Asian cuisine is an essential and thriving part of the UK’s food scene. Curries, noodles, dim-sum, ramen, roti, fragrant spices and fiery sauces – from Sri Lanka to Japan, we Brits simply couldn’t live without Asia’s immensely diverse (and immensely tasty) variety of cuisine.
But which Asian restaurants in Britain are doing it best? Well, that’s what the Asian Restaurant and Takeaway Awards (ARTA) are for. The awards are a nationwide celebration of pan-Asian eateries throughout the country and this year’s national and regional winners have just been revealed.
It’s been a pretty rigorous judging process. The competing restaurants were first determined by customer nominations before being whittled down via a round of scoring based on factors including quality of food, quality of service and value for money and online reviews. Then they were subject to regional ‘cook-offs’ where judges rank dishes according to their flavour, appearance, texture, aroma and hygiene.
After all of that, the Milnrow Balti Restaurant in Rochdale, Greater Manchester was officially declared this year’s champion of champions. According to its website, the winning restaurant ‘promises an immersion in renowned Asian hospitality. From the moment you step into our establishment, we envelop you in warmth, whether you're here for a hearty meal, a light snack, or to await your takeaway. The tasteful decor, ambient lighting, and melodic tunes transport you to a realm of rich cultural heritage.’
The other national winners included The Chequers Indian Lounge in Ipswich for Chef of the Year, Kaani Kaana in Chelmsford for Takeaway of the Year and Coco Buffet in Weston-super-Mare, which won Newcomer of the Year.
Here’s the full list of winners:
Champion of Champion: The Milnrow Balti Restaurant, Rochdale, Oldham
National Chef of the Year: The Chequers Indian Lounge, Great Blakenham, Ipswich
National Takeaway of the Year: Kaani Kaana, Chelmsford
Newcomer of the Year: Coco Buffet, Weston-super-Mare
Fine Dine Restaurant of the Year: Dining Room, Sheerness, Rochester
Street Food Restaurant of the Year: My Delhi, Newcastle upon Tyne
Japanese Restaurant of the Year: Maneki Ramen, Worcester
Korean Restaurant of the Year: Yori, Piccadilly Circus, London
Sri Lankan Restaurant of the Year: Colombo Kitchen Restaurant, Worcester Park, Kingston upon Thames
European Restaurant of the Year: Tamasha, Playa Blanca, Spain
Regional Restaurant of the Year – Northern Ireland: Nu Delhi Restaurant Lounge, Belfast
Regional Restaurant of the Year – Wales: Belfoi, Carmarthen, Swansea
Regional Restaurant of the Year – North West: The Milnrow Balti Restaurant, Rochdale, Oldham
Regional Restaurant of the Year – West Midlands: Shifnal Balti, Shifnal, Telford
Regional Restaurant of the Year – East Midlands: Nazreen, Kettering, Northampton
Regional Restaurant of the Year – Hertfordshire: Cumin Bar & Restaurant, Broxbourne, Enfield
Regional Restaurant of the Year – Essex: Cinnamon, Epping, Chelmsford
Regional Restaurant of the Year – Surrey: Tarana, Lingfield, Redhill
Regional Restaurant of the Year – South Central: Jalpari of Woodley, Woodley, Reading
Regional Restaurant of the Year – North London: The Rajdoot, Hampstead, London
Regional Restaurant of the Year – South London: Saka Maka, Hither Green, London
Regional Restaurant of the Year – West London: Durbar Tandoori Restaurant, Bayswater, London
Regional Restaurant of the Year – South West: Daaku, Falmouth, Truro
Regional Restaurant of the Year – Sussex: Tamasha, Lindfield, Redhill
Regional Restaurant of the Year – North East: Raval Indian Brasserie & Bar, Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne
Regional Takeaway of the Year – North East: Balti Hut, Linthorpe, Cleveland
Regional Takeaway of the Year – North West: Bradshaw Tandoori, Bradshaw, Bolton
Regional Takeaway of the Year – West Midlands: Chutney Express, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham
Regional Takeaway of the Year – Essex: Kaani Kaana, Chelmsford
Regional Takeaway of the Year – Surrey: Mohini Balti House, Carshalton, Sutton
Regional Takeaway of the Year – Kent: Sher-E-Bangla, Longfield, Dartford
Regional Takeaway of the Year – East Anglia: Eastern Spice Ipswich, Suffolk, Ipswich
Regional Takeaway of the Year – East Midlands: Miah's Takeaway, Heanor, Derby
Regional Takeaway of the Year – Wales: Kalimirch, Barry, Cardiff
Chef of the Year – Wales: Elaichi, Carmarthen, Swansea
Chef of the Year – East Anglia: The Chequers Indian Lounge, Great Blakenham, Ipswich
Chef of the Year – East London: The Empress, Whitechapel, East London
Chef of the Year – South West: Spice Club, Bridgwater, Taunton
Chef of the Year – Surrey: Indian Panorama, East Molesey, Kingston upon Thames
Chef of the Year – Hertfordshire: Ruby, Hertford, Stevenage
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