Kitchen Nightmares (2007–2014): Season 5, Episode 7 - Burger Kitchen: Part 1 - full transcript
Burger Kitchen is run by an incompetent owner who used money from his son's trust fund to keep it going, but between that, a frustrated chef, bad and undercooked food, over five thousand in loses each month, and the annoying wife/co-owner, things are about to go nuclear...
(upbeat music)
- Time's running out for
the Curry Lounge,
an Indian Restaurant with
more style than substance.
Hey, come on, it's
Nottingham, not Bollywood.
Who went out and saw this idea
in a restaurant and thought,
fuck me, this is amazing?
This salesman turned
restaurateur
thinks gimmicks sell food.
That looks like a large pair
of knickers, what is that?
And in the kitchen I'm
dealing with a chef
who's pat his sell by date.
You're jealous coz he's
a lot younger than you.
- No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
- That's what it is.
Look at the sneaky
little fuckers.
It's time to knock some
sense into them.
- Well, let's blame.
- Yeah, Pummelled him.
- Yeah.
- I'm off to Nottingham where
they're nuts about curry.
There's a staggering 18
Indian restaurants
in one square mile of
the city centre
Where better to eat the
nation's favourite food.
I love a good curry.
Here in the heart of the
Midlands, Nottingham,
this place has more restaurants
than any other city
across Britain.
So the chances of finding
a good curry is quite high.
The new kid on the block is
the 110 seater Curry Lounge.
Owner, Raz, a former
pharmaceutical sales manager,
opened the restaurant
six months ago.
In the hope of becoming
Nottingham's curry king
he spent nearly half
a million quid
on building his very own
Bollywood dream.
- We generally wanted to
create something
that had a bit of a wow factor
That was, fuck me, look
at this, it's, wow!
- [Gordon] But
Nottingham's not been wowed
by the Curry Lounge.
Raz's bling palace
loses three grand a week
and can't survive for long.
- I put a lot of my own
money into this business,
but if we don't start
hitting that eight,
eight and a half thousand
pound a week break-even figure,
we potentially might not
see Christmas.
- I absolutely love Indian
food, and this is the first time
I've worked in an Indian
rstaurant in Britain,
so I'm really excited.
Raz is so proud of his
Bollywood palace
that he's prepared to
bend the truth a little
to get it noticed.
Best Rewards, Best
Indian Restaurant.
Wow!
Hold on a minute,
runner-up in 2007.
Bullshitting fucker.
- Mr. Gordon Ramsay.
How are you?
- Hello, how are you?
Very well thank you,
how are you?
- Very well thank you.
- First name, sorry?
- Raz.
- Raz?
Good to see you.
Any chance of just turning
that music down so I can you,
- Sure, Yeah.
- Excellent.
My god!
Who designed it?
- Well, most of the
stuff you see was ideas
that I've picked up from
various places.
- It looks fucking ghastly.
Where did he get his
inspiration?
Lap dancing clubs?
How many screens have you got?
- We've got seven in total.
- [Gordon] You don't go to a
restaurant to watch television.
- [Raz] No, but--
- What in the fuck are they?
- [Raz] That's the water
feature Gordon.
- A water feature?
- [Raz] Yeah.
- Holy mackerel!
After seeing what Raz
has done to the decor
I hope his taste hasn't
made it onto the menu.
Hello, how are you?
- I'm fine, how are you?
- Are you the
restaurant manager?
- No.
- No.
- I'm the head waitress.
- Head waitress.
How popular is that,
create your own curry?
- [Head waitress] Yeah, that's
really popular with people.
- So you get them to
create their own?
- [Head waitress] Yeah.
- Almost like your sort
of curry pick'n'mix?
- [Head waitress] Yeah.
- Create your own curry?
What a crazy idea.
Oh, well, when in Rome.
Let's see if they can
make this monstrosity.
Well, let's go for a
little bit of a,
Chicken Korma, with prawns.
- Do you want it medium?
- No, I'm gonna go for hot.
- Hot?
- Wow!
- [Gordon] And cooking my
dodgy DIY curry is a man
with 20 years experience
in Indian cuisine,
executive chef, Zahir Khan.
- This kitchen is designed
by me, built by me,
created by me, so it's my baby.
If someone gets, says your baby
is dirty I'll kick his arse.
- Working under him is a
highly skilled brigade of chefs
flown in from India.
Congratulations on the best
restaurant in Nottingham.
- Runner-up.
- Yeah, nice small detail there.
- Marketing bollocks.
- Marketing bollocks?
- We're not doing
anything untoward.
- And just when I thought
I'd seen it all.
Holy shit
- [Raz] That's whole Goan.
- What?
- [Man] That's cheese Naan.
- That's my what?
- [Man] Chilli cheese Naan.
- Christ almighty!
That looks like a large pair
of knickers, what is that?
- [Man] It's basically
a Naan stand.
- Christmas time I could
understand slightly pissed, but,
fuck me, they don't come out
like that all the time do they?
- You can get three or four Naan
on there rather than
using four plates.
- Great isn't it, I mean,
you're sat with your girlfriend
and you don't want to
talk to her.
Hi ya sweetheart.
- [Tash] Hello.
- Fuck off.
Oh, no, not you.
Tash how are you?
- (laughs) I'm fine.
- So, Sea bass at the
Curry Lounge.
Hmm.
Fuck, dry.
Tasteless, no salt, no
seasoning, nothing.
Bloody hell.
A terrible dish, and I
didn't even design it myself.
Now for my DIY chicken
and prawn spicy korma.
Very greasy, it's got
a film of oil on top.
Chicken's really dry.
If every customer goes
for a DIY Curry
this restaurant must be
serving up some real disasters.
I don't know, you look
at it now and it's like,
it's almost on the verge
of being pretentious,
do you know what I mean,
it's lost its authenticity
because it's trying to be
too smart for its own good.
And then out comes the
fucking swinging Naan.
Kitchen's through here?
Yeah.
Thanks, and the chef's name is?
Apparently a man who's
worked in India's best hotels
is responsible for this.
It doesn't add up.
Zack Khan, okay?
- [Raz] This is Zack.
Zack, Gordon.
- Hi, how are you?
- How are you?
- Fine.
- [Gordon] You are the
cleanest chef I have ever seen
in my entire life.
- Thank you.
- [Gordon] Immaculate.
- Thank you.
- Shouldn't he be at
school, that one, though?
Look at him, amazing.
Okay, thank fuck for those ears
otherwise the hat
would fall off.
- [Khan] Thank you. (laughs)
- Okay, when I first
arrived I was sort of,
confused, the minute I arrived.
The decor threw me, Yeah?
And so did the food.
The food was, the
food was bland.
- [Khan] If someone asks you--
- Yes.
- Korma.
It just happens to be mild
and creamy and sweet dish.
- [Raz] Yes.
- But yes, you're insisting,
no, I want it hot.
So, what, what chef has
got to put chillies?
- I felt there was no
personality, nothing individual.
It was very plain and
very boring.
The kind of food I
could get anywhere.
- We get regular
comments every night
how fresh and different in--
- I, I, I, I, I'm not, I,
I'm not interested
in the positives.
- [Raz] Yeah, I know.
- My staff in my restaurant
listen to negatives.
I'm not here for positives.
So what I'm trying to say is,
I found my experience
to be bland.
- Right
- And where that sits
anywhere connected
to Indian authentic
cuisine, It's game over.
This business is on the
verge of closing,
we're short of customers
and we're in the shit.
Bingo!
I'm in Nottingham at the
110 seater Curry Lounge.
It's a big restaurant
with even bigger problems
and I've only got five
days to sort it out.
This is a first for me, turning
round an Indian Restaurant.
Now, the basic principles are
exactly the same no matter
what the style of cuisine is.
But daunting task, very excited,
but I think it's gonna be a
fucking tough nut to crack.
It's Friday night and
the start of the weekend.
The only time of the week
when the Curry Lounge is busy.
Owner, Raz, is also front
of house manager
and he loves showing off
to the punters.
- [Raz] Is that mild, medium?
- [Woman] Em, medium.
- [Raz] Medium.
- [Gordon] Already the
customers are running riot
and creating their own curries.
Thousands of years of
Indian culture
straight out the window.
- [Tash] Remember Dee,
he had a garlic,
coconut and chilli Naan.
Yeah?
And, er
- Is that on the menu,
garlic, coconut and chilli
or did you make them up?
- No, she's made it all--
- They are the architects.
- Yeah.
- She makes them up?
Yeah.
And, his lady's asking
about the salmon,
is there cream in there?
- [Khan] Little bit, yeah.
- She said can you change
it for yoghurt
because you did last time?
- Okay, fine.
- [Tash] Yeah?
- So no one sticks to
the menu here,
they just order what they want?
- Menu says that.
Why--?
- Have you seen,
have you seen the menu?
- Are you mad?
You should be confident and
happy with what you do is
what's good enough for them.
- Do I look like alright?
I am a mad person,
hundred percent.
- Is that your idea?
- No, of course, I will
not take, I will not take
such a drastic step, this
is my boss idea.
- Finally I get it, the
pick'n'mix menu is a result
of this former salesman
trying to please everyone.
- Now, if you want
lobster and it happens
To be a mild but you
like it hot,
why the hell can't
you have it hot?
Yes it pisses the staff
off in the kitchen,
but at the end of the day
If the customer wants it
they can have it as far
as I'm concerned.
- [Gordon] With the pick'n'mix
option the customers
can order over 100
variations of the dishes,
it's a curry DIY disaster.
Khan and his team are
swamped with orders,
he's losing it and I'm
not surprised.
- Here.
Every check is coming with
something bloody changed.
- Lamb Bhuna four ways?
Ridiculous, huh?
This ludicrous menu is
slowing up service too.
- We've been having a nice
chat while we've been waiting
for the food to arrive.
- I've been waiting 10,
15 minutes.
- Its been a little while
- [Gordon] As orders flood in,
plates build up on the pass,
and where fresh food's
concerned that's a disaster.
It's got a big skin
on there now.
- That is fine.
- Oh, fucking hell.
- [Khan] Table 9.
- Come on, come on, come on.
If Raz thinks his DIY menu
makes his restaurant stand out
from the competition he
couldn't be more wrong.
- It tasted like it was
more like from a supermarket
rather than kind of coming out
for a nice meal out,
in comparison.
- So pretty average?
- Fairly average.
It's the first time we've been
and probably--
- Yeah, would you come back?
- Probably not, no.
- As an Indian Restaurant
in Nottingham.
- Yeah.
- Is it average, above
average or is it in the--?
- Average.
- It's a bit all style
and no substance for me.
Great towels in the, ladies.
- Why do you treat your
kitchen like a conveyor belt?
It's like a, it's like a
banqueting kitchen here.
- There were so many orders
pending and I had to go
In and out, in and out, in
and out, two tables of food.
- I think deep down inside
you could do much better.
- For sure.
You know love, care and just
- I know.
- that little bit of passion.
What are you thinking?
- Shit, basically, we
need to sort this out.
- I know damn well we could
all do a damn site better.
Goodnight.
- Goodnight.
- Cheers man.
- See you in the morning, yes?
- No problem.
- Bright and early, yes?
Gentlemen, goodnight.
- Cheers man.
Damn.
I haven't enjoyed the food, I
haven't, for the first time,
since I opened the
restaurant and I like it.
I'll leave it there.
I'm gonna go for a fag.
See you later.
- This restaurant has
two major issues.
Firstly, the restaurant's
all blinged up
and they've got a
menu to match it,
it's fucking
humongous and ghastly.
If I've got any chance
of turning this around
the first thing I have
to attack, seriously,
is the food.
It's hideous.
Unbelievable.
Raz has built a flash restaurant
and a tacky menu to match.
But the way I see it, that's
nothing to brag about.
So this morning I've
got to get Raz
to see the error of his ways.
For me the heartbeat of any
restaurant, everyone comes back
knocking on the door and they
want to taste the food again.
