Picture caption: Head chef Guneet hosting a recent corporate
cookery lesson for staff and guests of Leonard Curtis
Asha's is Birmingham's top Indian restaurant - and that's
official!
The popular Newhall Street venue beat off hot competition from
city rivals Itihaas and Lasan at the English Curry Awards held at
the Sheraton Suite, Manchester, on Monday night.
Asha's general manager Jai George said: "To make the shortlist
against two such worthy rivals was great - to win the West Midlands
title is just fantastic.
"This just proves what we and our regular customers already know
- the food,ambience and service provided by the team is the simply
the best."
Head chef Guneet and his team specialise in bringing a wide
ranging taste of India to Birmingham, not just the old favourites
such as tikka masala and jalfrezi.
Earlier this year, he spent a week in Dubai, comparing notes
with fellow chefs from Asha's restaurants in Dubai, Kuwait, Abu
Dhabi, Doha and Bahrain, before a "cook off" at the end of the week
to demonstrate innovative dishes that now grace the menus in all
those venues.
The award is just the latest in a line of successes for Asha's.
It was recently named the "Most Diverse Company" by Women of
Cultures at the British Asian Hafta Awards.
And Asha's was also named leading venue in the West Midlands by
a best restaurant guide.
It featured in the Top 100 in the country - based on the
verdicts of 500,000 diners booking via Toptable.com.
The restaurant also scooped the award for Best Indian Restaurant
(Birmingham and Solihull) in the Midlands Curry Awards 2009,
beating off competition from more than 3,000 Midland
restaurants.
Asha's is a regular venue for celebrities visiting Birmingham,
footballers and the city's leading businessmen.Earlier this year
Asha's was used as a venue for filming for Britain's Got Talent
when the show came to Birmingham and The Full Monty was filmed in
the restaurant's kitchen.
Award-winning Asha's is named after the Indian singer and
recording star Asha Bhosle. It has sister restaurants across the
Middle East and is due to open in New York and Delhi.
Old friends, financier Paul Bassi and Pawan Kenth, managing
director of Corporatewear UK, hold the UK franchise rights.