A Twickenham-based restaurant run by a Michelin-starred chef is prioritising community and sustainability through Indian cuisine.
After opening Shiuli, on Heath Road, during the pandemic, chef Alfred Prasad, pictured above, and manager Sunita Panjabi found local support was the key to success.
They were able build a relationship with the area through local suppliers and community support.
Prasad explained how word of mouth gave the restaurant the start it needed, and Panjabi said: “People around here are amazing, there’s no question.
“Twickenham picked us.
“This neighbourhood community is a big piece of who they are and the energy they give out as well, it just bounces off. It’s just so beautiful.”
Prasad and Panjabi champion sustainability by substituting traditional ingredients for healthy alternatives.
For example, they reduced dairy by 25% in the mango lassi by replacing normal milk with oat milk, while maintaining the authentic taste.
They also use third party companies that helped them track the restaurant’s energy output and food waste so they could make sustainable decisions.
The restaurant does not serve any bottled water but instead provides filtered tap water for £1 per table, so as to reduce their plastic waste because they believe it immoral to charge extortionate prices for water.
They said: “We are quite conscious that obviously as a restaurant, there is that element of environment impact, we need to be responsible.”
The menu features modern twists on traditional Indian dishes, such as black rice kheer, truffle sea salt naan and black kale saag paneer.
The chef’s favourite dish is the chicken biryani, whilst Panjabi’s favourite is the sea bass and crabmeat moilee.
Panjabi said: “The three things that we chose as pillars for Shiuli when we started was cuisine, culture and community.
“We are very proudly Indian.”
Prasad was the youngest Indian chef to receive a Michelin star at the age of 29, maintaining it at Tamarind in Mayfair for 12 years.
Despite his previous success he doesn’t want that to define his career, rather having his abilities as a chef and business owner define him instead.
He said: “I wanted to fulfil the dream of having my own place.”
They strive to create a comfortable environment and to prioritise customer experience. In doing so they don’t solicit for reviews, having had a 4.9 out of 5 rating on Google since they opened.
Shiuli also runs monthly masterclasses to contribute further to the community and share their recipes, as well as offering bespoke classes for private events.
For more information, visit https://shiulirestaurant.com/
Featured image courtesy of Jacob Antigha
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