An Essex curry house has won the prestigious Gold Seal at the Good Food Awards. Tandoori Lounge has established itself as one of the most authentic places for Punjabi cuisine in Hornchurch.
A statement from the Good Food Awards said: “When it comes to Hornchurch restaurants, it doesn’t get more stylish than Tandoori Lounge. The restaurant features a clean and minimal décor that will impress on date nights while our buzzing atmosphere will make any occasion feel that much more special.
“Indian food lovers will find themselves spoilt for choice at Tandoori Lounge. The authentic Punjabi menu offers something for all tastes, with a wide selection of meat, fish, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes. But of course, the real gems are the tandoori dishes, with options like tender marinated chicken, lamb shish kebabs and their sizzling Tawa veggie grill.”
Tandoori Lounge was opened by Honey Uppal and her husband Sukh to fulfil the lifetime ambition of Honey’s mother-in-law, who died in 2016. Their goal in starting the restaurant was to bring authentic Punjabi cuisine to the Havering area.
The food on offer is slightly spicier and less sweet than you get in a typical English curry house. The authenticity of the restaurant is increased by the fact that the kitchen staff are all Indian and understand the dishes they are helping to create.
Sukh said: “We’ve created a menu that’s tasty and authentic. Your typical curry house is quite watered down and very sweet. It’s created for the western palette; a madras, or bhuna isn’t an Indian dish.”
Sukh said that until Tandoori Lounge came along, there were few places in the area offering authentic Punjabi cuisine: “Our friends would come around for dinner parties and complain that there was nowhere to eat out serving the dishes we’d make. Before we opened, there were no Punjabi restaurants in Hornchurch.”
Honey and Sukh often talked about opening their own restaurant, but it wasn’t until they saw that Akash, which had previously occupied the Tandoori Lounge site, was up for sale that they realised they could make their dream a reality. Honey said: “Sukh just came home one day and said, ‘I’ve bought it.”
Source : Essex Life
