Lasan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lasan |
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | April 2002 |
| Current owner(s) | Jabbar Khan |
| Chef | Aysan Shaikh Muraliraj Narashimaraj Khalid Sami Khan |
| Food type | Indian cuisine |
| Street address | 3-4 Dakota Buildings, James Street, St Paul's Square |
| City | Birmingham |
| County | West Midlands |
| State | England |
| Postal/ZIP code | B3 1SD |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Seating capacity | 64 |
Lasan (which means "garlic" in Hindi) is a famous Indian restaurant located in St Paul's Square, in the Jewellery Quarter area of Birmingham, England. It was started in 2002 by two friends, Aktar Islam and Jabbar Khan.
In 2009, Lasan made history! It became the first Indian restaurant in the whole United Kingdom to be chosen as the "Best Local Restaurant" by the well-known chef Gordon Ramsay. This happened on his TV show, The F Word, which was shown on Channel 4.
Contents
How Lasan Began
In April 2002, two business partners, Aktar Islam and Jabbar Khan, opened Lasan. They chose a spot in St Paul's Square, in the Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham. Aktar Islam is not only a co-founder but also the main chef and director of the restaurant.
Lasan can seat 64 people. It offers modern and fresh Indian food. The restaurant has a simple and stylish look. It was special because it was one of the first Indian restaurants in Birmingham that didn't serve Balti dishes. Balti is a type of curry often cooked and served in a special metal pot.
Winning on TV
In 2010, Aktar Islam and his sous chef, Aysan Shaikh, took part in Channel 4's TV show The F Word. They competed to find the "Best Local Indian Restaurant." They won their semi-final match against a restaurant called Curry Corner.
Then, they went on to win the big final! They cooked three different dishes for 50 food critics. Lasan scored 70 out of 100 points, beating the other finalist, The Pheasant, which scored 61 points. This win helped Lasan become even more famous.
Awards and Special Recognition
Lasan has won many awards and has been recognized by important food guides and magazines.
Top Awards for Lasan
- From 2007 to 2010, Lasan won first place in the Midlands area at The British Curry Awards every year.
- In 2008, it was named "Best Hospitality Business of the Year" at the Asian Business Awards. It also won "Best Service" and "Rising Star" at Taste of Birmingham.
- In 2009, Lasan received the "Healthiest Restaurant Award." This was from Men's Health magazine. They liked Lasan's healthy cooking methods. The restaurant uses fresh spices and herbs instead of a lot of fat.
- In 2013, Lasan was given the "Best Restaurant" award at the Asian Business Awards.
Lasan in Famous Guides
Lasan has been listed as one of the Top 10 Indian Restaurants in the UK by well-known newspapers like The Independent and The Times.
It was also included in The Sunday Times list of the "100 Restaurants in Britain," at number 49. This was a big deal because it was the first Indian restaurant outside of London to make this list! Lasan is also mentioned in the famous Michelin Guide, which is a guide to the best restaurants in the world.
In 2010, The New York Times newspaper even mentioned Lasan. They said it was one of the reasons why Birmingham was a city people should visit. In March of that year, The Guardian newspaper listed Lasan as one of the Top 10 restaurants in the Midlands.
In January 2012, the Birmingham Mail newspaper ranked Lasan as the No.1 best curry house in Birmingham. In 2014, it was again listed as one of the top 10 Indian restaurants in Birmingham by the Birmingham Mail.
Images for kids
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Hydrabadi Biryani with lentils and raita, at Lasan
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