Inspired by her mother-in-law, who passed away in 2016 and had always wanted to run a restaurant, Honey and her husband Sukh have set up a new venture with the aim of bringing a taste of authentic Punjabi cuisine to the streets of Havering.
This means a real emphasis on depth of flavour, and dishes that are slightly spicier, and less sweet than traditional British high street fare.
The restaurant’s all- Indian kitchen team are the key to unlocking the potential of a real curry, something for which there is a growing hunger among the British public. A food revolution that started in trendy districts of London and Manchester is now slowly rolling its way out to the suburbs.
“Our friends would come around for dinner parties, “Sukh explains, “and complain that there was nowhere to eat out serving the dishes we’d make. Before we opened, there were no Punjabi restaurants in Hornchurch.”
But while Honey and her husband had often talked about opening their own place, their dream really started to take shape when they drove past Akash, which had previously occupied Tandoori Lounge site, and noticed it was up for sale.
“Sukh just came home one day and said, ‘I’ve bought it,” says Honey, laughing, and soon got to work setting out their vision for Tandoori Lounge and putting into practice.
“We’ve created a menu that’s tasty and authentic. Your typical curry house is quite watered down and very sweet. It’s created for the western palette; a madras, or bhuna isn’t an Indian dish, “says Sukh.
While this approach is likely to be immediately popular among Hornchurch’s Asian community, persuading other residents to re-assess their relationship with the Great British curry might be harder. That’s why the team at Tandoori Lounge make an effort to speak to their customers and get a sense of the kind of flavours they like, so they can recommend dishes to suit their customers’ preferences.