Sunderland's Mumbai Silk named Best Restaurant in North East Bangladeshi Awards

Sunderland's Mumbai Silk is celebrating after scooping a prestigious accolade.

The Indian restaurant in Burdon Road, Ashbrooke, was named Best Restaurant of the Year 2023 in the North East Bangladeshi Awards (NEBA), which celebrates the contributions the British Bangladeshi community have made to Britain.

The restaurant opened its doors in 2018 after a major transformation of the once empty basement of the Wearside Masonic Temple, utilising the building's historic features, including old bank safes found in the site, in the decor.

Owner Tahim Ahmed said he was delighted with the recognition for the team.

"The majority of Indian restaurants and takeaways are actually Bangladeshi, so it's fantastic to be recognised in this way," he said.

"Running a restaurant is hard work day in and day out, so we feel really proud."

Soon after opening, in 2019, the restaurant was also named as a finalist in the national British Curry Awards.

Like the rest of the hospitality industry, Mumbai Silk had to navigate the difficult pandemic years, but Tahim said their takeaway operation meant they could build their customer base during this time.

"Coming out of the pandemic, we were really busy because of the takeaway service we provided, and we've managed to sustain that," said the city businessman.

"80-90% of our customers are return custom who come back every week," he said. "We don't really advertise it's all word of mouth, which is the best kind of advert, to be recommended by friends and family.

"Most of our menu is classic Indian dishes, and our lamb and fish dishes are incredibly popular, but we also offer modern Indian fusion dishes."

Other accolades for Mumbai Silk include being recognised for their service and takeaway operation on Restaurant Guru.