I don't feel that here
I think you've got a
fucking glamorous 1980s
fucking Indian Restaurant
that's serving pretty
mediocre Indian food.
And if you're going to
spend 600, 700,
three quarters of a million
pound, whatever it is, fuck me,
what you've got to become
is individual.
- You know, it, it's, it is
a bit hard for me to sit here
and go, fuck, I've got
all that wrong.
I mean, I've still got to
get this right.
- [Gordon] Yeah, Nothing
wrong with being proud at all.
- No.
- Providing you've got that
level of fucking intelligence
to fucking rectify, okay?
- Yeah.
- And we're gonna start
right this fucking minute.
- Okay.
- Yeah.
And, I mean, literally, no,
stay there,
you don't have to move,
I've got it all ready.
- Oh, great.
- Yeah, Oh, la-la!
That's one thing, fuck me, have
I been dying, there you go,
that's for you.
Are we doing both windows
or one window?
- No, that's not coming off.
- [Gordon] Water on there
first and just, look.
- It's tinted glass so
it'll scratch.
- See?
- Gordon, you're not.
- [Gordon] Oh, here we go.
- You.
I've not done it to hurt
anybody, I didn't do it
to piss any of the winners off.
- If you'd had runners-up
in the same style
I would still turn round and
say, Raz, do yourself a favour,
get that shit off the window,
it looks fucking hideous.
- I'll give you a hand
to take it off, Gordon,
but I just don't.
- [Gordon] Oh, that's very kind.
If you can take the runners
off up then I'll feel a lot--
- Gordon, I will take
it off you, but I, I,
what I, I am getting pissed
off about you actually.
- [Gordon] I'm glad you are.
- [Raz] Yeah, I am.
- I'm fucking over the moon.
- I'm saying--
- I like it
when you get pissed off.
- It was meant to let
customers know
that we've just come
runners-up in two awards.
- Okay, do they know now?
- Who?
- The customers?
- Of course they do.
- So, we can get rid of it then.
- [Raz] Okay.
- You start there with the
little runners-up in small bits
in black, and you may
need some glasses
to get it off.
Please don't scratch the
window, it's smoked glass.
(Raz laughs)
(happy music)
(Gordon knocks on the window)
Sorry, runners-up, coming off.
(knocks on the window)
Sorry, only runners-up.
We'll try harder next year.
Only runners-up.
Next year we're gonna win.
Lovely.
Slow down, you can't
see the sign.
Oh, shit, he's gone.
Only runners-up.
Sorry, it's gone now.
Thank you.
I bet that fucking hurt
didn't it, no?
- I'm actually enjoying it.
- Uh?
Now I've cleaned those windows
I can turn my attention
to the biggest problem of all,
the food.
Like most Indian
restaurants, the sauce stocks
that form the base of the
curries are prepared in advance.
Incredibly, all the 130 create
your own curries are made up
from just three stocks, no
wonder they all taste the same.
Oh, dear, I've also
found jars of curry paste
and frozen samosas.
The only freshly prepared
food is the Naan bread.
What a waste of talented chefs.
12 seconds each Naan.
You're like a little Harry
Potter there in the corner,
working your magic.
Wizard of the Naan.
Well done Harry.
This isn't a restaurant
kitchen, it's a food factory.
- Most of the time we
cater in two hours
sometimes 100 cover, 120 covers.
We have to give fast food.
Quick, quick, quick, quick,
quick, quick.
- I've asked Khan to cook
every dish on the menu.
Holy mackerel
The amount of food there
is extraordinary.
Most of these dishes are
made up on just a few sauces.
There's no way on earth
they can taste individual,
and I'm going to prove it.
Are you sure you don't do Botox?
- No I don't.
- No?
Far too good looking.
Right.
Wrap that on.
We're gonna taste some food
and you're gonna tell me
what it is.
Okay, Tash?
Here we go my darling.
First up, one of the most
expensive dishes on the menu.
- King Prawn Karahi?
- No.
- No, That's the lobster
I had yesterday.
Tash.
Let's see if the rest of
the waiting staff
can do any better.
The nation's favourite,
Chicken Tikka Masala.
One of the most popular dishes
on the menu, what is it?
- Chicken Madras?
- [Khan] No.
- [Gordon] No.
Oh, dear!
- Karahi Paneer?
- [Khan] No.
- No.
One last try.
How about the one thing
that shouldn't be anywhere
near this restaurant?
Tash, what is that?
- Chip?
- Chip, good girl.
Excellent.
What are we running here?
- An Indian restaurant.
- An Indian restaurant,
excellent.
None of the staff could
tell one dish from another.
You can't be that mediocre
when you're fighting
for survival with 18
other restaurants.
You're a generous man,
and it shows
to what you sat in front of.
You can't play to everybody.
- We, we try to give
every customer.
- Whatever he asks.
- Whatever he wants.
- Tinned pineapple and
curry just don't mix.
It's not the average, no chef
in the world would attempt
to cook this.
And your generous
spirit is destroying
the ambition of this restaurant.
Raz's generous spirit is
also destroying
the ambition of his
head waitress.
- It just looks bad
that we don't know
what's coming out
from the kitchen.
How can I be a head waitress
when I don't even know
what's on my menu?
That's the upsetting
thing about it.
- [Gordon] If the pick'n'mix
menu has done this
to his head waitress,
what's it done to the man who
has to cook it every night?
Nottingham's got a growing
Asian community
and great markets selling
exotic produce
that you'd find on the
streets of India.
Khan, good morning.
- [Khan] It's nice to
see you here.
- Yeah, it's good to
see you too.
This is your local, yes?
- This is my local.
- This is where we gain--
- Local market.
- Inspiration.
All these shops are on the
Curry Lounge's doorstep,
but Khan rarely visits
them, choosing to order
in his supplies instead.
This part can be taken out.
- Yeah, like a,
like, like, yeah.
- You can take it out there
and just slice and toss it.
- Yeah.
- [Khan] It's beautiful tasting.
- See, you seem to come alive
in amongst all this produce.
- Of, of course.
- Uh?
- [Khan] Break this,
there is hardly any seeds.
- [Gordon] Yeah.
It's great to see Khan excited
about Indian food again.
It's given me an idea.
- [Khan] Finely sliced.
You grew up in which region?
- Tristan.
What was the first sort
of big influence
that your mother gave you
in terms of food taste?
- She used to make the
Korma, this was fantastic.
- Right.
- But not the Korma
what we make here.
- No.
- Sweet ones.
Let's pick up some
ingredients today.
Sure.
Let's put that as a
special this evening
on the menu.
- Fine, fine.
- And give it some
authenticity from the--
- Absolutely.
- The region.
- Okay.
- [Gordon] Let's go and
get the lamb.
- [Khan] No compromise.
- [Gordon] Lovely.
- [Khan] Thank you.
(Indian music)
- Tonight's a big night,
we're putting on a new dish
you can't get in any run
of the mill curry house.
But before we can hand
out the menus
there's something I've
been dying to do.
Throw all these out, no
more pick'n'mix.
We're going back to
simple, authentic, yeah,
Indian cuisine, yeah?
It's crucial we tell
the front of house team
about the special so
they can push it.
Kitchen staff, why don't you
explain what you're doing?
- Sure.
Well, we are making the, the
authentic lamb korma today.
- What if the customer wants
Chicken Jalfrezi Gordon
and it's not on the menu?
- Yeah?
Have you seen how much
food has gone there?
- Yeah.
- So..
- Sell something else.
- We're gonna
sell something else.
Raz doesn't seem happy, but
tonight I'm going to prove
to him that Nottingham
wants authentic dishes
instead of dodgy DIY food.
So let's get the cocktails done,
yes?
Let's go.
Take out the pick'n'mixes
on the menu please.
That one's gone.
Yes?
You smile, move.
- [Khan] Cloves, green cardamom.
- Khan's special is a medium
spiced dish from Hidrobad,
and unlike Raz's pick'n'mix,
this curry will be made
from scratch every day.
The meat is slow
cooked on the bone
with spices and browned onions.
And the bone in there as well.
I quite like the regional
aspect with the bone inside.
- Absolutely.
- And serve it with the bone,
it makes it look more authentic.
Chilli powder, turmeric
and salt are added along
with a garlic and ginger
paste then left to cook gently
for half an hour.
Gorgeous.
- [Khan] And this is
your lamb korma.
- Thank you.
That for me, yeah, is perfect,
yeah?
- Thank you.
- You know that?
- Thank you very much.
- It tastes delicious.
- Thank you.
- [Gordon] This dish will
get everyone hot for more.
- [Tash] Fire away sir,
what would you like?
- I'm gonna have the
Tandoori Bar please.
- Tandoori Bar?
- Yes please.
- [Gordon] But an
hour into service
and not one person's
ordered the lamb korma.
What are Raz and his
waiters up to?
Er, have you been here before?
- No.
- [Gordon] What have
you ordered?
- Vegetable Biryani.
- Lovely.
Sir?
- Karahi Prawns.
- Lovely.
Tell me?
- Lamb Masala.
- So no one's gone
for the special?
- [Man] No.
- No?
- [Man] We didn't actually
hear about the special.
- [Man] No we don't
know about any specials.
- [Woman] We've ordered
your special..
- You didn't hear
about the special?
- [Man] No, we weren't
told about any special, so.
- It would be nice if you
could explain the special.
- Okay.
- Okay.
Excuse me just a second
while I give him a kick
in the bollocks.
Going back to tell him
to explain our special.
Oh, dear!
If the front of house team
aren't behind the special,
then it's down to just one man,
Raz.
Anyone would think he's
resisting the changes
to tonight's menu.
Now, I'm getting
slightly agitated
that it's all a little
bit too casual.
So I just need some
drive behind it.
- Okay.
- You've got to drive it,
not from the back seat
but from the front seat, yes?
- No problem.
How are you doing guys,
are you alright?
Did you not go for the special?
- [Man] Not want to?
(Raz laughs)
- I'm not laughing.
But if Raz won't push it
I know a man who will.
You look great, you look great.
- Yeah.
Hey, come on, it's
Nottingham, not Bollywood.
- Right, fantastic.
- When you put stuff
on long hours
it gives it's own taste
anyway, so that actual taste
comes out of the meat.
Try my favourite?
- [Woman] I'll try it.
- Yeah, you'll be safe.
- [Woman] And me too. (laughs)
- [Gordon] It's great
to see Khan's passion
for the dish that he created.
He's like a different chef.
At last Khan's mum's lamb
starts to sell,
but no thanks to Raz.
- Now you see that one
is coming now.
- Table one said that
the lamb was fantastic.
- He said the lamb
was fantastic?
- [Man] Yeah.
- Good.
That's great news.
They didn't complain
it wasn't sweet enough?
- [Man] No, they
didn't complain.
- Coz that's what they
want here in Nottingham.
- I had lamb korma, which
was medium and very,
very tasty and very nice.
Really enjoyed it.
- I never realised there was
so many varieties of korma,
but, yeah, wonderful.
- That is really good news,
we've already sold out
of Khan's lamb korma.
Now, that means they want that
really nice authentic style
of cooking as opposed to
that sweet mush,
but what's pissed me off more
than anything is Raz's refusal
to push the authentic
special and still thinks
they come here for the
fucking pick'n'mix,
which is bollocks.
Without a doubt, the star
of tonight's show is Khan.
You are destined for
Bollywood you, aren't you?
You're too good looking
to be a chef.
- [Khan] No, no.
- You look like some sort
of Bollywood superstar.
- No, come on, you are
pulling my leg.
- [Gordon] From a porn movie.
- Oh, shit.
Fucking hell.
I knew, I knew he was
taking me somewhere man,
I knew that time.
- Last night I realised
the Curry Lounge
is split down the middle,
kitchen versus front of house.
Before I do any more
work on the menu
I've got to get them all
playing for the same team.
Crucial, bit of team bonding.
