There’s a good reason that chicken tikka masala is considered the UK’s national dish. Britain loves curry. And if there’s one city that loves it more than others, it’s Birmingham—birthplace of not one, but two iconic curries, the Balti and Phall. So, where are you going in the Second City for a Ruby Murray?
How about the two Michelin-starred Opheem? The oldest Balti house in Birmingham, Shabazz? Or the 2010 winners of Gordon Ramsay’s ‘F Word’, Lasan? Brum has a plethora of incredible Indian restaurants to choose from. But if you’re a celebrity visiting, there’s seemingly only one place worth eating at, and that’s Asha’s.
The Michelin Guide-approved Indian on Newhall Street has welcomed everyone from Tenacious D’s Jack Black to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. P!nk even went as far as to call it “the best Indian food of my life”, and Tom Cruise ordered TWO tikkas on his visit, washing them down with legendary Birmingham water, of course.
But they’re not the only celebrities to enjoy a Brummie curry from Asha’s. Just some of the names spotted include Steven Gerrard, Ed Sheeran, Ronnie Wood, Dawn French, Amir Khan, Steven Knight, Sharon Osbourne, Anthrax, King Charles III, Cliff Richard, YUNGBLUD, Megan McKenna, Deontay Wilder and members of the Indian cricket team.
So why is Asha’s so popular with celebrities?
Well, firstly, there’s the restaurant itself, which, if you ask us, should always be a restaurant’s main draw. Looking at the MICHELIN Guide, it describes Asha’s as “a stylish, passionately run Indian restaurant with exotic décor,” and highlights its Tandoori Kebabs as a speciality.
The food is beloved by its famous, and not-so-famous, clientele, too. Serving dishes that cover the entirety of the Indian subcontinent, Asha’s offers authentic flavours from Chandni Chowk Ka Kheema to Muscat Gosht, Lamb Saffron Biryani to Hare Baingan Ka Bartha. But, as discussed, it’s far from the only decent Indian in Birmingham.
There are plenty of other reasons, though, that might be drawing the celebs in. Firstly, its owner is Asha Bhosle. A singer, actress and television personality, she is very much a celebrity in her own right back home in India. So one might infer that she knows a thing or two about accommodating the celebrity lifestyle.
This leads us to our second point, that Asha’s features exclusive dining rooms and booths where you can have private dinners. Privacy is key when you’re a celebrity, and plenty have taken advantage of this. We should mention, however, that Tom Cruise chose to sit in the middle of the restaurant among us normals when he dined…
Of course, in many ways, famous people are just like normal people, and they all want to be seen doing the “in” thing. Once the first celebrities started rocking up at Asha’s, they all wanted to be seen there. But the only way to learn what all the fuss is about is to head down to Asha’s yourself. It’s about as close to fame as many of us will come.
🌐 Learn more about Asha’s here.
📍 Asha’s, 12-22 Newhall St, Birmingham B3 3AS.