Chennai Indian Cuisine has made it two gongs in a row at the Curry Life Awards. Here’s why
Ashraf Miah, the owner of Chennai Indian Cuisine in Leek, Staffordshire, is not one to do things by halves. The restaurant, which opened in 2024, was designed entirely by Ashraf and he also helped revamp and decorate the premises to his specifications. The restaurant’s glass decor, water features, mirrors, a bar and ambient lighting, give it a very contemporary, yet cosy feel.
“I spotted the potential with the location and designed the restaurant myself – I wanted it to be eye-catching the minute people walk in,” says Ashraf. “This included everything from the colour scheme to the features to the cutlery and plates; it’s very contemporary.”
All this hard work has certainly paid off. Ashraf’s restaurant was named Best Restaurant of the Year at the Curry Life Awards 2025 for the second year in a row, and continues to impress diners. For Ashraf, it’s been important to deliver something different to the area in every aspect, from ambience, to service to the quality of the food.
Different by design
With such an emphasis on design, first impressions are important for Ashraf and his team; a restaurant’s design has to offer something different and eyecatching, to draw customers in.
“If you look at a restaurant and it doesn’t attract the customers, then you can’t provide the service, the food and everything else,” he says. “This is one of the main reasons why we focus so heavily on design – we want to create that wow factor from the start and continue this with the service and the food.”
Ashraf has plenty of experience in attracting and impressing diners, as Chennai Indian Cuisine is one of three restaurants he has designed himself, the other two being the established Monsoon and Cavalli, which opened in Stone just over a year ago. At the age of 38, he’s also racked up an impressive 20 years in the Indian restaurant sector, having worked at various other establishments and trained as a chef. And he has plenty more ideas up his sleeve.
“Having started at a relatively young age, I’ve learnt the trade over the years and had several restaurants and takeaways – I’m committed to the three I have at the moment but I’m keen to expand when the time is right,” says Ashraf.
Balancing act
Ashraf believes that finding the right staff is one of the industry’s biggest challenges and he acknowledges that his staff’s hard work and dedication has been key to the business’ success. Ashraf’s commitment to them – and their training, has also contributed to the restaurant’s glowing reputation and continued growth. With three restaurants, Ashraf is able to train staff, giving them a thorough grounding and by rotating them between the three businesses, they gain invaluable experience.
And while Ashraf is a trained chef himself, he is more than happy to leave the cooking to his experienced kitchen staff of chefs and sous chefs. The past year has been exceptionally busy at the restaurant leading to growth in the team – a necessary step to meet increased demand while maintaining high standards.
And while prices continue to creep up – across ingredients and utilities, and wages become more expensive, it’s all about finding the right balance. If prices are increasing, it’s key to let customers know exactly what they are paying for, such as premium ingredients. When you deliver on expectations, customers will not only come back, they’ll tell others about your business too.
“Everything increases at the same time – if our expenses go up, so do our goods and products,” says Ashraf. “We have to be competitive but we also have to stand out. Once you attract the customers, you have to ensure that the food is the best standard possible – and beyond. We handpick our suppliers and use the best quality ingredients, with dishes freshly-prepared.”
Ashraf doesn’t appear hopeful of government support anytime soon; living with what you have at the current time and making it work for your business is a strategy that appears to be paying off.
“We have to just carry on and manage the situation the way it is – we can’t rely on something that’s not going to happen,” he says. “At the end of the day, you have to live with what you have at the moment. Obviously, if things get better, it’s fine, but if things don’t, then we have to survive somehow. You have to be busy in a restaurant or you’ll struggle. You have to stay on top of everything but you also have to be prepared to change if things aren’t working.”
While Ashraf acknowledges that the current environment is not a good time to start a business, and even tougher to grow one, he says it’s important to focus on what your targets and goals are and to keep aiming high.
Dishes and drinks with a twist
Customers clearly enjoy Chennai Indian Cuisine’s food but its range of drinks also gets the thumbs up. Drinks include a choice of premium champagne and cocktails, some of which feature touches like dry ice for a theatrical effect.
“We like to make people’s experiences with us special and memorable, whether that’s through the food, drink or atmosphere,” adds Ashrif. “I love interacting with people – what motivates me is seeing people coming, trying the curry, enjoying it and having a good time.”
The food certainly speaks for itself, judging from the glowing reviews on sites such as TripAdvisor, where Chennai Indian Cuisine is ranked in the top ten out of more than 80 restaurants in the area. Reviews comment on the ‘fresh, cheerful ambience’, ‘the delicious food…full of flavour and perfectly cooked’, ‘authentic cuisine’ and ‘attentive staff.’
For Ashraf, presentation is as important as the flavours, and creating something unique is vital too. Among the ‘Chef’s Impeccable Specialities’ and a customer favourite, you’ll find Lasani Murgh Bahar, chicken breast laced with fresh garlic paste and fresh herbs then cooked in the tandoor, served with a medium strength bhuna sauce. There’s also the Chicken Bhuna Masala, a dish combining two popular, traditional dishes, giving a new spin to customer favourites.
Other dishes in demand include Chicken Green Massalla, a hot dish cooked with a special mixture of fresh green herbs, green chillies, coriander, green pepper and fresh garlic and Tandoori Chamantkar Chicken, featuring tandoori chicken off the bone cooked with a tamarind sauce, fresh green peppers. green chillies, onion, tomato and coriander.
There’s plenty of seafood on the menu too, with specialities including Haryali Chingri, tandoor-cooked king prawn laced with a fusion of herbs and spices, served with a rich aromatic sauce made with spinach. Vegans, vegetarians and those wanting more healthy dishes are also all well catered for.
Business boost
Winning a Best Restaurant of the Year award for two years in a row has made Ashraf and his team extremely proud of what they have achieved at Chennai Indian Cuisine, particularly as competition in the area is particularly strong. This year, two other restaurants in and around Staffordshire were also honoured.
“It’s given the business a real boost and kept us on our toes, and we wanted to carry on maintaining – and even exceeding this standard,” says Ashraf. “This is why we’ve done it second time round – we’ve built something and been able to keep on improving.” l
Chennai Indian Cuisine
High Street
Leek ST13 5DZ
Staffordshire
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