We’re not an everyday curry house!
Inspired by Honey’s mother-in-law, who passed away in 2016 and had always dreamed of running a restaurant, Honey and her husband Sukh have launched a new venture dedicated to bringing authentic Punjabi cuisine to Havering.
Their menu focuses on true depth of flavour, with dishes that are slightly spicier and less sweet than typical British high street offerings. The restaurant is proudly non-halal.
An all-Indian kitchen team sits at the heart of the restaurant, delivering the rich, genuine curry experience for which there is a growing appetite among the British public. What began as a food revolution in the trendy districts of London and Manchester is now gradually making its way into the suburbs.
“Our friends would come over for dinner parties,” Sukh explains, “and say there was nowhere locally serving the kind of dishes we’d cook at home. Before we opened, there simply weren’t any 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.