When was the last time you
got your team out together?
- Never.
- My guys meet on
average once a month,
whether it's go-karting,
water polo.
We haven't been a team yet,
so we're now gonna play
the locals at their own game
and we're gonna whip their arse.
How are you buddy?
- I'm fine thank you.
- I've arranged for
the Curry Lounge
to play the local Sikh
Cricket Team,
and I've heard their
batting average is high.
Raz's opening the batting
with a difference.
It's time the kitchen
bowled him a few bouncers.
Right, Raz.
- [Raz] Gordon.
- [Gordon] Okay.
This, yeah, is what they
call handicap, yeah?
- Yeah.
I'm going to do to you,
okay, what you've been doing
to your staff.
- Right.
- [Gordon] And so I want
you to experience
what they've been experiencing,
yeah,
since they've been
working with you.
- Alright, mate.
- So, one handed, this
time bowl the fastest bowl
you've ever done.
Move.
Oh, oh, oh, shit!
Damn.
Sorry, that's butter fingers.
Sorry.
Good.
Still here?
I can't believe it.
He still manages to hit
the fucking ball.
(laughs)
Shit!
Uh?
Er, well.
What? (laughs)
- That'll be a four then?
(Gordon laughs)
- [Gordon] Great determination,
yeah?
- [Raz] Thank you very much.
- Great batting and a
great innings.
Why aren't you like that
in the fucking restaurant?
- [Raz] I wasn't gonna
get out no matter what.
- We can't lose.
- And it's we can't lose,
it's very competitive
and I think the last six
balls I've shown to myself
that what I'm trying to do.
I'm determined to do it
and I'm not gonna fail.
I think that's what's
been missing in me
for the last two or
three months.
So I'm glad for that, one
handed or not.
(upbeat music)
- [Gordon] Come on Tash!
- It's the first time
we've all been out together
with the kitchen and
service staff.
So, yeah, it's good.
- Let's go for it.
- [Gordon] Harry, look at that
big white screen down there
and think of all your
Naan breads.
- [Harry] Yeah.
- Let's go.
- [Harry] Hit it.
Hit it.
- [Gordon] Whoa!
Oh, shit!
One over, come on.
- What's that!
Yeahh!
Well played guys.
- [Gordon] Well played.
- [Raz] Fantastic effort.
- [Gordon] Thank you.
The cricket was such a success
I thought we'd turned a corner.
But this morning I find out
Raz has called a meeting
and only invited the front
of house staff.
When is this guy ever
gonna learn?
He's being an idiot and I won't
let him get away with this.
Look at the sneaky
little fuckers.
What did I say?
- [Harry] Team building.
- [Gordon] So now
they're holding a meeting
on their fucking own.
- So let's go and--
- Yeah, pummelled him.
- Yeah.
- [Gordon] I've been at the
Curry Lounge in Nottingham
for three days and I thought
we were making progress.
But after a great day
of team bonding
Raz has gone behind my back.
- So let's go and--
- Yeah, pummelled him.
- Yeah.
- Hi ya Gordon.
- [Gordon] Yeah, hello, yes,
excuse me.
Hello!
Excuse me.
- Are you gate-crashing?
- Huh?
Hold on, hold on, hold on,
hold on a minute, let's, let's,
you're having a meeting, right?
- [All] Yeah.
- Right.
24 hours ago we had a
team building exercise.
- Yeah.
- Kitchen and dining room.
- Yeah.
- Which was fantastic.
- Yeah.
24 hours later you're having
a meeting on your own.
- We wanted to look at the
front of house situation
and what we're gonna do,
and tomorrow morning we want
to sit down with everybody to
go through what we wanna do.
- Trust me.
My team don't meet
without the kitchen.
The kitchen don't meet
without the restaurant,
coz they're one.
You've got to keep it together.
- Yeah.
- That's right.
Communications.
- [Raz] Hmm.
And communication I think
nothing can be better than
when we all sit together.
Do you know, I may come out
with a better idea
than you there.
Should be one family.
- [Gordon] We should
beat their legs,
tape their legs up
together tomorrow yes?
Uh?
- If we can do, yes.
- See if you can do service
with that, yes?
That there looks like something
out of a pharmaceutical
factory there, look.
- [Raz] It's just a
mind, it's a mind dump.
- [Gordon] And what's
the other big circle?
- Professional.
I haven't got to that yet.
- Right.
That's so frustrating, because
on the back of the cricket
bonding session I thought
he'd understood
the importance of keeping
your team together,
and if he hasn't
understood that now
he's never gonna get the
fucking message.
I really put Raz's back up
by gate-crashing the meeting,
but I want to crack on
and create a new menu
of regional dishes.
Time for a spot of Tiffin.
Tiffin's are Indian lunch
boxes and a 160,000 of them
are delivered every day to
office workers all over Mumbai.
We're gonna do the same
here in Nottingham.
The secret of this, yeah,
is having a little bit of
sort of authenticity.
Classic Tiffin box, we'll fill
it up with vegetable, rice,
a stunning chicken curry, a
nice little bit of Naan bread,
a fiver each, yeah?
If we get six companies on
board all ordering between 30
to 50 lunches a day,
authentic, delicious curry,
swear to god in two to three
months time, we could be doing
250 to 300 lunch a day, okay?
Right.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
Let's go.
The Tiffins will contain a
light and tasty
authentic chicken curry.
Get some colour on the onions,
yes?
It's made by frying chopped
onions in whole spices.
Are we using the thighs,
the chicken thigh, yes?
Then adding chicken with
chilli, cumin and turmeric
and lots of fresh coriander.
If we want to get busy
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
for dinner what a way of
getting them into the restaurant
by offering them a great lunch.
- I agree with you.
- Yeah?
- [Khan] Yeah.
- [Gordon] To go
with the chicken
there's coconut
infused vegetables
and an aromatic basmati
rice, all topped off
with a plain Naan.
- [Man] Yes, this is ready.
- Here we go, yes.
Can we go to that place,
the first one?
- [Raz] Why are you walking
round with a filthy work top on?
It's filthy because I've
been in your kitchen working.
- It looks good and like
you've been cooking.
- Thank you.
- It looks good and fair.
- Thank you.
- How much are you gonna pay?
The second time she's stuck
up for me, and I splashed it
on myself this morning when
I was brushing my teeth.
Hello everybody, are
you alright?
Just a quickie inside, we've got
a really exciting lunch.
Now, the average person
here earns between 18
and a 100 grand a year,
we're charging--
(crowd laughing)
We're charging five pound.
Who'd like one?
- [Raz] Got one over there.
- [Gordon] One, two, three,
four.
Okay, Harry, work your magic.
It is absolutely delicious.
- It's okay?
- [Gordon] Any more?
Ladies?
You want change for that?
Fantastic.
Within five minutes
they've all gone.
How can we sell out so quickly,
uh?
Forty Tiffin boxes at a
fiver each, that's 200 quid,
and that should cheer up Raz.
Who, who hasn't got a box?
- God!
(crowd laughing)
Twelve more please.
- [Woman] Really nice.
- Yes.
- [Woman] Absolutely lovely.
- [Woman] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Damn, we forgot to tell
them that we were runners up.
- I'll go and tell them.
(Tash laughs)
They probably know anyway.
- Get out of here.
Here we go.
- They probably know.
(Tash laughs)
- Tomorrow night
we're re-launching
the Curry Lounge with an
authentic regional menu.
To help me I'm calling
on a mate from London.
Alfred Prasad is the
Executive Chef at Tamarind,
my favourite Indian Restaurant.
At 29 he was the
youngest Indian chef
to win a coveted Michelin star.
If you want good Indian
regional cookery he's the man.
This man arrived this morning.
I've been to his
restaurant umpteen times,
he has a Michelin star and
he's here to work closely
with me on stripping this
crack, yes, to regional.
Yeah?
No faffing around.
No pick'n'mix.
Right, you look more nervous
now, what's the matter?
- No, no, I'm excited.
This is great, this is
a bit of a surprise.
- Love that.
- [Gordon] Yeah, nice surprise?
- [Raz] Yeah, great.
- [Gordon] Yes, are
you happy now?
- [Khan] Oh, yeah.
- [Gordon] You weren't very
happy yesterday when I came in,
now we, I've got one of you
in here now, look at him.
This is you 10 years ago.
- Absolutely.
- [Gordon] In fact you
look the same
except he's got no hair.
- [Khan] I know.
- Since I've been here
you're turning me grey.
I never had this before.
Yeah.
With Alfred's help
tonight we'll give
the people of Nottingham
a menu that's tasty,
authentic and truly unique.
I think we can get away with
losing half of the junk.
- [Alfred] Conveniently half.
- [Gordon] Yeah?
Starterwise eight?
- I would, eight, nine.
- Nine?
Yeah, main course?
- Between 10 and 12 I think.
- Uhum.
The new dishes draw on the
regional cooking skills
of the chefs in the kitchen.
The Peshwari Champan,
mutton chops marinated
in papaya and cream then
grilled in a Tandoor
are from the north of Pakistan.
Whilst these grilled
lamb kebabs from Hidrabad
in Andra Pradesh, and my
favourite, Murgh Mutni from
Punjab,
spicy chicken cooked in
creamed tomatoes with ginger
and fenugreek leaves.
- Raz.
- [Raz] Gordon.
- Here's a little
touch of Murgh.
My favourite, yes?
Alfred, delicious.
Why are you shaking it
around like that?
It's not a fucking Frisbee.
- There's just a bit of,
there's a bit of oil in there.
- A bit of oil in there?
Hello.
Nice, tender.
The new menu is made
up from dishes
from northern regions
of India and Pakistan
and with nine main
courses over 10 pounds 50,
we're now highly competitive.
Any starters here that you think
is not suitable for Nottingham?
- Ooh, no.
- No.
It has that authenticity?
- Yeah, yeah.
You see it in front of
you and you think, well,
why didn't we do this in
the first place?
- Yeah.
Yeah.
Mr. Khan will you help
me with the starters?
- Sure.
- Yeah?
Anything to say?
To add.
- It's fine, absolutely fine.
- No?
This is about getting out
of the mediocre position
and putting us in
something slightly unique.
- Yeah.
- Yes?
Trust me, yes?
- [Raz] I do.
- Quality.
There's one last thing that
has to come off the menu.
Who went out and saw this idea
in a restaurant and thought,
fuck me, this is amazing,
we're gonna stand out?
- [Raz] Most of the restaurants
up in the north have them.
- Most of the restaurants
up north have them?
- [Raz] Yeah, yeah.
- That's a lie.
We'll be serving Naan bread,
yeah, in a basket, okay?
Let's have a little taste,
get familiar with it
and bounce ideas around, okay?
- [Man] Thank you.
- [Tash] That's nice.
- [Man] It's nice.
- [Raz] That's really nice.
- [Gordon] Is it?
- [Raz] Hmm, hmm.
- [Gordon] There's none of
that dark brown
stodge consistency,
it's bright, vibrant and
we managed to make it sexy.
- There were so many
dishes I was gonna say,
where's the Jalfrezi,
where's this, where's that?
- Yeah.
- I don't give a shit, this
is what they're getting.
- Yeah.
At last, Raz has finally
got the message.
But now it's the head
chef's turn to be unhappy.
Menu is not complete as
far as I am concerned,
we are telling on
that previously
the reason rice panir there.
- Yeah?
- There's nothing rice
panir in that.
- We can't have every
region on there,
this is a base.
- No, I'm not
I think I have got right
to put my own opinion here.
- Of course you have.
- And that's what I was doing.
I put my opinion, we should
not say which is not there.
He is a very senior chef,
he is from the same company
from I am.
- I've just clicked
what's happening.
You're jealous coz he's
a lot younger than you.
- No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
- That's what it is.
- No, no, no.
I'm not.
- Possibly.
- That, that, that's what it is.
- I think so.
- That's what it is.
- I think so!
- Look at me, yes or no?
