West London Indian restaurant loved by King Charles named UK's best international kitchen

A renowned Indian restaurant in west London has won the coveted 'Best International Kitchen' award at the prestigious Hospitality Awards UK 2024. Brilliant restaurant in Western Road, Southall, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and also serves as an Indian cookery school, as well as boasting Kenyan influences in its food.

Brilliant, which specialises in north Indian Punjab cuisine, won the gong in a glittering ceremony held on Monday evening at the Law Society in Chancery Lane, London, coinciding with the global celebration of the 'Week of Italian Cuisine in the World.' Supported by the Italian Consulate, the evening rolled out the red carpet to recognize and celebrate excellence in the UK hospitality industry.

Brilliant's co-owners Dipna Anand, the 'curry queen' who is a celebrity chef and cookbook author, and her father Gulu Anand, were among 15 of the UK's most remarkable hospitality talents who were celebrated at the event. Dipna described this latest award as a great honour, adding: "We were delighted to have been invited along to such a prestigious event, and when Brilliant was announced as an award winner, we were so surprised!

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"Brilliant is celebrating its 50th year and my family has 150 years of history in the hospitality industry. We are proud to have established such strong links with the community in and around Southall, but this award shows that the reputation of Brilliant extends much further and is a great endorsement of the national and international recognition that we have achieved."

The family-run restaurant was voted as one of Ramsay’s Best for the Channel 4 series and is said to be a favourite of King Charles. It prides itself on passing down traditions of cooking over three generations. Some Kenyan-influenced dishes also feature on the menu and have become long-standing classic dishes of the Brilliant brand.

Besides running the kitchen at Brilliant, Dipna Anan formerly ran her own eponymous restaurant in central London, inside the famous Somerset House in The Strand.

Reviews for Brilliant on TripAdvisor are glowing. One happy customer wrote: "The food and service were outstanding. Spicing on the dishes was perfectly judged and every course was delicious. Our waiter was a true professional, efficient and very pleasant. If you are visiting West London this is the place to have Indian food."

Another added: "Amazing food, fantastic service, buzzing atmosphere, and great history. Will definitely go back. Ideal place to go to if hoteling ahead of a flight, proper restaurant instead of hotel food. 10 out of 10."

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