Star of Bengal Darlington nominated for best curry awards

The Star of Bengal on Duke Street has only ever entered one competition – a contest to find Darlington’s best curry house the same year it opened in 1998 - and won.

After being nominated in the Echo’s search for our readers’ favourite curry house, the restaurant hopes to add another prize to its collection.

Owner Matiur Choudhury said: “It’s nice to be nominated – it shows that our customers appreciated what we are doing.

“We always aim to provide good food, freshly cooked, and the customers with the best ingredients. We always use lamb, never mutton, and get the best potatoes – you can taste the difference.

“We have had the same team and chefs for so many years so we are really consistent and that’s important to us.

The Star of Bengal moved from Gladstone Street in 2019. (Image: STUART BOULTON)

“When we first opened in 1998 Darlington Council’s environment health department organised a ‘best curry house’. It is the only competition we have ever entered and we won.”

The Chicken Tikka Masala remains the most popular dish on the Star of Bengal’s menu, Matiur said.

The restaurant first opened on Gladstone Street where it was based for 21 years until 2019 when it moved into a building on Duke Street.

“It’s the best thing we’ve ever done”, Matiur said.

“One of our old regulars Mike Lindsay kept telling us to move here and we decided to go for it.

“The old restaurant was quite small and cramped. Here we could get about 120 customers in, but we only hold 80 so people have space and privacy.

Business continues to boom and thrived during the pandemic, having always been run 50/50 as a restaurant and takeaway.

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In a direct bid to his customers to vote for him Matiur added: “Over the years we have served so many people, families, business meals, Christmas dos, and all sorts. Just think about the good times and good food you have had at the Star of Bengal, whether it’s inside of takeaway. It makes us feel great that people appreciate what we are doing and all the hours we are putting in.

“Thank you to all our customers for supporting us all of these years.

“We have a lot of customers who come back time and time again supporting us quietly but don’t necessarily shout about us on social media. If you could vote that would mean everything to us.”