- No, no, no.
- I think that is a
factor Gordon.
- I can feel the tension
in the air.
- Can I say my, what I I feel.
- Sorry.
And, and also this hasn't
just been put together
in three or four days.
I'm not fucking
around with anyone,
this is serious.
- Of course not.
Of course not.
- This is serious.
So I'd like you to show
a little bit of support.
- This is just a staring point.
- I know.
- Thank you.
- Of going forward.
We can add stuff, we
can change stuff.
- [Gordon] Yeah.
- It's a starting point.
- Hold on mate, he's not,
he's not,
it wasn't dead centre there,
it was,
it was one minute past
12, I want to put it in
at 12 o'clock.
- [Raz] I mean, I, I
know chefs are protective
about their food and
their menus.
- What, come on?
- No, no, but there's one,
two, three, four out of place.
- Terrifying.
- Let's get cracking guys, yes?
Holy mackerel.
Mr. Khan.
I've got a surprise to
get Khan back on board.
And, gentlemen, come
over quickly,
I want to introduce
you to somebody.
Yes?
This is Raz?
- Hi Raz, I'm Mina.
- How are you?
- Come on, let's go.
- How are you.
You remind me of
one of my wives actually.
- Dippi.
One of my wives?
What's that supposed to mean?
These girls are from one
of the top dance studios,
Bollywood dance studios,
yeah, in the Midlands.
So they're here.
We're gonna have a little
practise first
and then we're gonna take
it out on the streets, yeah?
We're gonna announce to
Nottingham, and I mean,
announce to Nottingham,
yeah, tonight, yeah,
is our festive night.
Tonight is the launch.
With an hour till opening,
the kitchen's busy
preparing the new menu.
(happy music)
Whilst we hit the streets
to let Nottingham know
that Curry Lounge's new
menu is authentic,
delicious and available tonight.
Come on Mr. Khan, your
restaurant needs you.
Come on Mr. Khan,
shake your booty.
(singing in foreign language)
Are you gonna join in.
- [Crowd] Yeah.
- [Gordon] Excellent, okay?
Come to the Curry
Lounge this evening,
so come and experience
this amazing, fabulous,
authentic, regional cookery.
(singing in foreign language)
- Everyone!
(singing in foreign language)
(crowd applauding)
- [Gordon] We're open.
I've turned down the
night club lights,
turned off the Bollywood bling,
and now the kitchen is
controlling the menu,
not the customers.
- Yeah, it's a brand
new menu this evening,
and the specials this
evening are the whole menu.
- The kitchen's buzzing,
and the food
looks absolutely delicious.
It's nice to see you cooking Mr.
Khan, uh?
Putting your heart back into it,
yeah?
Good.
Out front Raz and the
waiters have ditched
their old pick'n'mix ways.
- Can I have that without
the coriander then?
- Yeah.
They won't be able to do it
because they've marinated it
and it's got
coriander inside it.
- That's okay.
- [Tash] Yeah?
- You can't have it.
- Eh?
- Can't have it.
No?
No, as it is. I'm not
messing about, no.
- It'll be interesting to
see how this pans out now
over the next 45 minutes.
These first six or seven
tables have to come out quickly
otherwise in half an hour's time
we're gonna be fucking
swamped big time.
I've invited a special guest
Humyan Hussein, editor
of the Tandoori Magazine
and a man who knows his curries.
If anyone can judge
the authenticity
of the regional dishes,
it's him.
Hi.
Well, he's whooping that
down isn't he?
- [Raz] Exactly.
It's good.
- Yeah.
Fuck me, if he eats any
more he's gonna burst.
Radically changing the
menu in any restaurant
is always risky, but if the
Curry Lounge is to stand out
from his competition
there's no alternative.
But will Nottingham go for it.
- This is a massive improvement,
really good home cooking.
We like it.
- I mean, tonight it's
reasonable, I have to,
I have to admit when
we came before it was,
it was a bit oily, a bit greasy.
Helen didn't need to put any
lip gloss on, I mean, it just,
just came free with the meals.
All good, but it's,
it's a vast improvement,
it's really good, really
enjoying it tonight.
- Fantastic.
The diners have gone for
the new regional dishes
and the dancing's paid off.
The restaurant's rammed.
But I've spotted a problem
at the VIP's table.
Table 21 haven't had
their main course yet.
- I've just literally run
in the kitchen
and chased it so I don't
know what's going on.
- What did they say?
- I'm going there now.
Chef?
- What's the time on
that check please, 21.
- 21.
- Quarter to eight,
that's an hour ago.
- [Raz] Half an hour.
- I know.
Hold on, its my fault.
- Well, tell them to
slow down then.
(speaking in foreign language)
- Fuck me, not tonight.
(speaking in foreign language)
- [Gordon] Now another
table's kept waiting.
- Did you order a starter?
- I did, yes.
- What did you order?
- Tikka thing, second one down.
- Hold on, I've got--
- I know, but they've been
waiting, it's table 11.
- [Gordon] Don't keep
them waiting guys.
We can't afford to mess
up tonight of all nights,
there's no excuse.
But now for the moment of truth,
what does our special
guest think?
I'm going to take, Table three
to see Mr. Khan in the kitchen,
yes?
Mr. Khan, I'd like to
introduce you to Humyan.
- Hello.
- Hi.
- [Humyan] Nice to meet you.
- He's the gentleman from
the Tandoori Magazine.
How was the main course?
- Main course, main
course was very good.
- What did you have?
I, well--
- The lamb shank?
- Okay, we had the lamb
shank, we have the, I want,
I think this is the Dumkimor,
I think the, the chicken.
- [Khan] Yeah.
- And I tell you it was
one of the best Pindis
I've tasted in,
in recent years.
- Thank you very much.
- Fantastic.
- Thank you.
- Little bit of issue with
the, with the chicken.
Tough, dry, sauce very bland.
- Okay.
- Breads, although they arrived
late as did our main courses
anyway, were just fine.
- First night with the
new menu and--
- Well, listen, no, thank you,
you were on a, on a good run,
you know, and it's a
simplified menu so it works.
- [Gordon] We've pulled it
off by the skin of our teeth.
Raz has now got a curry house
that could beat his many
competitors hands down.
- Total figures
tonight 3339 pounds.
- Three and a half grand?
I'm sorry, but you only need
to do that three nights a week
and you'll earn 10,000 pounds.
A break even.
- Yeah, I can't believe that.
- It's fucking good.
- With our new menu we were
expecting people to ask.
- Yeah.
- For this and this, and
they have asked
but it's been very
easy to say no.
And now I'm sitting here
looking round me,
people enjoying the food,
the buzz.
Three and a half
grand in the till,
it's given me even
more confidence
to make sure that this,
this works.
- [Gordon] Good, good.
- So.
- I'm feeling slightly
drunk sat watching you here
behind that fucking
waterfall now.
I feel like I've just
sunk into oblivion.
Fuck me, I'm feeling sick,
I have to go.
Okay.
That was fantastic. 150
covers, that was a tall order
on a brand new menu, so I
really hope that Khan continues
to fight that passion
and really ignite himself
and get cooking and
stay regional.
And Raz needs to run it,
control it and don't slip back
to his old pharmaceutical
salesman's way and stay off
that pick'n'mix, because
that is a success.
Taxi.
I'm back in Nottingham.
It's a month since I left
owner Raz with the new menu
and a packed restaurant.
The burning question is has
Khan embraced that new menu?
And I hope that Raz
hasn't slipped back
to his old pick'n'mix ways
where he wants everything
and anything on the menu.
So far it's looking good.
Those runner-up stickers
haven't made it
back on the windows.
Mr. Khan.
- [Khan] I don't know you.
- Good to see you buddy.
- Good to see you.
- Looking as slick and
cool as ever, yes?
- I'm always--
- Hi Gordon, how are you sir?
Nice to see you again.
- Likewise, good to see you too.
Business, how's it been?
- Good.
Last couple of weeks we've,
broken even two weeks running.
- Oh, really?
Which is fantastic.
- That's great news.
- Yeah, it's brilliant.
I mean, the second day
we had a chap
who's been in a couple of
times who wanted chicken,
Masala with prawns in it.
Well, I'm sorry I'm
not doing it.
And he got quite
grouchy about it.
I said, look, we're
not doing it,
but why don't you try
the fish dish.
- [Gordon] Yeah.
- He tried it and he
commented that that's,
it's the best fish dish
he's ever had.
- Good.
- [Raz] And he's
been back since.
- Okay, good.
Customers been back for
the new menu?
- People like it,
especially the lamb korma,
that's been a bit of a hit.
- And are you tasting
the new dishes?
- [Tash] Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- [Gordon] So there's
no need to chew gum now?
- [Tash] It's, cardamom.
- [Gordon] Oh, it's a
cardamom seed?
- Yeah.
- [Gordon] Nice, how
cool is that?
- Yeah, authentic.
- [Gordon] Authentic, I'll say.
Great news, the Curry Lounge
is finally breaking even,
and after only four
weeks with my new menu.
That's proof that
Nottingham wants
this style of Indian cookery.
Tonight there's such a
crush of diners
I'm having trouble
getting a table.
Time for a spot of Tiffin then.
Thank you.
Lovely.
Very good.
That was delicious.
Absolutely delicious.
Taste great.
No wonder this place is packed.
If Raz keeps his cool
and sticks to his guns,
next year the Curry Lounge
won't be runner-up but winner of
Nottingham's
Restaurant of The Year.
But trust Raz, there's one
bit of ridiculous bling
he couldn't resist
bringing back.
What are the swinging bread
Khan, stop, stop, stop,
what are they doing back?
- It's something nice.
- The swinging bread
curtains are back.
Fucking unbelievable.
Where is he?
Where is he?
Hey, pinky, pinky.
Everything was going
swimmingly beautiful, yeah?
- Yeah.
- Yeah, I mean, brilliantly.
- What's happened?
Feedback on the food, yeah?
What are those spanks doing
back on the fucking antlers,
what are they doing?
- They're, they're family Naans.
We put them on the stand
because they're too big
for the basket and if we
put them in two baskets
that would be splitting them
between three or four people.
- Come with me.
- Can I just serve these
customers first?
- No, I'm going to
improvise you.
- Oh, dear, fucking hell,
you will not learn will you.
- Hold on, will you please.
Mr. Khan.
Mr. Khan.
- [Khan] Yeah?
- Say goodbye.
- We have customers in actually.
- Good, You tell those customers
when they don't see the antlers
with the swinging Naans
to give me a call, okay?
Okay.
So now you're going to
tell me that your business
is gonna go bust
without your antlers.
- No of course, of
course it's not.
- [Gordon] You, yeah, are
coming with me down the road.
- [Raz] You mean, you're
putting them in the bin?
- No, I'm not putting
them in the bin at all.
- Where are you putting them?
- I'm gonna show you, well,
if you get out of the
fucking way I'll show you.
Five minutes.
Let's put some money
in the till.
- [Raz] Go on then.
- Sorry.
I'll get you a new one, okay?
A fresh Naan bread, okay?
Tash, could you order a new
Naan bread please on Table sven.
Right, try to stay nice and
calm throughout this moment
because we're on the
way to a burial.
Any final wishes?
Oh, curtains are up.
Where's the vicar?
Here we go, let's go.
So you take that one.
- Well that'll feed
the rats later.
- That, yeah, thank you.
Oh, my god!
Have I waited for this moment.
Ashes to ashes.
Dust to dust.
Yes.
Fucking hell.
Done?
Okay, Done.
What's the price per kilo now?
- [Man] About 60 pence a kilo.
- 60 pence a kilo, that much?
Come on, you'll be fine,
you'll be fine, come on.
You'll be fine.
- [Raz] Hooray, they're
still there. (laughs)
- Now you definitely
won't be fucking
using them again, ever again.
Hey!
- This reminds me of
the cricket day.
- Let's go back to a fully
booked restaurant, let's go.
