North East restaurants were among the winners at the Asian Restaurant Awards in an eventful night that saw an emergency evacuation of the venue.

The awards event, held on August 27 at Hilton Manchester Deansgate, was interrupted midway due to a fire scare at its host venue with the fire service called out to attend the building.

Despite the attendance of the emergency services, the event was able to continue and Hilton confirmed the alarm was triggered due to a "multi-sensor activation".

Back at the ceremony, the big winners of the night were confirmed, with Michelin-ranked Kahani in Chelsea, London, won Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year.

Teesside restaurant Vadah in Stockton, won a regional award and was named one of the best Asian restaurants in the North East.

(Image: Asian Catering Federation)

Vadah was joined by fellow Teessiders Balti Hut in Middlesbrough who won North East Takeaway of the Year.

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(Image: The Northern Echo)

My Delhi won big, with locations in Newcastle and Sunderland also taking home regional awards.

(Image: Asian Catering Federation)

The award organiser, chairman of the Asian Catering Federation, Yawar Khan, said: "These accolades can give a major advantage to the winners in gaining new customers and engendering customer loyalty."

The night saw a number of regional establishments across the country recognised with awards and commendations.

Towards the end of the event, it was announced that the 14th Asian Curry Awards will be held at the Grosvenor House, Mayfair in London on November 17, 2024.

Nominations for these awards are now being accepted on the official website.