Chennai Express, in Basingstoke, honoured at curry awards

Chennai Express, in Wote Street, was highly commended in the Local Restaurant of the Year category at the second Nation’s Curry Awards, which took place in Manchester on Monday, January 12.

The restaurant serves a range of South Indian-inspired dishes including biryani, pan-fried fish, samosas, paneer, and a range of curries and offers diners ‘a culinary tour of South India by reflecting the spirit of the diverse spectrum of South Indian cultures and cuisines’, according to its website.

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The restaurant's success at the awards follows on from last year’s ceremony, where Chennai Express was crowned The Best Indian Restaurant of the Year South 2023. The awards celebrate the ‘talent and hard work of individuals and businesses within the UK’s curry industry’.

Kendra Dhakal, 42, general manager of Chennai Express, said: “We attended the awards ceremony on Monday in Manchester and received highly commended in the South. It makes us feel very proud of the team.

“Our menu is very unique, we follow old techniques and use a range of spices, everything we do we put a lot of work into to get the highest quality food, whilst at the same time, offering high-quality customer service and good value.

“We are absolutely delighted and thankful to all the team members, the customers and everyone who has supported us.”

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The restaurant, which opened in November 2018, is owned by Sagar Barlawar and Vamsi Madireddy, who wanted to bring the taste of authentic Southern Indian Street food to Basingstoke.

The pair, who are originally from Hyderabad, India, a region famous for street food, graduated from university in culinary arts before opening the establishment in Wote Street, which has since grown with a second location having opened in Fleet last year.