So, where do our top chefs go for a tasty takeaway?
CULINARY WIZARDS CHOOSE THEIR FAVOURITE DELIVERIES
WE all have our favourite takeaway. Fish and chips is up there but if you want to spice things up it has to be curry.
Pizza, Chinese and Thai are other favourites, while kebabs and burgers are always “The One” for some.
But sometimes they don’t live up to your dreams and your night is ruined if the delivery is late, your order is wrong, or the food is cold, burnt or under-cooked.
So who do you trust when you fancy trying somewhere new? Your friends? Tripadvisor?
Or how about a professional chef? Even the pros behind some of Nottingham’s most imaginative, creative culinary gems deserve time out from the kitchen so we asked them for their recommendations.
HIRA THAKUR
■■ The former Masterchef contestant is a sous-chef at fine dining Trent Bridge restaurant Six and his flair for Asian flavours has led to him creating his own “heat at home” takeaway service during lockdown.
But when he’s not slaving over a hot stove, Burg, a new burger joint in a Woodborough Road, Mapperley, has become a bit of a favourite treat.
Hira said: “I enjoy their Angry Bird chicken burger with buttermilk fried chicken. It’s crispy and nice and tender inside. I normally add homemade pickled cucumber at home.
“I sometimes like Domino’s Pizza – a Veggie Volcano. Sometimes you need fast food in your life. I do train lots every weekend, so like to treat myself with bit of takeaway, I did run 160k last month,” he said.
ALEX BOND
■■ When he’s not tied to the kitchen at his Michelin-starred restaurant Alchemilla in Nottingham, Alex likes the occasional blow-out at his favourite Indian takeaway.
■■His number one choice is Rikshaw Urban Indian Kitchen in Mansfield Road, Sherwood.
The award-winning business – which scooped the 2020 crown for the best takeaway in the East Midlands – prides itself on being a new-style Indian food outlet with a focus on healthy dishes cooked in an open kitchen.
Typically the chef, whose plantbased dishes are the star of the show on Alchemilla’s tasting menu, would kick off with poppadoms and pickles, followed by vegetable biryani and paneer makhani – hot, of course... if you can’t stand the heat and all that.
And to mop up all that delicious sauce it has to be a peshwari naan.
He said: “It’s really tasty and excellent quality compared to what Indian takeaways can be like.”
ADAM BLANCHARD
■■ Adam is a private chef who served his apprenticeship at the acclaimed five-star Claridge’s Hotel in London and worked his way up the ranks.
One of his greatest achievements was to cook alongside celebrated chef Rene Redzepi and the team of NOMA – one of the best restaurants in the world – during the 2012 London Olympics.
Now living in Nottingham, he runs his own company Bubbling Butter Catering, creating bespoke menus for food lovers featuring exquisite dishes such as butter poached lobster and beef wellington.
But even professional chefs don’t want to cook all the time so when he fancies a break Adam’s number one takeaway is Chan’s in Lowdham.
Small and unremarkable-looking from the outside, the takeaway in Main Street serves up exceptionally good food.
“It’s Chan’s for a proper Chinese. Their roast pork in szechuan sauce is an absolute winner. It’s always hot and always amazing quality,” said Adam.
JACK PEARCE
■■ The winner of best young chef of Nottingham 2019 doesn’t have to think twice about his favourite takeouts.
Jack, who used to work at World Service and is a sous chef at the Red Lion in Thurgarton, has two haunts when he wants a night off from the kitchen.
One of those is a Chinese takeaway from Yeung Sing at Bingham Townhouse in Market Street, where he’ll order prawn toast, hoisin duck wraps, crispy beef, special fried rice and salt and pepper chips
“It’s an extremely good Chinese at affordable prices,” said Jack.
“The go-to chippy is the
Cod’s Scallops for battered fish, chips and curry sauce. You know the quality you’re going to get and it never disappoints.”
CRAIG FLOATE
The private chef normally cooks in the homes of people celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, hen dos and other special occasions.
During lockdown he has kept busy by offering one of the best-tasting heat-at-home deliveries in Nottingham, a veritable feast with dishes such as 48-hour braised rolled beef short rib with truffle and chive pomme puree.
But when he’s off-duty, it’s usually pizza with the family.
“He said: “If we are having a family evening a movie and pizza is on the cards with two young kids. We always go with Zaza Pizza which is in Long Eaton.
“The pizzas are always hot, tasty, crusty homemade bases and plenty of toppings to choose from. Definitely one for the family. “Another favourite is Gyros Express, once again in Long Eaton. Their wraps are superb. You can tell they are homemade and have plenty of choices of fillings and sauces. It’s filling but doesn’t leave you with that belly-busting sick feeling.”
PAUL THACKER
Since leaving his role as executive chef at Chino Latino, Paul has been involved with restaurants including Six and the Cat & Wickets pub, and currently runs his own luxury sushi business called Uramaki.
His top takeaway is from Arthur and Elizabeth’s Fish Bar in Aspley. “I’ve never had a soggy haddock there and the chips are always crisp and fresh.”
