The Greater Manchester spots named best in the UK at Asian Restaurant Awards

A number of Greater Manchester restaurants cleaned up at the Asian Restaurant Awards at a ceremony held in Manchester on Monday night.

Winners were announced at a star-studded ceremony at the Hilton Manchester Piccadilly, hosted by BBC newsreader Samantha Simonds, while awards were presented by MP Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the House of Commons' 1922 Committee. The top spots were decided by a combination of public votes and a judging panel.

Several of the top awards came home to our region, with Spice Mafia in Urmston scooping the prize for Restaurant of the Year in the North of England, while Manchester's Restaurant of the Year gong was picked up by The Indian Plaza in Audenshaw. For a second year in a row, the Curry King Award went to Shabbir Hussain of Akbar’s Group.

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Meanwhile, Peace Garden, a Chinese Restaurant which opened on Booth Street last year, scooped Newcomer of the Year, and Sushi Mama on Portland Street took home the prize for best Japanese Restaurant in the North of England. Bolton's Royal Balti House was recognised as highly commended as the Best Takeaway of the Year in the North of England.

A number of the Manchester winners took to social media to share the news, including Royal Balti House who wrote on Twitter: "Thank you to all our dear customers and friends who supported and voted for us. We could not have done this without you!"

Likewise, Spice Mafia in Urmston shared their delight in being named best in the North of England. The owners shared images from the ceremony accompanied by a caption that read: "Yay...We have done it, YET Again. We are humbled and touched by this honour and would like to