#FtLionAwards 2023 Main of the Year shortlist

Kachori in London’s Elephant Castle is led by the talented Chef Brinder Narula. He emphasised how strong his curry game is with this Ghee Roast Goat Varuval Bhuna, which boasted robust spicious flavours, plenty of good chilli heat, and a piquant tomato-based curry. Some of the best we’ve ever had.

Indian fine-dining venue Kinaara at the 5-star InterContinental hotel, already has a drink and stater up for consideration. This time Chef Imamuddin served us an aromatic Dum Pukht Chicken Biryani.

The succulent chicken and long-grained rice were enveloped in a masala spice that never threatened to overpower the mild flavours of this beautiful “traditional Awadhi-style” biryani. We won’t be forgetting this in a hurry.

With a beverage and starter in the running, high-end restaurant Noir in north east London’s South Woodford served a signature called Noir Appétit which made clever use of edible charcoal.

Chef Nikhil Mahale impressively combined the mellow piquancy of the cheesy alfredo pasta with the lightly spiced, amber-coloured sauce to produce this superbly innovative plate.

Classic Thai restaurant Patara in central London’s Mayfair had, as we described it, “one of the best” green curries we’ve had. It epitomised the meaning of the term well-balanced to give us a dangerously addictive curry.

Pitaya in London’s Covent Garden served us this large Nua Kao bowl which elicited an immediate wow given the deep smokiness of the gorgeously chewy strips of succulent beef.

Add to that the aromatic rice and lots of salad, and we were left surprised by how good this was.

Birmingham’s Qavali don’t just have two drinks in for contention, but also now their Lamb Shank whose quality was such that it practically fell off the bone at the merest glance.

The rich and delightfully creamy sauce, whose mellow sweetness was perfectly offset by the mild spices, allowed one to enjoy the full extent of the fatty-cum-meaty chunks of lamb therein.

In addition to a beverage and a starter, #FtLionAwards ‘Best Restaurant’ 2022, Birmingham Ribeye‘s Baked Cannon of Lamb had us “looking at lamb in an entirely new way”.

Here were slices of pink meat arranged atop a silky smooth potato mash and topped with sweet caramelised shallots, before being finished with a deeply-flavoured jus.

Indian restaurant Ritu in London’s St John’s Wood isn’t just looking at a beverage and starter that’s up for an accolade, but now this rare-to-find Laziz Pasanda, with slabs of cottage cheese stuffed with a potato mash mixture, before being battered and fried to deliver a crispy-cum-chewy exterior.

But it was that silky smooth and vibrantly orange curry sauce, made rich and soothing by the unmistakable aroma and taste of cardamom, as well as a touch of spice, that we couldn’t get enough of.

While Wales’ Wing Stack has a starter in with a chance, their Mega Box was an incredible achievement with every element – uber-crunchy, fresh and zingy salad; savoury Jerk on Fire Wings topped in red chillis; Dada Naga Wings delivering that signature Bengali naga spice; Buffalo Solider Wings that were saturated in that rich tangy sauce; lightly battered, fried Cauliflower Bites; and perfectly executed Buttermilk Panko Chicken Tenders – playing its part.