Wales’ best in Curry Awards
THE chef of a much-loved Cardiff restaurant who learned the art of cooking from his grandmother when he was just eight years old has been named Chef of the Year at the Asian Curry Awards.
He joins a host of Welsh winners at the ceremony which celebrates the industry’s best Asian and Oriental cuisines.
Neil Patel works as head chef at the family-run Vegetarian
Food Studio, which has been celebrated by these awards before.
In 2020 and 2021 it won Best Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurant of the Year.
Neil, who owns the highly-rated restaurant with his father Jim Patel, began his culinary journey as a boy cooking alongside his grandmother Sharda as she served dishes at the temple where the family workshipped.
Now, more than two decades on, the restaurant is a firm favourite among the Grangetown commmunity and beyond – and it shows in the many awards the business has been honoured with.
It has also won national recognition in The Sunday Times, Guardian and Daily
Telegraph for its food.
Vegetarian Food Studio’s chef wasn’t the only Wales-based foodie to receive gongs at the national awards.
Restaurants Sheesh Mahal in Llanelli and Ijazz in Wrexham won Best Restaurant in the north and south of Wales respectively.
Ijazz took to Facebook to tell its loyal customers the “great news”.
It said: “Ijazz Indian restaurant has achieved another Prestigious Award in London today has become a Best Indian Restaurant in North Wales on Asian Curry Awards 2022!! Thanks to all the loyal customers and hardworking staff, without your support that wouldn’t have happened!!”
Barry takeaway Tiffin Rasoi won the Takeaway of the Year for its local region (Glamorgan) as did Bayleaf Bangaldeshi Express Kitchen for Newport.
Announcing the news to its Instagram following, Tiffin Rasoi wrote: “We’re absolutely delighted to share that we have won the ‘Takeaway of the Year’ National Award last night at the Asian Curry Awards 2022, which was held at the iconic JW Marriott Grosvenor House, Mayfair, London.
“We absolutely couldn’t have done it without our fantastic customers! A very special ‘thank you’ from all of us here at Tiffin Rasoi for your support.”
Bayleaf also posted its delight on Facebook, writing alongside a collection of pictures: “Bayleaf Award Winner. We’re absolutely delighted to share that we have won the ‘Takeaway of the Year’ award last night at the Asian Curry Awards 2022, which was held at the iconic Grosvenor House,
Mayfair.
“We absolutely couldn’t have done it without our fantastic customers! A very special ‘thank you’ from all of us here at Bayleaf Risca for your support especially during these hard times. A special thanks to the Asian Catering Federation judges. From everyone at Bayleaf, a huge thank you.”