Award-winning My Delhi restaurant announces it's heading to Sunderland - here's what to expect

The hustle and bustle of Delhi is heading to Sunderland with the news that a successful Newcastle restaurant is to open a sister site in the city centre.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

My Delhi has had great success since it opened in Clayton Street in Newcastle in 2019, building up a firm following for its authentic street food and ambience of India’s capital city, and scooping awards in the prestigious Asian Curry Awards and the English Curry Awards.

Now, it’s been announced that the street food restaurant will take over an empty Sunderland city centre unit.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Although the exact location is being revealed in a couple of works, the owners of My Delhi say they already have the keys and that Sunderland can expect great things.

The successful My Delhi restaurant in Newcastle is to open a sister site in SunderlandThe successful My Delhi restaurant in Newcastle is to open a sister site in Sunderland
The successful My Delhi restaurant in Newcastle is to open a sister site in Sunderland

Renovation works will begin soon at the new site, which will follow the theme of the original, but on a larger scale.

Brothers Elahi Shah Amin and Shah Amin and their family have decades of experience running restaurants and takeaways in the North East, but the siblings wanted to create a whole new concept for their My Delhi brand.

Elahi said: “We are all about the experience at My Delhi. It’s so important to us, we want to transport people to the streets of Delhi with our decor and food.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"When you come in you have the street songs, Bollywood posters, street art and a plasma screen showing Delhi street scenes. We work with a very talented interior designer, and you feel like you’re there. A lot of Indian people eat here and they say it makes them feel like they are in Delhi.”

My Delhi Indian Streetery on Clayton Street, Newcastle, from left, Elahi Shah Amin, executive chef Gaurav Dayal and Shah Amin.My Delhi Indian Streetery on Clayton Street, Newcastle, from left, Elahi Shah Amin, executive chef Gaurav Dayal and Shah Amin.
My Delhi Indian Streetery on Clayton Street, Newcastle, from left, Elahi Shah Amin, executive chef Gaurav Dayal and Shah Amin.

Brother Shah said: “A lot of restaurants say they are authentic, but the food here really is how it is in Delhi. Our chefs are from Delhi and they make the food how it should be.”

The Sunderland city centre site will be double the size of the original My Delhi, which will continue to operate, and will be spread over two floors with a bar and a restaurant of up to 100 covers.

The expansion will create a minimum of 30 jobs in both the sit-in and take away side, and is expected to open this spring.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Elahi said: “The Newcastle restaurant has been so successful for us, and we were looking for the ideal location to expand. We are confident Sunderland is the place for it. We are so excited to build on what we have here and be part of the increasingly diverse dining scene in Sunderland.

Street art will also feature in the Sunderland site which is due to open in SpringStreet art will also feature in the Sunderland site which is due to open in Spring
Street art will also feature in the Sunderland site which is due to open in Spring

"We really feel like the city is a sleeping giant with all the investment that is going on.”

The original My Delhi was on the cusp of celebrating its first birthday when the first lockdown hit in March 2020, leading to the restaurant launching a take away side to the business which proved so popular that it will be a service also available at the new site.

Top sellers at My Delhi include its 1950s-style Butter Chicken as well as its Emperor stew.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sunderland can look forward to a range of roadside curries, available in lamb, chicken, seafood, vegetarian and vegan varieties, as well as street plates such as Chef Gomez Croquettes and Tandoori lollipops.

My Delhi in Clayton Street has built up a firm following in its two years of trading, despite the difficulties of the pandemicMy Delhi in Clayton Street has built up a firm following in its two years of trading, despite the difficulties of the pandemic
My Delhi in Clayton Street has built up a firm following in its two years of trading, despite the difficulties of the pandemic

To wash it down there’s a range of Indian lagers and craft beers, as well as cocktails, mocktails and traditional Indian tea.

Read More
From a new outdoor stage to a wave of bars - 14 new openings to look forward to ...

Support your Echo and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest on SAFC and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe