Lanarkshire eateries reach Spice awards grand final
A host of Lanarkshire restaurants and takeaways are in the running at this year's Spice awards honouring Scotland's best pan-Asian food spots.
Those leading the way with multiple nominations include Hamilton favourite House of Shah and Wee Gurkha Curry House in Blantyre – both of whom will be taking part in next month's live cook-off to determine the winner of the curry championship.
Described as 'the hottest awards in the Scottish food calendar', the awards across a host of categories will be presented at a ceremony in Glasgow next month, following the initial round of nominations by the public and now a round of visits by expert judges to the shortlisted finalists
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House of Shah and Wee Gurkha Curry House are also both finalists in the best chef category, along with Lanarkshire neighbours at the Tudor Hotel in Airdrie, Crowwood Hotel in Muirhead and Bombay Dreams in Cumbernauld.
The Hamilton team at House of Shah are also shortlisted for both their pakora and kebabs, as is Asian Tandoori in Cambuslang. The other nominees in the best pakora category include The Kurry Lounge in Hamilton and Starrys Curry House in Airdrie; while those shortlisted for best kebab are Lamego's and Grillzz, both in Wishaw, and Spices Bellshill.
Wee Gurkha is in the running for the title of best Nepalese restaurant, and is nominated for best team alongside Kurry Lounge, the Tudor and East Kilbride eateries Mekong and Punjab Tadka.
Cumbernauld restaurant Bombay Dreams has also reached the final of the curry championships category along with the two South Lanarkshire establishments; and has also earned nominations in the category of best manager and for best family restaurant alongside Firangi in Cambuslang.
The best newcomer category includes finalist places for Grillzz in Airdrie, Lamego's in Blantyre, Qabeela Shinwari in Hamilton and Tikka N Talk in Bellshill; and Firangi and the Tudor are both finalists for customer service.
Nominees for best Indian takeaway include 11 Spices in Coatbridge, Cambuslang favourites Asian Tandoori and Firangi, and Real Spice in Cumbernauld; and the best Indian restaurant nominees include Firangi, the Tudor and Punjab Tadka in East Kilbride for the west title, and Tikka N Talk in the central area.
Salt Hamilton and Oiishi East Kilbride are in the running for the title of best Japanese restaurant; I-Chai Express in Airdrie and Padi in East Kilbride are finalists for the Chinese takeaway title; and the best peri peri category has nominations for Figo's in Coatbridge, Grillzz in Airdrie and Wishaw, and the Blantyre branch of Lamego's – which is also nominated for social media.
Awards director Warren Paul said: 'We are incredibly proud of the passion the Spice awards inspire across the whole of Scotland – the number of entries and votes this year was way beyond expectations.
'Thank you to everyone who has nominated or voted and good luck to all our finalists; this is already a big achievement as the volume of entries was staggering. The voting element has now concluded and our expert judging panel will get to work.'
He added of the awards, now in their seventh year: 'They're growing every year and different ideas, cultures and talents are being recognised from across the Asian continent as we celebrate the massive impact on Scotland.
'This truly is a celebration of some of the best food on the planet – we are very lucky to have such a rich and diverse culture in Scotland's hospitality scene.'
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