23rd November 2021
The Rajdani Indian restaurant near Sevenoaks, has been named Asian Restaurant of the Year – Home Counties at the Asian Curry Awards, emulating the achievement when it won a similar accolade at the event in 2017.
“I’m so thrilled,” said Rob Khan, owner of the popular West Kingsdown venue, who invested around £100,000 on a major refurbishment during lockdown, adding, “We’ve been rammed most nights since reopening and returning customers must have voted for us in great numbers to ensure we made it on to the Awards shortlist.”
Khan now has plans to increase the restaurant’s capacity from 120 to 160, with a new extension to house a VIP lounge and a heated outside shisha and cigar area.
Although Rajdani has no pretensions of being an exclusive, top-priced destination venue, Khan is planning to introduce a short fine dining menu on certain nights of the week.
Tasting Menu
“We’re a very smart curry restaurant, nothing more – and always will be,” said Khan.
“I’ve met fellow Asian Curry Awards winner Dev Biswal, owner-chef of the renowned group of Ambrette Restaurants in Kent and Sussex, who will exec chef a menu of authentic Bengali dishes, rarely seen in the UK outside family homes or at weddings, with a modern gastro twist” he said.
The new menu will be launched at a special gourmet night with a nine-course tasting menu, with optional paired wines at the end of February
Rajdani, which was opened by Rob Khan’s father, Abdul, and cousin Suna Miah, two decades ago takes its name from the Bengali term for ‘Capital City.’ In days gone by, the finest spices and other culinary ingredients could only be sourced together in the capital’s food markets. This was where the best chefs and restaurants were found. Today, ‘Rajdani’ is more commonly used as the colloquial Bengali term for ‘town’.
Located just a few hundred yards from Brands Hatch motorsports circuit, The Rajdani, a roomy 100-seater venue with al fresco tables and a large private car park, attracts customers from around the country on event days.
The Rajdani, 17-20 London Road, West Kingsdown, Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 6ES T: 01474 853 501
www.rajdani.co.uk
@therajdani