Thank you.
Thank you gentlemen.
- [Raz] Thanks guys.
- [Gordon] Have you got the key?
- [Raz] No.
- [Gordon] Oh, fucking hell.
- Time's running out for
the Curry Lounge,
an Indian Restaurant with
more style than substance.
Hey, come on, it's
Nottingham, not Bollywood.
Who went out and saw this idea
in a restaurant and thought,
fuck me, this is amazing?
This salesman turned
restaurateur
thinks gimmicks sell food.
That looks like a large pair
of knickers, what is that?
And in the kitchen I'm
dealing with a chef
who's pat his sell by date.
You're jealous coz he's
a lot younger than you.
- No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
- That's what it is.
Look at the sneaky
little fuckers.
It's time to knock some
sense into them.
- Well, let's blame.
- Yeah, Pummelled him.
- Yeah.
- I'm off to Nottingham where
they're nuts about curry.
There's a staggering 18
Indian restaurants
in one square mile of
the city centre
Where better to eat the
nation's favourite food.
I love a good curry.
Here in the heart of the
Midlands, Nottingham,
this place has more restaurants
than any other city
across Britain.
So the chances of finding
a good curry is quite high.
The new kid on the block is
the 110 seater Curry Lounge.
Owner, Raz, a former
pharmaceutical sales manager,
opened the restaurant
six months ago.
In the hope of becoming
Nottingham's curry king
he spent nearly half
a million quid
on building his very own
Bollywood dream.
- We generally wanted to
create something
that had a bit of a wow factor
That was, fuck me, look
at this, it's, wow!
- [Gordon] But
Nottingham's not been wowed
by the Curry Lounge.
Raz's bling palace
loses three grand a week
and can't survive for long.
- I put a lot of my own
money into this business,
but if we don't start
hitting that eight,
eight and a half thousand
pound a week break-even figure,
we potentially might not
see Christmas.
- I absolutely love Indian
food, and this is the first time
I've worked in an Indian
rstaurant in Britain,
so I'm really excited.
Raz is so proud of his
Bollywood palace
that he's prepared to
bend the truth a little
to get it noticed.
Best Rewards, Best
Indian Restaurant.
Wow!
Hold on a minute,
runner-up in 2007.
Bullshitting fucker.
- Mr. Gordon Ramsay.
How are you?
- Hello, how are you?
Very well thank you,
how are you?
- Very well thank you.
- First name, sorry?
- Raz.
- Raz?
Good to see you.
Any chance of just turning
that music down so I can you,
- Sure, Yeah.
- Excellent.
My god!
Who designed it?
- Well, most of the
stuff you see was ideas
that I've picked up from
various places.
- It looks fucking ghastly.
Where did he get his
inspiration?
Lap dancing clubs?
How many screens have you got?
- We've got seven in total.
- [Gordon] You don't go to a
restaurant to watch television.
- [Raz] No, but--
- What in the fuck are they?
- [Raz] That's the water
feature Gordon.
- A water feature?
- [Raz] Yeah.
- Holy mackerel!
After seeing what Raz
has done to the decor
I hope his taste hasn't
made it onto the menu.
Hello, how are you?
- I'm fine, how are you?
- Are you the
restaurant manager?
- No.
- No.
- I'm the head waitress.
- Head waitress.
How popular is that,
create your own curry?
- [Head waitress] Yeah, that's
really popular with people.
- So you get them to
create their own?
- [Head waitress] Yeah.
- Almost like your sort
of curry pick'n'mix?
- [Head waitress] Yeah.
- Create your own curry?
What a crazy idea.
Oh, well, when in Rome.
Let's see if they can
make this monstrosity.
Well, let's go for a
little bit of a,
Chicken Korma, with prawns.
- Do you want it medium?
- No, I'm gonna go for hot.
- Hot?
- Wow!
- [Gordon] And cooking my
dodgy DIY curry is a man
with 20 years experience
in Indian cuisine,
executive chef, Zahir Khan.
- This kitchen is designed
by me, built by me,
created by me, so it's my baby.
If someone gets, says your baby
is dirty I'll kick his arse.
- Working under him is a
highly skilled brigade of chefs
flown in from India.
Congratulations on the best
restaurant in Nottingham.
- Runner-up.
- Yeah, nice small detail there.
- Marketing bollocks.
- Marketing bollocks?
- We're not doing
anything untoward.
- And just when I thought
I'd seen it all.
Holy shit
- [Raz] That's whole Goan.
- What?
- [Man] That's cheese Naan.
- That's my what?
- [Man] Chilli cheese Naan.
- Christ almighty!
That looks like a large pair
of knickers, what is that?
- [Man] It's basically
a Naan stand.
- Christmas time I could
understand slightly pissed, but,
fuck me, they don't come out
like that all the time do they?
- You can get three or four Naan
on there rather than
using four plates.
- Great isn't it, I mean,
you're sat with your girlfriend
and you don't want to
talk to her.
Hi ya sweetheart.
- [Tash] Hello.
- Fuck off.
Oh, no, not you.
Tash how are you?
- (laughs) I'm fine.
- So, Sea bass at the
Curry Lounge.
Hmm.
Fuck, dry.
Tasteless, no salt, no
seasoning, nothing.
Bloody hell.
A terrible dish, and I
didn't even design it myself.
Now for my DIY chicken
and prawn spicy korma.
Very greasy, it's got
a film of oil on top.
Chicken's really dry.
If every customer goes
for a DIY Curry
this restaurant must be
serving up some real disasters.
I don't know, you look
at it now and it's like,
it's almost on the verge
of being pretentious,
do you know what I mean,
it's lost its authenticity
because it's trying to be
too smart for its own good.
And then out comes the
fucking swinging Naan.
Kitchen's through here?
Yeah.
Thanks, and the chef's name is?
Apparently a man who's
worked in India's best hotels
is responsible for this.
It doesn't add up.
Zack Khan, okay?
- [Raz] This is Zack.
Zack, Gordon.
- Hi, how are you?
- How are you?
- Fine.
- [Gordon] You are the
cleanest chef I have ever seen
in my entire life.
- Thank you.
- [Gordon] Immaculate.
- Thank you.
- Shouldn't he be at
school, that one, though?
Look at him, amazing.
Okay, thank fuck for those ears
otherwise the hat
would fall off.
- [Khan] Thank you. (laughs)
- Okay, when I first
arrived I was sort of,
confused, the minute I arrived.
The decor threw me, Yeah?
And so did the food.
The food was, the
food was bland.
- [Khan] If someone asks you--
- Yes.
- Korma.
It just happens to be mild
and creamy and sweet dish.
- [Raz] Yes.
- But yes, you're insisting,
no, I want it hot.
So, what, what chef has
got to put chillies?
- I felt there was no
personality, nothing individual.
It was very plain and
very boring.
The kind of food I
could get anywhere.
- We get regular
comments every night
how fresh and different in--
- I, I, I, I, I'm not, I,
I'm not interested
in the positives.
- [Raz] Yeah, I know.
- My staff in my restaurant
listen to negatives.
I'm not here for positives.
So what I'm trying to say is,
I found my experience
to be bland.
- Right
- And where that sits
anywhere connected
to Indian authentic
cuisine, It's game over.
This business is on the
verge of closing,
we're short of customers
and we're in the shit.
Bingo!
I'm in Nottingham at the
110 seater Curry Lounge.
It's a big restaurant
with even bigger problems
and I've only got five
days to sort it out.
This is a first for me, turning
round an Indian Restaurant.
Now, the basic principles are
exactly the same no matter
what the style of cuisine is.
But daunting task, very excited,
but I think it's gonna be a
fucking tough nut to crack.
It's Friday night and
the start of the weekend.
The only time of the week
when the Curry Lounge is busy.
Owner, Raz, is also front
of house manager
and he loves showing off
to the punters.
- [Raz] Is that mild, medium?
- [Woman] Em, medium.
- [Raz] Medium.
- [Gordon] Already the
customers are running riot
and creating their own curries.
Thousands of years of
Indian culture
straight out the window.
- [Tash] Remember Dee,
he had a garlic,
coconut and chilli Naan.
Yeah?
And, er
- Is that on the menu,
garlic, coconut and chilli
or did you make them up?
- No, she's made it all--
- They are the architects.
- Yeah.
- She makes them up?
Yeah.
And, his lady's asking
about the salmon,
is there cream in there?
- [Khan] Little bit, yeah.
- She said can you change
it for yoghurt
because you did last time?
- Okay, fine.
- [Tash] Yeah?
- So no one sticks to
the menu here,
they just order what they want?
- Menu says that.
Why--?
- Have you seen,
have you seen the menu?
- Are you mad?
You should be confident and
happy with what you do is
what's good enough for them.
- Do I look like alright?
I am a mad person,
hundred percent.
- Is that your idea?
- No, of course, I will
not take, I will not take
such a drastic step, this
is my boss idea.
- Finally I get it, the
pick'n'mix menu is a result
of this former salesman
trying to please everyone.
- Now, if you want
lobster and it happens
To be a mild but you
like it hot,
why the hell can't
you have it hot?
Yes it pisses the staff
off in the kitchen,
but at the end of the day
If the customer wants it
they can have it as far
as I'm concerned.
- [Gordon] With the pick'n'mix
option the customers
can order over 100
variations of the dishes,
it's a curry DIY disaster.
Khan and his team are
swamped with orders,
he's losing it and I'm
not surprised.
- Here.
Every check is coming with
something bloody changed.
- Lamb Bhuna four ways?
Ridiculous, huh?
This ludicrous menu is
slowing up service too.
- We've been having a nice
chat while we've been waiting
for the food to arrive.
- I've been waiting 10,
15 minutes.
- Its been a little while
- [Gordon] As orders flood in,
plates build up on the pass,
and where fresh food's
concerned that's a disaster.
It's got a big skin
on there now.
- That is fine.
- Oh, fucking hell.
- [Khan] Table 9.
- Come on, come on, come on.
If Raz thinks his DIY menu
makes his restaurant stand out
from the competition he
couldn't be more wrong.
- It tasted like it was
more like from a supermarket
rather than kind of coming out
for a nice meal out,
in comparison.
- So pretty average?
- Fairly average.
It's the first time we've been
and probably--
- Yeah, would you come back?
- Probably not, no.
- As an Indian Restaurant
in Nottingham.
- Yeah.
- Is it average, above
average or is it in the--?
- Average.
- It's a bit all style
and no substance for me.
Great towels in the, ladies.
- Why do you treat your
kitchen like a conveyor belt?
It's like a, it's like a
banqueting kitchen here.
- There were so many orders
pending and I had to go
In and out, in and out, in
and out, two tables of food.
- I think deep down inside
you could do much better.
- For sure.
You know love, care and just
- I know.
- that little bit of passion.
What are you thinking?
- Shit, basically, we
need to sort this out.
- I know damn well we could
all do a damn site better.
Goodnight.
- Goodnight.
- Cheers man.
- See you in the morning, yes?
- No problem.
- Bright and early, yes?
Gentlemen, goodnight.
- Cheers man.
Damn.
I haven't enjoyed the food, I
haven't, for the first time,
since I opened the
restaurant and I like it.
I'll leave it there.
I'm gonna go for a fag.
See you later.
- This restaurant has
two major issues.
Firstly, the restaurant's
all blinged up
and they've got a
menu to match it,
it's fucking
humongous and ghastly.
If I've got any chance
of turning this around
the first thing I have
to attack, seriously,
is the food.
It's hideous.
Unbelievable.
Raz has built a flash restaurant
and a tacky menu to match.
But the way I see it, that's
nothing to brag about.
So this morning I've
got to get Raz
to see the error of his ways.
For me the heartbeat of any
restaurant, everyone comes back
knocking on the door and they
want to taste the food again.
I don't feel that here
I think you've got a
fucking glamorous 1980s
fucking Indian Restaurant
that's serving pretty
mediocre Indian food.
