Cove serves up winning formula

The Cove is celebrating after being named the best Asian restaurant in Edinburgh.

Located in the Blackhall area of the city, the business scooped the prestigious accolade at the 5^th Asian Restaurant Awards in the capital.

Under the guidance of head chef Jahed Miah, it serves up some of the finest Bangladeshi and North Indian cuisine in the city.

Owner Masum Uddin was presented with the award at a ceremony at the Sheraton Hotel. It’s the first recognition of this kind since the restaurant opened in November 2019 and the businessman was quick to pay tribute to his staff.

“I was quite surprised when I heard we had won the award but delighted at the same time,” he said.

“To achieve this recognition after the difficult times we have gone through with the pandemic is great and will give everyone at the restaurant a real boost.

“They have all worked so hard and the accolade will help keep everyone positive until things get back to normal again, which hopefully won’t be too far away.

“The past 18 months have been extremely challenging for the hospitality sector and I feel very thankful to have won this award.”

The Cove proved an instant hit when it first opened its doors nearly two year ago, only to be forced to close a matter of months later when the pandemic struck.

“We opened in November 2019 but then had to close a few months later, which was tough to take,” said Mr Uddin, who will be hoping to make it a double celebration in November after being shortlisted for Curry Entrepreneur of the Year at the Scottish Curry Awards 2021.

“It was a relief to be able to reopen but we haven’t been able to trade as before due to the restrictions we have had to operate under.

“This award means a lot given not only the challenging times but also the competition in the city. It’s a very positive thing and shows we are doing something right.”

The awards are organised by the Asian Catering Federation, which represents the nation’s 30,000 Asian and Oriental restaurants and chairman Yawar Khan said: “The Scottish Asian Restaurant Awards are a key event for our industry.

“Not only do they celebrate the excellence of Asian and Oriental restaurants in Scotland, but they also recognise the significant contribution our industry makes to the economy and the hardworking people in our food industry.”