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Nazmin's: An Earlsfield landmark for over 50 years!
It was way back in the glorious Summer of 1966...England were on their way to lifting the World Cup and Nazmin’s Indian restaurant opened its doors for the first time on Garratt Lane! We went along to meet owner & Head Chef, Mayon Miah, to find out more about this Earlsfield landmark.
Mayon takes up the story....
“Nazmin’s was originally founded by Earlsfield resident and family member, Mr Choudhury, who named it after his daughter, Nazmin, who was born that year. I’ve been working here ever since 1991, when I was just 15 years old. Mr Choudhury really believed in me and convinced me to be his successor – so eventually I took the restaurant over! I grew up in Tooting and went to Ernest Bevin School. I love Earlsfield and Tooting – it’s like a village feel and I seem to know everyone – I’ve grown up with them and seen young men grow old!
“I think the main thing that’s helped our longevity is that we’ve never stood still – we’ve always evolved and it’s vital that we continue to do so. Our restaurant used to be bigger in size but because of the staffing shortage in this sector, we simply had to downsize to keep going.
“Although I’m the Head Chef and spend a lot of time in the kitchen, my favourite role is in the middle of everything, so I can see that all is running smoothly. Although I’ve opened other restaurants in the past, I now focus entirely on Nazmin’s as I have to be here almost constantly to make it work.
“If someone visits Nazmin’s for the first time and asks for recommendations, I’ll always ask what they would normally eat if having an Indian, so that I can gauge what their taste buds like. We have a huge range of recipes collected from all over India and Bangladesh but my personal favourites are our signature dishes, which are also our top sellers. These are Captain Patilla (a hot dish of shredded pieces of chicken prepared with special herbs including fresh mint), Macon Badame (barbecued lamb tikka cooked with sweet pumpkin) and Lamb Shank Bhuna (a spicy, slow-cooked dish with garlic, onions, tomatoes, & fresh coriander). We cook to order and any dish that our customers desire can be made to suit both their diet as well as their taste buds.
“The main thing for me is that my customers leave with a smile. It gives me a buzz when I see my customers satisfied. If they’re not satisfied it means that something somewhere down the line has gone wrong. And I don’t like that. I give it everything I’ve got and that’s my passion!
“I also love to learn. When it’s quiet, I head to the restaurant kitchen and start creating new dishes. I also attend a chefs’ master class every Monday at Bedford College in Milton Keynes, where chefs from around the country, including Michelin-starred chefs, teach new dishes and ideas. I’ll be bringing some of these ideas to Nazmin’s later this year, so watch this space!
“When it comes to the ingredients, our food suppliers have given us assurances that none of our ingredients are genetically modified. We always opt for organic ingredients where possible and we make a commitment to sustainability.
“Over the coming months, I’m looking to get a state-of-the-art kitchen built to take advantage of the latest in technology – that’s definitely the way forward and will see us well set for the future. We’ll also continue to keep the menu and dishes fresh as well as the décor – we’ve also recently got a liquor license which has gone down well with our customers!
“We’re proud to have been going for such a long time but we have to continue to work hard to keep our loyal customers happy as well as attract new clientele. Our hard work is paying off as we were recently highly commended in the best Indian restaurant in South London category in the “London Curry Awards 2018!”
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Nazmin’s is located at 398 Garratt Lane, Earlsfield, SW18 4HP. To book a table, call 0208 946 4221. You can order online (and earn reward points) at www.nazmins.co.uk, by calling 0208 946 2219 or via the Google Play or Android app. Nazmin’s is open 7 days a week from 6pm-11.30pm.
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