And if you're going to
spend 600, 700,
three quarters of a million
pound, whatever it is, fuck me,
what you've got to become
is individual.
- You know, it, it's, it is
a bit hard for me to sit here
and go, fuck, I've got
all that wrong.
I mean, I've still got to
get this right.
- [Gordon] Yeah, Nothing
wrong with being proud at all.
- No.
- Providing you've got that
level of fucking intelligence
to fucking rectify, okay?
- Yeah.
- And we're gonna start
right this fucking minute.
- Okay.
- Yeah.
And, I mean, literally, no,
stay there,
you don't have to move,
I've got it all ready.
- Oh, great.
- Yeah, Oh, la-la!
That's one thing, fuck me, have
I been dying, there you go,
that's for you.
Are we doing both windows
or one window?
- No, that's not coming off.
- [Gordon] Water on there
first and just, look.
- It's tinted glass so
it'll scratch.
- See?
- Gordon, you're not.
- [Gordon] Oh, here we go.
- You.
I've not done it to hurt
anybody, I didn't do it
to piss any of the winners off.
- If you'd had runners-up
in the same style
I would still turn round and
say, Raz, do yourself a favour,
get that shit off the window,
it looks fucking hideous.
- I'll give you a hand
to take it off, Gordon,
but I just don't.
- [Gordon] Oh, that's very kind.
If you can take the runners
off up then I'll feel a lot--
- Gordon, I will take
it off you, but I, I,
what I, I am getting pissed
off about you actually.
- [Gordon] I'm glad you are.
- [Raz] Yeah, I am.
- I'm fucking over the moon.
- I'm saying--
- I like it
when you get pissed off.
- It was meant to let
customers know
that we've just come
runners-up in two awards.
- Okay, do they know now?
- Who?
- The customers?
- Of course they do.
- So, we can get rid of it then.
- [Raz] Okay.
- You start there with the
little runners-up in small bits
in black, and you may
need some glasses
to get it off.
Please don't scratch the
window, it's smoked glass.
(Raz laughs)
(happy music)
(Gordon knocks on the window)
Sorry, runners-up, coming off.
(knocks on the window)
Sorry, only runners-up.
We'll try harder next year.
Only runners-up.
Next year we're gonna win.
Lovely.
Slow down, you can't
see the sign.
Oh, shit, he's gone.
Only runners-up.
Sorry, it's gone now.
Thank you.
I bet that fucking hurt
didn't it, no?
- I'm actually enjoying it.
- Uh?
Now I've cleaned those windows
I can turn my attention
to the biggest problem of all,
the food.
Like most Indian
restaurants, the sauce stocks
that form the base of the
curries are prepared in advance.
Incredibly, all the 130 create
your own curries are made up
from just three stocks, no
wonder they all taste the same.
Oh, dear, I've also
found jars of curry paste
and frozen samosas.
The only freshly prepared
food is the Naan bread.
What a waste of talented chefs.
12 seconds each Naan.
You're like a little Harry
Potter there in the corner,
working your magic.
Wizard of the Naan.
Well done Harry.
This isn't a restaurant
kitchen, it's a food factory.
- Most of the time we
cater in two hours
sometimes 100 cover, 120 covers.
We have to give fast food.
Quick, quick, quick, quick,
quick, quick.
- I've asked Khan to cook
every dish on the menu.
Holy mackerel
The amount of food there
is extraordinary.
Most of these dishes are
made up on just a few sauces.
There's no way on earth
they can taste individual,
and I'm going to prove it.
Are you sure you don't do Botox?
- No I don't.
- No?
Far too good looking.
Right.
Wrap that on.
We're gonna taste some food
and you're gonna tell me
what it is.
Okay, Tash?
Here we go my darling.
First up, one of the most
expensive dishes on the menu.
- King Prawn Karahi?
- No.
- No, That's the lobster
I had yesterday.
Tash.
Let's see if the rest of
the waiting staff
can do any better.
The nation's favourite,
Chicken Tikka Masala.
One of the most popular dishes
on the menu, what is it?
- Chicken Madras?
- [Khan] No.
- [Gordon] No.
Oh, dear!
- Karahi Paneer?
- [Khan] No.
- No.
One last try.
How about the one thing
that shouldn't be anywhere
near this restaurant?
Tash, what is that?
- Chip?
- Chip, good girl.
Excellent.
What are we running here?
- An Indian restaurant.
- An Indian restaurant,
excellent.
None of the staff could
tell one dish from another.
You can't be that mediocre
when you're fighting
for survival with 18
other restaurants.
You're a generous man,
and it shows
to what you sat in front of.
You can't play to everybody.
- We, we try to give
every customer.
- Whatever he asks.
- Whatever he wants.
- Tinned pineapple and
curry just don't mix.
It's not the average, no chef
in the world would attempt
to cook this.
And your generous
spirit is destroying
the ambition of this restaurant.
Raz's generous spirit is
also destroying
the ambition of his
head waitress.
- It just looks bad
that we don't know
what's coming out
from the kitchen.
How can I be a head waitress
when I don't even know
what's on my menu?
That's the upsetting
thing about it.
- [Gordon] If the pick'n'mix
menu has done this
to his head waitress,
what's it done to the man who
has to cook it every night?
Nottingham's got a growing
Asian community
and great markets selling
exotic produce
that you'd find on the
streets of India.
Khan, good morning.
- [Khan] It's nice to
see you here.
- Yeah, it's good to
see you too.
This is your local, yes?
- This is my local.
- This is where we gain--
- Local market.
- Inspiration.
All these shops are on the
Curry Lounge's doorstep,
but Khan rarely visits
them, choosing to order
in his supplies instead.
This part can be taken out.
- Yeah, like a,
like, like, yeah.
- You can take it out there
and just slice and toss it.
- Yeah.
- [Khan] It's beautiful tasting.
- See, you seem to come alive
in amongst all this produce.
- Of, of course.
- Uh?
- [Khan] Break this,
there is hardly any seeds.
- [Gordon] Yeah.
It's great to see Khan excited
about Indian food again.
It's given me an idea.
- [Khan] Finely sliced.
You grew up in which region?
- Tristan.
What was the first sort
of big influence
that your mother gave you
in terms of food taste?
- She used to make the
Korma, this was fantastic.
- Right.
- But not the Korma
what we make here.
- No.
- Sweet ones.
Let's pick up some
ingredients today.
Sure.
Let's put that as a
special this evening
on the menu.
- Fine, fine.
- And give it some
authenticity from the--
- Absolutely.
- The region.
- Okay.
- [Gordon] Let's go and
get the lamb.
- [Khan] No compromise.
- [Gordon] Lovely.
- [Khan] Thank you.
(Indian music)
- Tonight's a big night,
we're putting on a new dish
you can't get in any run
of the mill curry house.
But before we can hand
out the menus
there's something I've
been dying to do.
Throw all these out, no
more pick'n'mix.
We're going back to
simple, authentic, yeah,
Indian cuisine, yeah?
It's crucial we tell
the front of house team
about the special so
they can push it.
Kitchen staff, why don't you
explain what you're doing?
- Sure.
Well, we are making the, the
authentic lamb korma today.
- What if the customer wants
Chicken Jalfrezi Gordon
and it's not on the menu?
- Yeah?
Have you seen how much
food has gone there?
- Yeah.
- So..
- Sell something else.
- We're gonna
sell something else.
Raz doesn't seem happy, but
tonight I'm going to prove
to him that Nottingham
wants authentic dishes
instead of dodgy DIY food.
So let's get the cocktails done,
yes?
Let's go.
Take out the pick'n'mixes
on the menu please.
That one's gone.
Yes?
You smile, move.
- [Khan] Cloves, green cardamom.
- Khan's special is a medium
spiced dish from Hidrobad,
and unlike Raz's pick'n'mix,
this curry will be made
from scratch every day.
The meat is slow
cooked on the bone
with spices and browned onions.
And the bone in there as well.
I quite like the regional
aspect with the bone inside.
- Absolutely.
- And serve it with the bone,
it makes it look more authentic.
Chilli powder, turmeric
and salt are added along
with a garlic and ginger
paste then left to cook gently
for half an hour.
Gorgeous.
- [Khan] And this is
your lamb korma.
- Thank you.
That for me, yeah, is perfect,
yeah?
- Thank you.
- You know that?
- Thank you very much.
- It tastes delicious.
- Thank you.
- [Gordon] This dish will
get everyone hot for more.
- [Tash] Fire away sir,
what would you like?
- I'm gonna have the
Tandoori Bar please.
- Tandoori Bar?
- Yes please.
- [Gordon] But an
hour into service
and not one person's
ordered the lamb korma.
What are Raz and his
waiters up to?
Er, have you been here before?
- No.
- [Gordon] What have
you ordered?
- Vegetable Biryani.
- Lovely.
Sir?
- Karahi Prawns.
- Lovely.
Tell me?
- Lamb Masala.
- So no one's gone
for the special?
- [Man] No.
- No?
- [Man] We didn't actually
hear about the special.
- [Man] No we don't
know about any specials.
- [Woman] We've ordered
your special..
- You didn't hear
about the special?
- [Man] No, we weren't
told about any special, so.
- It would be nice if you
could explain the special.
- Okay.
- Okay.
Excuse me just a second
while I give him a kick
in the bollocks.
Going back to tell him
to explain our special.
Oh, dear!
If the front of house team
aren't behind the special,
then it's down to just one man,
Raz.
Anyone would think he's
resisting the changes
to tonight's menu.
Now, I'm getting
slightly agitated
that it's all a little
bit too casual.
So I just need some
drive behind it.
- Okay.
- You've got to drive it,
not from the back seat
but from the front seat, yes?
- No problem.
How are you doing guys,
are you alright?
Did you not go for the special?
- [Man] Not want to?
(Raz laughs)
- I'm not laughing.
But if Raz won't push it
I know a man who will.
You look great, you look great.
- Yeah.
Hey, come on, it's
Nottingham, not Bollywood.
- Right, fantastic.
- When you put stuff
on long hours
it gives it's own taste
anyway, so that actual taste
comes out of the meat.
Try my favourite?
- [Woman] I'll try it.
- Yeah, you'll be safe.
- [Woman] And me too. (laughs)
- [Gordon] It's great
to see Khan's passion
for the dish that he created.
He's like a different chef.
At last Khan's mum's lamb
starts to sell,
but no thanks to Raz.
- Now you see that one
is coming now.
- Table one said that
the lamb was fantastic.
- He said the lamb
was fantastic?
- [Man] Yeah.
- Good.
That's great news.
They didn't complain
it wasn't sweet enough?
- [Man] No, they
didn't complain.
- Coz that's what they
want here in Nottingham.
- I had lamb korma, which
was medium and very,
very tasty and very nice.
Really enjoyed it.
- I never realised there was
so many varieties of korma,
but, yeah, wonderful.
- That is really good news,
we've already sold out
of Khan's lamb korma.
Now, that means they want that
really nice authentic style
of cooking as opposed to
that sweet mush,
but what's pissed me off more
than anything is Raz's refusal
to push the authentic
special and still thinks
they come here for the
fucking pick'n'mix,
which is bollocks.
Without a doubt, the star
of tonight's show is Khan.
You are destined for
Bollywood you, aren't you?
You're too good looking
to be a chef.
- [Khan] No, no.
- You look like some sort
of Bollywood superstar.
- No, come on, you are
pulling my leg.
- [Gordon] From a porn movie.
- Oh, shit.
Fucking hell.
I knew, I knew he was
taking me somewhere man,
I knew that time.
- Last night I realised
the Curry Lounge
is split down the middle,
kitchen versus front of house.
Before I do any more
work on the menu
I've got to get them all
playing for the same team.
Crucial, bit of team bonding.
When was the last time you
got your team out together?
- Never.
- My guys meet on
average once a month,
whether it's go-karting,
water polo.
We haven't been a team yet,
so we're now gonna play
the locals at their own game
and we're gonna whip their arse.