His second choice would be Shaks in Southchurch Drive, Clifton. “I’ve great memories of sharing a Shaks kebba with my brother. This is a three-meat special and we always get a Diet Coke to go with it.”
In third place is Taste of India, in Abbey Street, Lenton, for a curry. “It has to be a lamb bhuna and prawn saag – a great blend of spices and the lamb is always spot on.”
PETE HEWITT
■■ The former Masterchef finalist and Homeboys founder has a flair for Asian flavours so it’s not surprising he’s opted for the Far East for his favourite takeaway from a fledgling company called Prad Thai.
Khao Soi, a dish of chicken thighs on egg noodles with shallots, fresh herbs, lime and chilli oil in a coconut milk curry-based soup, and Kaoh Moo Daeng, barbecued pork and rice, are the kind of dishes served.
Pete said: “No fixed shop as of yet but they had a pop-up in French Living in King Street and do pick ups from their house in Wollaton.
“Super fresh, exciting Thai dishes are cooked by a group of young hungry chefs that are a great addition to the Notts food scene. This lot are set to do some big things.”
JACOB ROBINSON
■■ The talented young chef heads up the Factory Kitchen, in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, but since it’s only just over the Notts border we’re claiming him for the sake of this article.
“Easy that, really,” he said, when we asked him to recommend his favourite takeaway.
The Cod’s Scallops, which has chippies in Wollaton, Carrington and Long Eaton, is the best, said Jacob. And he’s not alone in thinking that, since it’s still the reigning number one chippy in the UK after Covid halted the awards for 2020.
Jacob, who honed his craft in restaurants owned by Michelinstarred chefs Marcus Wareing and Richard Corrigan, said: “Ninety nine percent of the time I have the battered hake, chips, peas and curry sauce.
“The fish is always fantastic, supplied by Richard Wragg from the Fishrich Seafood Company who I use at the Factory Kitchen as well.
“The chips are probably the best chippy chips I’ve ever had and the
It’s Chan’s for a proper Chinese. Their roast pork in szechuan sauce is an absolute winner Adam Blanchard
mushy peas are proper and don’t look like they’ve come from space.
“It’s more expensive than your average chippy, but it’s out on its own in terms of quality. They deserve all the accolades they’ve got and will inevitably get in the future. Last time I went I broke from tradition and had one of their homemade pies, steak and ale. What I really liked about this were the whole baby onions inside the pie mix – they really added to it – and the pastry crust was as light as a feather.”
MARTIN SLUDDS
■■ Martin is a master of classic British cookery at fine dining restaurant Hart’s in Nottingham, creating dishes such as grilled plaice, broccoli, Jersey Royal potatoes and burnt caper butter and pan-fried calves liver, tartar mash onions and bacon.
But when it come to his downtime he likes to get stuck into a takeaway from the Greek Brothers in Fulmar Close, Forest Town.
Martin said: “It’s new to the area and opened in February. My go-to dish is the traditional Greek chicken gyros, they are delicious. The food tastes great, really fresh and full of flavour.”
MARK OSBOURNE
■■ It has to be curry for the chef who designs the menus at gastropubs The Railway in Lowdham and The Radcliffe in Radcliffe-on-trent.
■■Mark heads to Haveli in Attenborough Lane, Chilwell, a swish restaurant that also does takeaways and is a past winner of Nottinghamshire Live’s Indian Restaurant of the Year. Like most of us Mark doesn’t stray too far from his favourite dishes, ordering two certain curries time and time again.
He said: “Our favourites are the Haveli Chicken and the Goan Sea Bass Curry. Both are amazing. For me it’s by far the best Indian around. We were using it well before the pandemic. It’s not the cheapest but well worth it and it’s local to me, just five minutes away.”
JOHN MOLNAR
■■ The owner of the Cod’s Scallops would no doubt pick his own awardwinning chain of fish and chip shops but we made him choose another.
■■The chef, who has worked in kitchens for 30-plus years, is partial to an Indian takeaway and the place he’d head is Karikana, in Woodborough Road, Mapperley.
“I would order Mirchi lamb, chicken tikka madras, lamb methi gosht, king prawn Karachi, rice, onion bhaji, dahl and maybe a saag aloo paneer. I know it’s a lot but it means breakfast the next day is sorted. It’s my favourite because every dish has a distinct flavour profile, it’s consistent and restaurant quality. I’m salivating...”
THOMAS GREIG
■■ The chef, who used to work for Gordon Ramsay, carved out a career in London but he moved back to Notts on the day Tier 4 was announced in the capital.
Since settling back on home ground he used his spare time during lockdown to launch a heat-at-home concept called Brasian, which blends British produce with a hint of Asian influence and flair. But when it comes to a takeaway, he favours flavours that are full-on American. His most recent takeaway was a burger from Annie’s Burger Shack, which has been running a click-andcollect service from the restaurant in Broadway, Nottingham, during lockdown.
“It was very, very good – the best burger I’ve had outside of London. It was just super tasty. I can’t resist peanut butter so I went for the Elvis,” he said.