Midlothian duo star for Scotland in UK’s Asian restaurant awards

Two Midlothian establishments have been crowned the best Asian restaurants in Scotland.

Itihaas in Dalkeith and Radhuni in Loanhead took the honours at the Asian Restaurant Awards presented in the Members’ Dining Room at the House of Commons on 30 April.

The only other restaurant from Scotland included in the top 100 of more than 13,000 Asian restaurants in the UK is from Edinburgh.

Managing Partner of both restaurants Habibur Khan said after receiving the certificates at the ceremony at the UK Parliament: “It is a remarkable achievement for curry restaurants in two small neighbouring towns to be top ranked in a list which includes a large variety of culinary categories. We were competing against restaurants, some with Michelin Stars, whose food encompasses the whole of the Asian continent.”

He added: “We’ve been rated among the best of the best in Asian cuisine throughout the UK. It was a particularly great honour to have represented Scotland on behalf of the Indian culinary scene. Itihaas and Radhuni are most famous for curries but this wider recognition takes us to a new level.”

Organised by the Asian Catering Federation, the event was hosted by Shadow Leader of the House of Commons and Liberal Democrats’ business spokesman Bobby Dean MP. Awards were presented by BBC journalist Samantha Simmonds.

Radhuni is Scotland’s current curry restaurant of the year according to trade magazine Curry Life. It is one of only a handful of such establishments in Scotland to have been awarded at least one AA Rosette for culinary excellence, retained for the past five years.

Executive Chef and founder of both restaurants Matin Khan was named Scotland’s top curry chef and one of the leading nine in the UK in the 2025 Curry Life Awards.

He said: “We are immensely proud to be included in the top 100 of many thousands of Asian restaurants in the UK and rated the best north of the border. This achievement belongs to our entire team and thanks are due to our amazing customers who come from far and near and whose continued support, loyalty and encouragement means everything to us.”