How are you buddy?
- I'm fine thank you.
- I've arranged for
the Curry Lounge
to play the local Sikh
Cricket Team,
and I've heard their
batting average is high.
Raz's opening the batting
with a difference.
It's time the kitchen
bowled him a few bouncers.
Right, Raz.
- [Raz] Gordon.
- [Gordon] Okay.
This, yeah, is what they
call handicap, yeah?
- Yeah.
I'm going to do to you,
okay, what you've been doing
to your staff.
- Right.
- [Gordon] And so I want
you to experience
what they've been experiencing,
yeah,
since they've been
working with you.
- Alright, mate.
- So, one handed, this
time bowl the fastest bowl
you've ever done.
Move.
Oh, oh, oh, shit!
Damn.
Sorry, that's butter fingers.
Sorry.
Good.
Still here?
I can't believe it.
He still manages to hit
the fucking ball.
(laughs)
Shit!
Uh?
Er, well.
What? (laughs)
- That'll be a four then?
(Gordon laughs)
- [Gordon] Great determination,
yeah?
- [Raz] Thank you very much.
- Great batting and a
great innings.
Why aren't you like that
in the fucking restaurant?
- [Raz] I wasn't gonna
get out no matter what.
- We can't lose.
- And it's we can't lose,
it's very competitive
and I think the last six
balls I've shown to myself
that what I'm trying to do.
I'm determined to do it
and I'm not gonna fail.
I think that's what's
been missing in me
for the last two or
three months.
So I'm glad for that, one
handed or not.
(upbeat music)
- [Gordon] Come on Tash!
- It's the first time
we've all been out together
with the kitchen and
service staff.
So, yeah, it's good.
- Let's go for it.
- [Gordon] Harry, look at that
big white screen down there
and think of all your
Naan breads.
- [Harry] Yeah.
- Let's go.
- [Harry] Hit it.
Hit it.
- [Gordon] Whoa!
Oh, shit!
One over, come on.
- What's that!
Yeahh!
Well played guys.
- [Gordon] Well played.
- [Raz] Fantastic effort.
- [Gordon] Thank you.
The cricket was such a success
I thought we'd turned a corner.
But this morning I find out
Raz has called a meeting
and only invited the front
of house staff.
When is this guy ever
gonna learn?
He's being an idiot and I won't
let him get away with this.
Look at the sneaky
little fuckers.
What did I say?
- [Harry] Team building.
- [Gordon] So now
they're holding a meeting
on their fucking own.
- So let's go and--
- Yeah, pummelled him.
- Yeah.
- [Gordon] I've been at the
Curry Lounge in Nottingham
for three days and I thought
we were making progress.
But after a great day
of team bonding
Raz has gone behind my back.
- So let's go and--
- Yeah, pummelled him.
- Yeah.
- Hi ya Gordon.
- [Gordon] Yeah, hello, yes,
excuse me.
Hello!
Excuse me.
- Are you gate-crashing?
- Huh?
Hold on, hold on, hold on,
hold on a minute, let's, let's,
you're having a meeting, right?
- [All] Yeah.
- Right.
24 hours ago we had a
team building exercise.
- Yeah.
- Kitchen and dining room.
- Yeah.
- Which was fantastic.
- Yeah.
24 hours later you're having
a meeting on your own.
- We wanted to look at the
front of house situation
and what we're gonna do,
and tomorrow morning we want
to sit down with everybody to
go through what we wanna do.
- Trust me.
My team don't meet
without the kitchen.
The kitchen don't meet
without the restaurant,
coz they're one.
You've got to keep it together.
- Yeah.
- That's right.
Communications.
- [Raz] Hmm.
And communication I think
nothing can be better than
when we all sit together.
Do you know, I may come out
with a better idea
than you there.
Should be one family.
- [Gordon] We should
beat their legs,
tape their legs up
together tomorrow yes?
Uh?
- If we can do, yes.
- See if you can do service
with that, yes?
That there looks like something
out of a pharmaceutical
factory there, look.
- [Raz] It's just a
mind, it's a mind dump.
- [Gordon] And what's
the other big circle?
- Professional.
I haven't got to that yet.
- Right.
That's so frustrating, because
on the back of the cricket
bonding session I thought
he'd understood
the importance of keeping
your team together,
and if he hasn't
understood that now
he's never gonna get the
fucking message.
I really put Raz's back up
by gate-crashing the meeting,
but I want to crack on
and create a new menu
of regional dishes.
Time for a spot of Tiffin.
Tiffin's are Indian lunch
boxes and a 160,000 of them
are delivered every day to
office workers all over Mumbai.
We're gonna do the same
here in Nottingham.
The secret of this, yeah,
is having a little bit of
sort of authenticity.
Classic Tiffin box, we'll fill
it up with vegetable, rice,
a stunning chicken curry, a
nice little bit of Naan bread,
a fiver each, yeah?
If we get six companies on
board all ordering between 30
to 50 lunches a day,
authentic, delicious curry,
swear to god in two to three
months time, we could be doing
250 to 300 lunch a day, okay?
Right.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
Let's go.
The Tiffins will contain a
light and tasty
authentic chicken curry.
Get some colour on the onions,
yes?
It's made by frying chopped
onions in whole spices.
Are we using the thighs,
the chicken thigh, yes?
Then adding chicken with
chilli, cumin and turmeric
and lots of fresh coriander.
If we want to get busy
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
for dinner what a way of
getting them into the restaurant
by offering them a great lunch.
- I agree with you.
- Yeah?
- [Khan] Yeah.
- [Gordon] To go
with the chicken
there's coconut
infused vegetables
and an aromatic basmati
rice, all topped off
with a plain Naan.
- [Man] Yes, this is ready.
- Here we go, yes.
Can we go to that place,
the first one?
- [Raz] Why are you walking
round with a filthy work top on?
It's filthy because I've
been in your kitchen working.
- It looks good and like
you've been cooking.
- Thank you.
- It looks good and fair.
- Thank you.
- How much are you gonna pay?
The second time she's stuck
up for me, and I splashed it
on myself this morning when
I was brushing my teeth.
Hello everybody, are
you alright?
Just a quickie inside, we've got
a really exciting lunch.
Now, the average person
here earns between 18
and a 100 grand a year,
we're charging--
(crowd laughing)
We're charging five pound.
Who'd like one?
- [Raz] Got one over there.
- [Gordon] One, two, three,
four.
Okay, Harry, work your magic.
It is absolutely delicious.
- It's okay?
- [Gordon] Any more?
Ladies?
You want change for that?
Fantastic.
Within five minutes
they've all gone.
How can we sell out so quickly,
uh?
Forty Tiffin boxes at a
fiver each, that's 200 quid,
and that should cheer up Raz.
Who, who hasn't got a box?
- God!
(crowd laughing)
Twelve more please.
- [Woman] Really nice.
- Yes.
- [Woman] Absolutely lovely.
- [Woman] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Damn, we forgot to tell
them that we were runners up.
- I'll go and tell them.
(Tash laughs)
They probably know anyway.
- Get out of here.
Here we go.
- They probably know.
(Tash laughs)
- Tomorrow night
we're re-launching
the Curry Lounge with an
authentic regional menu.
To help me I'm calling
on a mate from London.
Alfred Prasad is the
Executive Chef at Tamarind,
my favourite Indian Restaurant.
At 29 he was the
youngest Indian chef
to win a coveted Michelin star.
If you want good Indian
regional cookery he's the man.
This man arrived this morning.
I've been to his
restaurant umpteen times,
he has a Michelin star and
he's here to work closely
with me on stripping this
crack, yes, to regional.
Yeah?
No faffing around.
No pick'n'mix.
Right, you look more nervous
now, what's the matter?
- No, no, I'm excited.
This is great, this is
a bit of a surprise.
- Love that.
- [Gordon] Yeah, nice surprise?
- [Raz] Yeah, great.
- [Gordon] Yes, are
you happy now?
- [Khan] Oh, yeah.
- [Gordon] You weren't very
happy yesterday when I came in,
now we, I've got one of you
in here now, look at him.
This is you 10 years ago.
- Absolutely.
- [Gordon] In fact you
look the same
except he's got no hair.
- [Khan] I know.
- Since I've been here
you're turning me grey.
I never had this before.
Yeah.
With Alfred's help
tonight we'll give
the people of Nottingham
a menu that's tasty,
authentic and truly unique.
I think we can get away with
losing half of the junk.
- [Alfred] Conveniently half.
- [Gordon] Yeah?
Starterwise eight?
- I would, eight, nine.
- Nine?
Yeah, main course?
- Between 10 and 12 I think.
- Uhum.
The new dishes draw on the
regional cooking skills
of the chefs in the kitchen.
The Peshwari Champan,
mutton chops marinated
in papaya and cream then
grilled in a Tandoor
are from the north of Pakistan.
Whilst these grilled
lamb kebabs from Hidrabad
in Andra Pradesh, and my
favourite, Murgh Mutni from
Punjab,
spicy chicken cooked in
creamed tomatoes with ginger
and fenugreek leaves.
- Raz.
- [Raz] Gordon.
- Here's a little
touch of Murgh.
My favourite, yes?
Alfred, delicious.
Why are you shaking it
around like that?
It's not a fucking Frisbee.
- There's just a bit of,
there's a bit of oil in there.
- A bit of oil in there?
Hello.
Nice, tender.
The new menu is made
up from dishes
from northern regions
of India and Pakistan
and with nine main
courses over 10 pounds 50,
we're now highly competitive.
Any starters here that you think
is not suitable for Nottingham?
- Ooh, no.
- No.
It has that authenticity?
- Yeah, yeah.
You see it in front of
you and you think, well,
why didn't we do this in
the first place?
- Yeah.
Yeah.
Mr. Khan will you help
me with the starters?
- Sure.
- Yeah?
Anything to say?
To add.
- It's fine, absolutely fine.
- No?
This is about getting out
of the mediocre position
and putting us in
something slightly unique.
- Yeah.
- Yes?
Trust me, yes?
- [Raz] I do.
- Quality.
There's one last thing that
has to come off the menu.
Who went out and saw this idea
in a restaurant and thought,
fuck me, this is amazing,
we're gonna stand out?
- [Raz] Most of the restaurants
up in the north have them.
- Most of the restaurants
up north have them?
- [Raz] Yeah, yeah.
- That's a lie.
We'll be serving Naan bread,
yeah, in a basket, okay?
Let's have a little taste,
get familiar with it
and bounce ideas around, okay?
- [Man] Thank you.
- [Tash] That's nice.
- [Man] It's nice.
- [Raz] That's really nice.
- [Gordon] Is it?
- [Raz] Hmm, hmm.
- [Gordon] There's none of
that dark brown
stodge consistency,
it's bright, vibrant and
we managed to make it sexy.
- There were so many
dishes I was gonna say,
where's the Jalfrezi,
where's this, where's that?
- Yeah.
- I don't give a shit, this
is what they're getting.
- Yeah.
At last, Raz has finally
got the message.
But now it's the head
chef's turn to be unhappy.
Menu is not complete as
far as I am concerned,
we are telling on
that previously
the reason rice panir there.
- Yeah?
- There's nothing rice
panir in that.
- We can't have every
region on there,
this is a base.
- No, I'm not
I think I have got right
to put my own opinion here.
- Of course you have.
- And that's what I was doing.
I put my opinion, we should
not say which is not there.
He is a very senior chef,
he is from the same company
from I am.
- I've just clicked
what's happening.
You're jealous coz he's
a lot younger than you.
- No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
- That's what it is.
- No, no, no.
I'm not.
- Possibly.
- That, that, that's what it is.
- I think so.
- That's what it is.
- I think so!
- Look at me, yes or no?
- No, no, no.
- I think that is a
factor Gordon.
- I can feel the tension
in the air.
- Can I say my, what I I feel.
- Sorry.
And, and also this hasn't
just been put together
in three or four days.
