With Balbir Sumal opening his Tiffin Rooms restaurant in Charing Cross, Glasgow has just strengthened its position as the curry capital of Scotland.
Balbir’s latest venture draws inspiration from the tiffin boxes which Indian workers use to carry their lunches in. Like an Indian version of a Japanese bento box, each layer of a tiffin tin contains all the different component parts of an Indian meal.
I’ve not been yet but it’s always good to see restaurant owners widening the gene pool of any city’s eating out options. Many cite Balbir as a godfather figure on Glasgow’s curry scene and, as the man who originally started the hugely successful Harlequin chain, they have a point.
Whatever part Balbir may have played in introducing Glaswegians to the delights of a decent curry, the city has embraced the idea as tightly as Duffy clutched her Brit Awards last night. Thanks to innovative places such as the Dakhin, Dhabba, the Mother India restaurants and Koolba, which won the Best Indian prize at the recent Scottish Restaurant Awards, Glasgow can claim to be on the cutting edge of curry.
Now, anyone for tiffin?