Top Chefs Praise Raval Luxury Indian Restaurant

May 18, 2012 - PRLog -- RAVAL restaurant has won praise from the toughest of all critics . . . a group of the UK’s leading chefs.
Judges at the prestigious North East Culinary and Trade Association annual awards took time out from the two-day event at Newcastle’s Civic Centre to enjoy a meal at the region’s leading luxury Indian restaurant.
And they were blown away by the freshness of Raval’s flavours, its use of spices and its sophisticated presentation.
The group included two chefs working at five-star hotels in London – Paul Gaynor and Paul Bates – as well as celebrated Indian chef Cyrus Todiwala OBE.
The chefs' visit follows hot on the heels of footballing legend Alan Shearer, who was given a cookery lesson at Raval. See the video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_fBdMCirEc
Cyrus, a regular face on the BBC’s Food and Drink show and Saturday Kitchen, is the owner of London’s acclaimed Cafe Spice and was awarded an OBE in the 2010 Queen's New Year's Honours List for his services to the hospitality industry.
He said of Raval: “My first meal at Raval certainly exceeded all expectations. It’s the sort of food I’ve been fighting to see served in the UK’s Indian restaurants for the past 20 years. Normally, I steer clear of recommending restaurants but I have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending Raval.  It’s a shining example of the Asian restaurant sector.”
Cyrus’s enthusiasm was echoed by Paul Gaynor,  Executive Chef at London’s five-star Lanesborough Hotel, who said: “Raval is a contemporary Indian restaurant with a lovely atmosphere and very friendly staff. As for the food itself, the freshness and flavours take it way beyond what you would expect at most Indian restaurants. There is real technique and skill involved in the way Raval’s chefs combine complex spices to create dishes that are authentic but not overpowering.”
And Paul Bates, Chief Executive of London’s five-star Intercontinental Hotel, commented:  “Raval is genuinely stylish – the sort of place you’re happy to be seen in. It couldn’t be further removed from a run-of-the-mill curry house.  It uses spices to create real Indian food that’s packed with flavour and beautifully presented.  Eating there is a rewarding experience, made even more enjoyable by the attentive  staff. “
Another top chef, Ian McAndrew, chef and owner of the Blackaddie House Hotel in Dumfriesshire, said:  “Raval is head and shoulders above most Indian restaurants. The flavours are properly thought through. By that I mean it is not just spicy for spice-sake, but considered and masterfully put together.  You can tell they take real care all the way through to the presentation, and the staff are excellent.”  
Douglas Jordan, NECTA’s chairman, is a regular visitor to Raval and was also among the judges at the annual Salon Culinaire event.
He said:  “I  have always taken people to Raval, including other chefs, and you have to have confidence in a restaurant to do that.  The food is fragrant and correctly balanced . . . there’s real passion on every plate.”
Also at the NECTA event was Nigel Crane, Managing Director of Cheshire-based Essential Cuisine and former sous chef at London’s Dorchester Hotel.
He said: ““I’ve been to Raval many times. It’s Mumbai meets fine dining; quality Indian cuisine with a stamp of authenticity”
Raval Restaurant owner Avi Malik said: “To receive such high praise from chefs of this calibre makes everything we do worthwhile.
“We go to a great deal of effort to ensure a visit to Raval is memorable for all the right reasons. These wonderful accolades show we’re clearly doing something right.”