The Restaurant Hall of Fame, the who’s who board of Asian restaurateurs, has announced National Curry Awards organiser Enam Ali as its Personality of the Year 2008.
Since its launch in November 2007, the RHF website www.resthof.co.uk has profiled the big players in the Asian restaurant industry. Its list of the top personalities of the year was devised around how many visits each page had, with Enam Ali (pictured right) the most popular by a long way.
RHF Editor Peter Grove, said: “I expect the number of available profiles to double over the coming year, so it will be interesting to see who is in the top slot this time next year.”
Having founded the Guild of Bangladeshi Restaurateurs and the British Curry Awards, Enam Ali is unmistakably a leading figure in Asian hospitality. In between running his restaurant, Le Raj in Epsom, Surrey, Ali has found time to lobby the government over strict immigration laws restricting the amount of skilled Indian chefs entering the country.
In second and third places were Chinese businessman David Tang, who was knighted in this year’s New Years Honours, of China Tang at the Dorchester Hotel, and Chad Rahman of Chez Mumtaj in St. Albans respectively.
RHF Personality of the Year 2008
1. Enam Ali. Le Raj Epsom
2. Sir David Tang OBE. China Tang, Dorchester Hotel, London
3. Chad Rahman. Chez Mumtaj, St. Albans
4. Mohinder Kohli. Shimla Pinks, Birmingham
5. Cyrus Todiwala MBE. Caf» Spice Namaste, London
6. Moula Miah. Rajnagar, Solihull
7. Vivek Singh. Cinnamon Club, London
8. Ana Choudhury. House of Spice, Haddenham, Bucks
9. Rajesh Suri. Tamarind, London
10. Claudio Pulze. Via Condotti, London