THE biggest event in the Asian culinary calendar, the Asian Curry Awards - dubbed the 'Curry Oscars' - have revealed their shortlist which features three popular Cheshire West restaurants.

The list, which includes over 200 of the best Asian eateries in the country, will be whittled down to the top one hundred by online voters. These will then be assessed by a panel of judges from the Asian Catering Federation (ACF), who will determine category winners.

Both of the shortlisted Cheshire West restaurants were located near to Ellesmere Port, with Purple Olive located on Chester Road in Little Sutton and Junoon located on Chester Road in nearby Helsby.

Junoon was a recipient of the Currylife Best Restaurant of the Year award in 2022 and a previous finalist for Best Newcomer in the Asian Curry Awards in 2021.

Purple Olive in Ellesmere Port made the shortlist, alongside its sister branches in Liverpool and Ashton-under-Lyne, and has previously been named as the Best Indian Restaurant in Cheshire in 2021.

Other notable inclusions this year are renowned fine dining venues Amaya, Babur, Benares, Cinnamon Club, Colonel Saab, Dulwich Heritage, Four Seasons, Hakkasan, Indian Essence, Jamavar, Quilon, Royal China, in London; Saffron Summer and Tahli Ho in Surrey; Shampan @ the Spinning Wheel and Cook’s Tale in Kent, Navadhanya in Cambridge.

Judges from the Asian Catering Federation (ACF), which organises the event, are currently visiting the candidates to determine the overall category winners.

The victors will be revealed at a glittering gala dinner and presentation ceremony, hosted by BBC news anchor Samantha Simmonds, being held at the Grosvenor House in London on Sunday, November 19.

The Asian Curry Awards cover the complete range of Asian and Oriental cuisines: Bangladeshi, Burmese, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Middle Eastern, Pakistani, Singaporean, Sri Lankan, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese.

"We’re seeing some remarkable innovation by pioneering restaurateurs, adapting to challenging trading conditions and more sophisticated customer preferences," said ACF Chairman Yawar Khan.

"Afternoon chai, weekend brunch, more use of quality local produce – especially seafood and game, are now being widely served."

ACF events are sponsored by Just Eat and supported by Cobra Beer, tyl by NatWest, and Work Cloud Permit.

The full list of establishments can be viewed at: www.asiancurryawards.com/2023shortlist/.