Sunderland's My Delhi to officially open as restaurant this week

My Delhi is opening up in the city centre, hoping to emulate the success of its Tyneside venture.

After opening a first outlet in Newcastle in 2019, the pandemic forced the owners to change to a takeaway model in order to keep trading during lockdown.

As a result, My Delhi went on to claim victory on BBC2 show ‘Britain’s Top Takeaway’ hosted by Sara Cox earlier this month. The eatery was also crowned best street food restaurant of the year at the Asian Curry Awards.

Serving what it calls ‘an array of authentic Indian street food dishes inspired by the ‘streets and markets of Delhi,’ the owners – brothers Shah and Elahi Amin, Gaurav Dayal and Husband and wife Garry and Neha Goyal – decided to take on the former Funky Indian and Café 420 site near to the Winter Gardens as a second venture.

Since signing the lease in January, the venue has already been trading as a takeaway but will officially open its doors to the public on Wednesday, June 8, creating 20 jobs.

Elahi said: “When we set up, we knew we had to create an experience that people really bought into. We hired a chef who hails from Delhi and we invested heavily in creating an experience where, when people visited, they aren’t just eating food, they’re also getting an immersive experience through the décor and atmosphere.

“It’s not just the taste, it’s what you see, what you hear. Diners hear the sounds of the street and they feel the ambience. It’s a real experience.

“The Borough Road site is perfectly located. We scoured the city for a while looking for the right spot however as soon as we saw this, we never looked back.

“Offering wise, our Sunderland friends can expect much of the same. The bar will be slightly different as we’ll have a solid bar offer where people can enjoy a quick drink such as draft beers and cocktails. We also have a fantastic cocktail menu which is made up of Indian inspired drinks.”