of their dishes. It didn't seem to do so much trade after that and it quickly changed hands. The Odeon I note dropped the adverts.
Phil
Phil
Shortie
master brummie
So that's where the Kit E Kat jokes came from? Shocking really. What I cannot understand is why Kit E Kat? Surely there was cheap enough meat bought from the markets? I do remember that in the late 1980's I used to work in Hurst Street, at an accountant's office. This was next door to the Australian Bar, and next door to our office was a small Chinese place - possibly a takeaway as I don't remember seeing tables. Some meat which was unrecognisible used to hang outside in the yard - I think we could only see it from our toilet when the window was open, but cannot have been very good for anyone who ate it. I suppose the meat was being dried, but with the traffic in central Birmingham and all the rats around at night, I cannot see that this would have been acceptable at all.
I used to work with a bloke whose previous job was in quality-control at Pedigree Pet Foods, Melton Mowbray. He always reckoned that Whiskas Rabbit Cat Food was the one that unscrupulous restaurant-owners went for, as it contained large pieces of meat and smelled quite appetising. Odd really, because our cats would never touch it.
I do remember the Slow Boat, but never ate there. Now I think about it, you never saw any cats nearby....
Big Gee
I do remember the Slow Boat, but never ate there. Now I think about it, you never saw any cats nearby....
Big Gee
Anyone remember the name of the Indian restaurant that was just off the big island over the road opposite the Swan Yardley pub/night spot. The restaurant had a night club over it. the restaurant was quite large inside, the security guy I think, was called Jimmy he was a large Jamaican and at the tender age of 16 in 1968 my Dad took me there and thats when I fell in love with curries. i remember it was still going in 1970.
christopher short
Birmingham Post
Does anyone recall the Chinese restaurant called the "Kam Ling" that was in a basement opposite the Law Courts during the 1960's ?
sylviasayers
master brummie
The only Kam Lin(g) I remember was at the top end of Livery Street off Colmore Row. This was the first Chinese restaurant I ever visited, and you could have a set meal for 5/6d. This was in the early 1960s.
B
BernardR
Guest
Yes a great place and my first experience of non British food.
Jayell
master brummie
The first Chinese restaurant I ever went to was in Station Street, near The Tatler. I can't remember the name of it but I can remember going over the footbridge at New Street Station and coming out almost opposite the restaurant. First time I went must have been about 1961. We didn't know what to order, so we plumped for No.1 on the menu. When it turned up it really turned my stomach - especially as we'd just come out of Yates's at the time 
!!!!
!!!!
Best Indian, the Koh-I-Noor (? Spelling) was on Bristol Street I think. Had a big tree in the middle of the restaurant. Was going through a phase of reading reading Mervyn Peake at the time and it seemed to fit the bill for some reason. Thinking back I don't really know why! Viv.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
When I was leaving Brum for a two year holiday (I was a Ten Pound Pom- been here ever since) in 1961 I arranged the hire of the upstairs room at The Chapel Hotel so I could say goodbye to my wonderful mates in "The Cherubs Motor Scooter Club".
I was left with a couple of the boys with about 8 pints set up in front of me as the others had all sloped after about half an hour.
I didn't cry into my beer but felt a bit let down as we as a club had survived many ups and downs and many miles in all sorts of weather.
These "Good Mates" told me I should understand that people had their own lives to live etc. and talked me into going to The Kam Ling Restaurant as it had been my favourite Chinese Restaurant for quite a while.
Imagine my joy at being given a big "Surprise" by all the others who had planned this behind my back.
A beautiful restaurant, great food and wonderful staff, in my opinion few have come up to that standard.
Cheers Tim, is that a little tear in my eye?
I was left with a couple of the boys with about 8 pints set up in front of me as the others had all sloped after about half an hour.
I didn't cry into my beer but felt a bit let down as we as a club had survived many ups and downs and many miles in all sorts of weather.
These "Good Mates" told me I should understand that people had their own lives to live etc. and talked me into going to The Kam Ling Restaurant as it had been my favourite Chinese Restaurant for quite a while.
Imagine my joy at being given a big "Surprise" by all the others who had planned this behind my back.
A beautiful restaurant, great food and wonderful staff, in my opinion few have come up to that standard.
Cheers Tim, is that a little tear in my eye?
christopher short
Birmingham Post
Thank you for re-siting the Kam Ling for me and the photos. Memory filing cabinet re-adjusted.
I wonder could you help with this one. It advertised itself, I think as Persian (as was in the '60's). On the edge of the Bull Ring, on the left as the road went down into Digbeth. I took my first serious girlfriend there and left half my monthly salary for the bill. Any ideas ?
I wonder could you help with this one. It advertised itself, I think as Persian (as was in the '60's). On the edge of the Bull Ring, on the left as the road went down into Digbeth. I took my first serious girlfriend there and left half my monthly salary for the bill. Any ideas ?
A Sparks
master brummie
I don't remember the restaurant but was the club called The Cavendish (sister club to the Dolce Vita in town)? Might help someone remember the restaurant it was over.
Phil
Gone, but not forgotten.
Sorry but I can't think of any other restaurant between the Chopsticks Chinese restaurant and the Manzil Indian restaurant in the area and times that you indicate. Can you give a better indication of it's location?
Mickymoo
master brummie
You may well be right Phil,you've got the location spot on ! We used to go in most of the Chinese eating places in town back then,including the Kam Ling in Livery Street,so I'm probably getting them mixed up,many thanks..
i can remember a nepalese reastaurant about where you describe. i think nepal came into its name. If you came out of the Bill Ring bus station, turned left and went towards digbeth, i think it was the last business before you got to the church