I'm not fucking
around with anyone,
this is serious.
- Of course not.
Of course not.
- This is serious.
So I'd like you to show
a little bit of support.
- This is just a staring point.
- I know.
- Thank you.
- Of going forward.
We can add stuff, we
can change stuff.
- [Gordon] Yeah.
- It's a starting point.
- Hold on mate, he's not,
he's not,
it wasn't dead centre there,
it was,
it was one minute past
12, I want to put it in
at 12 o'clock.
- [Raz] I mean, I, I
know chefs are protective
about their food and
their menus.
- What, come on?
- No, no, but there's one,
two, three, four out of place.
- Terrifying.
- Let's get cracking guys, yes?
Holy mackerel.
Mr. Khan.
I've got a surprise to
get Khan back on board.
And, gentlemen, come
over quickly,
I want to introduce
you to somebody.
Yes?
This is Raz?
- Hi Raz, I'm Mina.
- How are you?
- Come on, let's go.
- How are you.
You remind me of
one of my wives actually.
- Dippi.
One of my wives?
What's that supposed to mean?
These girls are from one
of the top dance studios,
Bollywood dance studios,
yeah, in the Midlands.
So they're here.
We're gonna have a little
practise first
and then we're gonna take
it out on the streets, yeah?
We're gonna announce to
Nottingham, and I mean,
announce to Nottingham,
yeah, tonight, yeah,
is our festive night.
Tonight is the launch.
With an hour till opening,
the kitchen's busy
preparing the new menu.
(happy music)
Whilst we hit the streets
to let Nottingham know
that Curry Lounge's new
menu is authentic,
delicious and available tonight.
Come on Mr. Khan, your
restaurant needs you.
Come on Mr. Khan,
shake your booty.
(singing in foreign language)
Are you gonna join in.
- [Crowd] Yeah.
- [Gordon] Excellent, okay?
Come to the Curry
Lounge this evening,
so come and experience
this amazing, fabulous,
authentic, regional cookery.
(singing in foreign language)
- Everyone!
(singing in foreign language)
(crowd applauding)
- [Gordon] We're open.
I've turned down the
night club lights,
turned off the Bollywood bling,
and now the kitchen is
controlling the menu,
not the customers.
- Yeah, it's a brand
new menu this evening,
and the specials this
evening are the whole menu.
- The kitchen's buzzing,
and the food
looks absolutely delicious.
It's nice to see you cooking Mr.
Khan, uh?
Putting your heart back into it,
yeah?
Good.
Out front Raz and the
waiters have ditched
their old pick'n'mix ways.
- Can I have that without
the coriander then?
- Yeah.
They won't be able to do it
because they've marinated it
and it's got
coriander inside it.
- That's okay.
- [Tash] Yeah?
- You can't have it.
- Eh?
- Can't have it.
No?
No, as it is. I'm not
messing about, no.
- It'll be interesting to
see how this pans out now
over the next 45 minutes.
These first six or seven
tables have to come out quickly
otherwise in half an hour's time
we're gonna be fucking
swamped big time.
I've invited a special guest
Humyan Hussein, editor
of the Tandoori Magazine
and a man who knows his curries.
If anyone can judge
the authenticity
of the regional dishes,
it's him.
Hi.
Well, he's whooping that
down isn't he?
- [Raz] Exactly.
It's good.
- Yeah.
Fuck me, if he eats any
more he's gonna burst.
Radically changing the
menu in any restaurant
is always risky, but if the
Curry Lounge is to stand out
from his competition
there's no alternative.
But will Nottingham go for it.
- This is a massive improvement,
really good home cooking.
We like it.
- I mean, tonight it's
reasonable, I have to,
I have to admit when
we came before it was,
it was a bit oily, a bit greasy.
Helen didn't need to put any
lip gloss on, I mean, it just,
just came free with the meals.
All good, but it's,
it's a vast improvement,
it's really good, really
enjoying it tonight.
- Fantastic.
The diners have gone for
the new regional dishes
and the dancing's paid off.
The restaurant's rammed.
But I've spotted a problem
at the VIP's table.
Table 21 haven't had
their main course yet.
- I've just literally run
in the kitchen
and chased it so I don't
know what's going on.
- What did they say?
- I'm going there now.
Chef?
- What's the time on
that check please, 21.
- 21.
- Quarter to eight,
that's an hour ago.
- [Raz] Half an hour.
- I know.
Hold on, its my fault.
- Well, tell them to
slow down then.
(speaking in foreign language)
- Fuck me, not tonight.
(speaking in foreign language)
- [Gordon] Now another
table's kept waiting.
- Did you order a starter?
- I did, yes.
- What did you order?
- Tikka thing, second one down.
- Hold on, I've got--
- I know, but they've been
waiting, it's table 11.
- [Gordon] Don't keep
them waiting guys.
We can't afford to mess
up tonight of all nights,
there's no excuse.
But now for the moment of truth,
what does our special
guest think?
I'm going to take, Table three
to see Mr. Khan in the kitchen,
yes?
Mr. Khan, I'd like to
introduce you to Humyan.
- Hello.
- Hi.
- [Humyan] Nice to meet you.
- He's the gentleman from
the Tandoori Magazine.
How was the main course?
- Main course, main
course was very good.
- What did you have?
I, well--
- The lamb shank?
- Okay, we had the lamb
shank, we have the, I want,
I think this is the Dumkimor,
I think the, the chicken.
- [Khan] Yeah.
- And I tell you it was
one of the best Pindis
I've tasted in,
in recent years.
- Thank you very much.
- Fantastic.
- Thank you.
- Little bit of issue with
the, with the chicken.
Tough, dry, sauce very bland.
- Okay.
- Breads, although they arrived
late as did our main courses
anyway, were just fine.
- First night with the
new menu and--
- Well, listen, no, thank you,
you were on a, on a good run,
you know, and it's a
simplified menu so it works.
- [Gordon] We've pulled it
off by the skin of our teeth.
Raz has now got a curry house
that could beat his many
competitors hands down.
- Total figures
tonight 3339 pounds.
- Three and a half grand?
I'm sorry, but you only need
to do that three nights a week
and you'll earn 10,000 pounds.
A break even.
- Yeah, I can't believe that.
- It's fucking good.
- With our new menu we were
expecting people to ask.
- Yeah.
- For this and this, and
they have asked
but it's been very
easy to say no.
And now I'm sitting here
looking round me,
people enjoying the food,
the buzz.
Three and a half
grand in the till,
it's given me even
more confidence
to make sure that this,
this works.
- [Gordon] Good, good.
- So.
- I'm feeling slightly
drunk sat watching you here
behind that fucking
waterfall now.
I feel like I've just
sunk into oblivion.
Fuck me, I'm feeling sick,
I have to go.
Okay.
That was fantastic. 150
covers, that was a tall order
on a brand new menu, so I
really hope that Khan continues
to fight that passion
and really ignite himself
and get cooking and
stay regional.
And Raz needs to run it,
control it and don't slip back
to his old pharmaceutical
salesman's way and stay off
that pick'n'mix, because
that is a success.
Taxi.
I'm back in Nottingham.
It's a month since I left
owner Raz with the new menu
and a packed restaurant.
The burning question is has
Khan embraced that new menu?
And I hope that Raz
hasn't slipped back
to his old pick'n'mix ways
where he wants everything
and anything on the menu.
So far it's looking good.
Those runner-up stickers
haven't made it
back on the windows.
Mr. Khan.
- [Khan] I don't know you.
- Good to see you buddy.
- Good to see you.
- Looking as slick and
cool as ever, yes?
- I'm always--
- Hi Gordon, how are you sir?
Nice to see you again.
- Likewise, good to see you too.
Business, how's it been?
- Good.
Last couple of weeks we've,
broken even two weeks running.
- Oh, really?
Which is fantastic.
- That's great news.
- Yeah, it's brilliant.
I mean, the second day
we had a chap
who's been in a couple of
times who wanted chicken,
Masala with prawns in it.
Well, I'm sorry I'm
not doing it.
And he got quite
grouchy about it.
I said, look, we're
not doing it,
but why don't you try
the fish dish.
- [Gordon] Yeah.
- He tried it and he
commented that that's,
it's the best fish dish
he's ever had.
- Good.
- [Raz] And he's
been back since.
- Okay, good.
Customers been back for
the new menu?
- People like it,
especially the lamb korma,
that's been a bit of a hit.
- And are you tasting
the new dishes?
- [Tash] Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- [Gordon] So there's
no need to chew gum now?
- [Tash] It's, cardamom.
- [Gordon] Oh, it's a
cardamom seed?
- Yeah.
- [Gordon] Nice, how
cool is that?
- Yeah, authentic.
- [Gordon] Authentic, I'll say.
Great news, the Curry Lounge
is finally breaking even,
and after only four
weeks with my new menu.
That's proof that
Nottingham wants
this style of Indian cookery.
Tonight there's such a
crush of diners
I'm having trouble
getting a table.
Time for a spot of Tiffin then.
Thank you.
Lovely.
Very good.
That was delicious.
Absolutely delicious.
Taste great.
No wonder this place is packed.
If Raz keeps his cool
and sticks to his guns,
next year the Curry Lounge
won't be runner-up but winner of
Nottingham's
Restaurant of The Year.
But trust Raz, there's one
bit of ridiculous bling
he couldn't resist
bringing back.
What are the swinging bread
Khan, stop, stop, stop,
what are they doing back?
- It's something nice.
- The swinging bread
curtains are back.
Fucking unbelievable.
Where is he?
Where is he?
Hey, pinky, pinky.
Everything was going
swimmingly beautiful, yeah?
- Yeah.
- Yeah, I mean, brilliantly.
- What's happened?
Feedback on the food, yeah?
What are those spanks doing
back on the fucking antlers,
what are they doing?
- They're, they're family Naans.
We put them on the stand
because they're too big
for the basket and if we
put them in two baskets
that would be splitting them
between three or four people.
- Come with me.
- Can I just serve these
customers first?
- No, I'm going to
improvise you.
- Oh, dear, fucking hell,
you will not learn will you.
- Hold on, will you please.
Mr. Khan.
Mr. Khan.
- [Khan] Yeah?
- Say goodbye.
- We have customers in actually.
- Good, You tell those customers
when they don't see the antlers
with the swinging Naans
to give me a call, okay?
Okay.
So now you're going to
tell me that your business
is gonna go bust
without your antlers.
- No of course, of
course it's not.
- [Gordon] You, yeah, are
coming with me down the road.
- [Raz] You mean, you're
putting them in the bin?
- No, I'm not putting
them in the bin at all.
- Where are you putting them?
- I'm gonna show you, well,
if you get out of the
fucking way I'll show you.
Five minutes.
Let's put some money
in the till.
- [Raz] Go on then.
- Sorry.
I'll get you a new one, okay?
A fresh Naan bread, okay?
Tash, could you order a new
Naan bread please on Table sven.
Right, try to stay nice and
calm throughout this moment
because we're on the
way to a burial.
Any final wishes?
Oh, curtains are up.
Where's the vicar?
Here we go, let's go.
So you take that one.
- Well that'll feed
the rats later.
- That, yeah, thank you.
Oh, my god!
Have I waited for this moment.
Ashes to ashes.
Dust to dust.
Yes.
Fucking hell.
Done?
Okay, Done.
What's the price per kilo now?
- [Man] About 60 pence a kilo.
- 60 pence a kilo, that much?
Come on, you'll be fine,
you'll be fine, come on.
You'll be fine.
- [Raz] Hooray, they're
still there. (laughs)
- Now you definitely
won't be fucking
using them again, ever again.
Hey!
- This reminds me of
the cricket day.
- Let's go back to a fully
booked restaurant, let's go.
Thank you.
Thank you gentlemen.
- [Raz] Thanks guys.
- [Gordon] Have you got the key?
- [Raz] No.
- [Gordon] Oh, fucking hell.