Asharaf Valappil, head chef at London’s Daawat Restaurant at the Strand Palace Hotel is a finalist in October’s Curry Life Magazine’s annual awards: recognised as the ultimate seal of approval by the UK curry cognoscenti.
Asharaf’s nomination comes at an exciting time for the Daawat Restaurant. A revolutionary summer menu with inspirations drawn from all over the sub-continent has been rapturously received by both critics and guests, many of whom have returned several times to make sure they have tasted the whole menu.
One recent trip advisor reviewer described Daawat as “The best Indian I’ve ever eaten” and a “hidden gem.” Now the team are hard at work planning a menu re-fresh for the winter months.
Another hit has been the Indian Afternoon Tea – believed to be the first in London – which sits alongside a traditional English Afternoon Tea available elsewhere in the hotel.
“It’s a great honour to be selected as a finalist by Curry Life Magazine,” commented Asharaf. “Obviously it’s not just for me. I’m merely the face of the whole team who have worked so hard not just to create the new menus but also ensure consistently high quality food served with flair, knowledge and good humour.”