Viraaj Restaurant: Head chef at Sheffield Indian eatery makes finals for English Curry Awards 2023 

Viraaj Restaurant, in Woodseats, has been nominated as a finalist in two categories for the English Curry Awards 2023.

In June of this year, a number of South Yorkshire Indian restaurants were announced as finalists for the prestigious culinary awards event, which included Sheffield restaurants Maveli Restaurant, Urban Choola, and Viraaj.

Viraaj Restaurant, on Chesterfield Road, was announced as one of 10 finalists in the Curry Restaurant of the Year in Yorkshire and the Humber, and head chef Abdul Rouf was also named a finalist in Chef of the Year.

Abdul has now spoken out about the shortlist, which saw him named among seven other outstanding chefs in the north, and 21 across the whole of England.

The chef has worked at Viraaj since 2011 and has been praised by his colleagues for his skills in creating outstanding Indian dishes. His signature dish is king prawn ada roshon,  a combination of garlic, ginger and yoghurt.

Abdul said: “I just really enjoy cooking and I’m really passionate about Indian food.”

Manager Sufi Miah said: “I’ve worked with our head chef Abdul Rouf for over 25 years now. He’s a very hard working staff member and he’s very dedicated to his work. He’s always got different ideas about his dishes.

“All the team and all customers at Viraaj Restaurant are very happy and excited by the news that we are a finalist in the Curry Restaurant of the Year which is a great achievement - a very big thank you to all our customers and everyone for nominating us.”

Viraaj Restaurant recently won North Restaurant of the Year at the Nations Curry Awards 2023, and will find out in less than a week if they have more trophies to add to their shelves.

The 12th annual English Curry Awards ceremony will take place on August 14 in Birmingham, and will see the nation’s curry connoisseurs gather together to recognise their exceptional achievements.

The shortlisted finalists were chosen by the public who wanted to recognise those who consistently deliver outstanding culinary experiences and exceptional customer service. 

The English Curry Awards 2023 finalists span a range of categories, including Curry Restaurant of the Year, Takeaway of the Year, Chef of the Year, Curry King or Queen, and many more.

Full list of Sheffield finalists: 

• Urban Choola, Ecclesall Road - Curry Restaurant of the Year, Yorkshire and the Humber

• Viraaj Restaurant, Chesterfield Road - Curry Restaurant of the Year, Yorkshire and the Humber

• Viraaj Restaurant, Chesterfield Road (Adbul Rouf) - Chef of the Year

• Maveli Restaurant and Bar, Glossop Road - Customer Experience of the Year, Yorkshire and the Humber

• Maveli Restaurant and Bar, Glossop Road - South Indian Restaurant of The Year