Reviews
11 / 10
2 / 10
Seamus Lohrey
Jak Rata
Namaste Kitchen. I love you. Sorry, did I come on too strong? Can you blame me? Your $4 chips with butter chicken sauce is not only a deal but genius as well. I mean, the best part about butter chicken is objectively the sauce. On top of that, the salt to chip ratio is always spot on and the container of sauce is the perfect amount. Don’t get me started on the extra $4 for a hotdog! Ok, you’ve got me started. Perfectly battered and complemented beautifully by the sweet orange elixir it comes with. Me oh my. I won’t hold it against you guys that you’ve already upped your prices in my brief time here. It's tough out there and demand for butter chicken sauce with battered assortments is at an all time high (and understandably so).
If you're looking for a fresh and original comedy set in a women's prison, you might want to skip Hard Cell, Catherine Tate's first ‘attempt’ at a sitcom.
Food
Now, somebody in the office this week had the absolute nerve to say that your butter chicken doesn’t contain real chicken. I will not buy into these defamatory remarks; I simply do not believe them. I trust you, Namaste Kitchen. I’ve seen that you guys have donuts now. Yet another genius move by you tycoon’s as you look to take over the village green one delicious venture at a time. Now, I am yet to indulge in these myself but my gluten-free friend is a sucker for them despite the pain he endures as a result. I think this puts into words what I simply cannot.
TV Show
The show is a mockumentary that follows Laura (Tate), an inept governess who tries to reform the inmates with her clueless ideas and schemes. Tate also plays several of the prisoners, such as Big Viv, a violent Scottish woman who loves doing Kardashian impressions, and Sian, a Welsh woman who speaks so unintelligibly that she needs subtitles. So like the British version of Lunatics? Tough s(c)ell. The problem is that most of these characters are one-note jokes that get old fast, and the humour relies too much on shit (just bad, not faecal) gags, niche stereotypes and toilet humour (so actual shit jokes). The show also feels dated and out of touch; as it makes fun of racism, homophobia, and classism without much nuance or insight. I’ve read hella praise for Tate's comedic talents and the cast, but I’d have to say the show feels like a lacklustre relic from a bygone era. Hard Cell might be just one hard watch.
This is my ode to Namaste Kitchen. You beautiful, beautiful cooks. Keep churning out that butter chicken sauce and chips, just make sure you remember me when you’ve taken over McDonalds and achieved global dominance.
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