| Kentish
Express, Dec 2005 |
| Bangladeshi
and Indian cuisine curries favour The Zarin restaurant
in Bank Street is more than just a curry house. One of Ashford's
longest serving restaurateurs - Bajiloor Rashid - with 22
years in the business to add to his own special touch to
the experience that is a meal at Zarin.
The restaurant is more than just a curry house. It broke
the mould of flock-wallpaper bedecked walls and gilt decor
the traditionally adorns Indian restaurants about three
years ago with a re-fit that turned it into one of the trendiest
eateries in the country.
Bollywood
It is this contemporary air and laid back atmosphere that
gave Zarin its edge. Stripped pine floors and split level
dining is topped and tailed with a Plasma screen at one
end of the restaurant playing the latest in Bollywood hits
and a mesmerising bubble-wall feature at the other.
The menu features a tantalising mix of Indian and Bangladeshi
cuisine. Old favourites are also included for fans of Chicken
Korma and Chicken Tikka Masala, but the mouth watering recipes
from the Seleth district of Bangladesh (from where Mr Rashid
hails) are truly a taste to be savoured.
The smartly turned out waiting staff offer quick, friendly
and accurate service with a smile and Mr Rashid insists
they all take a leaf from his cool, calm and collected book.
Customers' bookings are computerised on a touch-screen system
that ensures you get the table you want and with Zarin able
to cater for 90 guests at any one time you will rarely be
disappointed.
The restaurant does a brisk lunchtime trade between the
noon and 2.30pm daily, and its Sunday all day family buffet
(£7.95 for adults and £4.95 children) is a big
winner.
In the run up to the festive season there will be two special
nights in December with a £20-a-head Elvis tribute
performance on Tuesday 13 and Thursday 29.
|
| Kentish
Express, Jan 2003 |
| Love Me Tandoor!
It’s Elvis for three hours.
Forget Daniel Pearce and One True Voice from Popstars: The
Rivals, Elvis is still the King in Ashford.
As 27, Elvis Navarone Rivers is officially the best in Britain
at recreating the sounds of the late, great global singer
and he is a monthly regular booked by Bajloor Rashid to entertain
regulars at his ZARIN Indian Restaurant in Bank Street.
Born in England, his parents are from Sri Lanka. His father
worked for UK Customs and later moved to America when he was
a child. He studied at college and started work in banking
but he was hooked on his love for Presley music. His return
to London to launch himself as a full-time impersonator has
seen him rapidly rise to the top of his profession.
He was booked by Rod Stewart to play at a family birthday
and Vinnie Jones for a party at his Watford home. Last year,
he returned to America and was judged the third best performer
in the World Elvis Championships.
With a selection of 11 stage suits costing up to 4,500 dollars
each, made as exact copies of the original costumes produced
for him by Elvis’s designer, he has a fanatical following
in Ashford. This week he was back for his near three-hour
show with 50 plus live numbers and promised his faithful supporters
he would be back in town on February 12.
It was his second show of the day and he came direct from
singing in Watford at the funeral of devoted Presley fan.
TEARS ON MY PILAU: Sri Lankan Elvis impersonator Navarone
Rivers with Zarin Indian Restaurant staff D Hossain, Kamal
Ahmed, Abdul Latif and Rezaul Karim. |
| Adscene,
Sept 2002 |
| 20
main course options for vegetarians, so anyone can enjoy a great
meal in Ashford's first modern Indian restaurant...offering
great food and sterling service - Adscene Sept 2002
|
| An
old friend re-discovered |
ASHFORD’S
FAVOURITE RESTAURANT RE-OPENS
For the last twenty years The Curry Garden in Bank Street, Ashford,
has been one of the town’s best-loved eateries. A bye-word
for excellent cooking, great value and a warm and friendly atmosphere
presided over by the popular figure of Bajloor Rashid.
Visitors to their favourite restaurant will hardly recognise
it today! Gone are all the old traditional Indian Restaurant
trappings and, in a remarkable transformation, the re-named
“Zarin” now demonstrates the best in international
contemporary restaurant design and comfort. Why “Zarin”?
“It is my daughter’s name,” said Bajloor;
“and it also means ‘golden’ –what better
name for a restaurant?’ We
asked Mr. Rashid to tell us about his magnificently redeveloped
establishment.
“I have always put my clients first”
he told us “and I recognised that their expectation
of lunching or dining out has become much more demanding and
sophisticated. Flock wall-paper and alcoves was all very well
in the ‘eighties but for modern times my customers demand
much, much more.
Our new décor combines space, light and air without
sacrificing the feeling of comfort and personality. Our new
space is designed to be as delightful for your Christmas party
or other celebration as it is for a quiet and intimate dinner
for two. We have even installed plasma screen so that our
customers can enjoy the atmosphere of “Bollywood”
as an authentic background to our delicious food.
The same applies to the food. We have created a completely
new menu offering a wide selection of dishes to please every
preference, traditional or modern. We are offering twenty
new main courses, including lemon chicken special, mustard
king prawns and the special galda chingri – a hot sweet
and sour with king prawns, spices, garlic and chillis.
We have not forgotten vegetarians either with another twenty
main course options. I believe that absolutely anyone can
now enjoy a truly great meal in Ashford’s first contemporary
Indian restaurant.”
Mr Rashid believes that the changes will not only keep the
regulars coming but will also attract new customers; after
all, the restaurant will be doing what every restaurant should
do: offer great food, excellent service, a warm welcome and
a truly memorable place to eat.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The formal opening of Zarin is taking place
on Tuesday, 10 December at 31 Bank Street, Ashford.
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
Delightful Indian Dancers will be gracing
the launch of “Zarin”
Please contact Paul Campbell at Thernway
Trading on 0207 778 0042 and we look forward to meeting you,
or one of your colleagues on the day.
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