Birmingham curry house with just one Indian chef awarded two Michelin stars
A Birmingham curry house with just one of its 15 chefs heralding from India has become the first in the UK to be awarded two Michelin stars.
Described as “progressive Indian cuisine”, Opheem opened in England’s curry capital in 2018 and counts Michael Buble and Gary Barlow as regulars.
It was among six British restaurants to be given two Michelin Stars at the annual awards ceremony this week, making it the first in Birmingham to win the accolade.
It also became the UK’s first Indian restaurant to be awarded two stars, alongside Gymkhana in Mayfair, which received the accolade at the same time.
However, while Opheem was lauded by the judges for its “highly original Indian cooking”, of the 15 kitchen staff who work there, just one is of Indian heritage.
Aktar Islam, the restaurant’s head chef and owner, said he did not believe in the notion of cultural appropriation when it came to producing fine food, adding that it should have nothing to do with “ethnicity” or “the colour of your skin”.
“We’ve got a very colourful team, people from various backgrounds and the only commonality is our love for food, and our love for delivering good experiences for our guests,” he told The Telegraph.
“We’ve always had these issues of cultural appropriation in the industry, and I’ve always argued against that.
“As long as someone is passionate about food from any part of the world, as long as they love what they’re doing, then it should be celebrated.”
Mr Islam added: “It should have nothing to do with your ethnicity or the colour of your skin.
“There are people out there who may not be from your ethnic background who love and revere your food so much that they want to take it on board themselves and dedicate their life to it.
“It should never be something that should be ostracised or looked at in a negative light,” he said.
Mr Islam also draws inspiration from other cuisines for his cooking, shunning the traditional Indian tandoor in favour of a Japanese charcoal grill called a konro.
While Opheem’s flavours reflect the “culinary heritage of the Indian subcontinent”, the restaurant also prides itself on celebrating British seasonal foods.
Orkney scallops and Cornish monkfish are among the British produce boasted on its 10-course tasting menu, which costs £125 per person.
“All our core produce comes from independent British producers, that’s something that’s very important for us,” said Mr Islam, adding: “Apart from spices, which sadly we can’t do anything about, everything else we try and source as locally as possible.”
Mr Islam, the son of Bangladeshi immigrants who came to Birmingham in the 1970s, said his journey to becoming a Michelin-star chef began 31 years ago when he got kicked out of school and began working in his father’s curry house.
In an emotional acceptance speech on Monday night, he said his success “goes to show what this industry can give someone with no prospects”, adding: “Anyone who says this industry has no opportunities, I’m proof that it’s bulls—.”
Meanwhile, renowned Chinese restaurant Hakkasan in Fitzrovia this week lost its Michelin star after 20 years.
It was the first Chinese restaurant to be given the award, while its sister restaurant in Mayfair also lost its Michelin star on Monday, with the chain’s owner describing the past year as “challenging”.
The Ledbury was the only restaurant to win a third Michelin Star this year, making it the ninth in the country to be awarded the top honour.
It comes after the Notting Hill restaurant announced it had closed its doors for good in June 2020, citing the challenges of the Covid lockdown, and subsequently lost the two Michelin stars it had won a decade earlier.
However, following its reopening in February 2022, it regained both by March 2023.
