Get to Know… My Delhi
We chat to My Delhi owner Shah Amin about the award-winning restaurant’s journey so far
With National Curry Week just around the corner, what better time to catch up with the man behind one of Newcastle’s most popular Indian restaurants?
To say that My Delhi’s rise has been meteoric is an understatement. Since owner Shah Amin opened his first restaurant on Clayton Street in 2019, My Delhi has gone from strength-to-strength, establishing two more branches in Sunderland and Leicester and winning awards left, right and centre.
Given that restaurants are in his blood, it’s perhaps not surprising that Shah has managed to make such a success of My Delhi.
“My father is my biggest inspiration. He was a successful restaurateur, and I guess I ended up following in his footsteps,” he says. “I started my journey in the restaurant industry aged 14, working along Ocean Road’s famous curry mile in South Shields and later at our family restaurant which my dad and older brother set up. It was a small, neighbourhood place where the community would gather, and diners became friends – it really had that close-knit vibe.”
Despite his early start in the restaurant industry, life took Shah down a different path, at least initially. A love of technology led to him graining a degree in Multimedia Computing at the University of Sunderland before finding work as a web developer and eventually taking a position in digital communication at Newcastle City Council where he still works part-time today. Luckily for us curry fans, the restaurant industry soon beckoned once again.
“After being out of the trade for a long time, I became a real foodie and started noticing a gap in the market,” he explains. “I wanted to create a trendy, fun, premium casual Indian restaurant that offered authentic food but with a specific regional specialty. At that time, I hadn’t decided which region it would focus on, but I knew it had to stand out by offering something truly unique and rooted in a rich culinary tradition.”
Enter chef Guarav Dayal, who Shah met through his business partner who’d been a regular guest at Gaurav’s previous restaurant. It was Gaurav who helped Shah define My Delhi’s culinary direction – the vibrant and diverse street food its namesake Indian capital is famous for.
“Chef Gaurav is a Delhi-ite and brought a wealth of knowledge about the city’s vibrant food culture,” says Shah. “When we first met, Gaurav cooked for us and I still remember two dishes from that day: the Butter Chicken and the Malai Tikka. Both were absolutely superb, like nothing I’d ever tasted before in a restaurant here.”
“Delhi has an incredible food scene with a rich culinary history. It’s a melting pot of cultures which is reflected in the food,” he continues. “The authentic flavours and techniques Chef Gaurav used were exactly what I knew was missing in the UK and it became clear that he was the right person to help bring our vision to life.”
And so, My Delhi was born, opening its doors on Clayton Street in early May of 2019. Less than a year later, of course, the COVID pandemic hit and My Delhi was forced to shut up shop as the nation went into lockdown. Thankfully, Shah and the My Delhi team’s innovation helped them weather the storm.
“It was a tough time, but we quickly adapted by launching an express takeaway service which played a major role in changing our fortunes,” he explains. “We also introduced spice recipe kits so customers could recreate our dishes at home which have been incredibly popular. We’re thrilled to say we now sell them all over the UK, from Devon to Scotland.”
It’s that kind of quick thinking that helped My Delhi emerge from lockdown stronger than ever and establish itself as one of Newcastle’s best Indian restaurants. And quite rightfully, a flurry of recognition – both local and national – followed once My Delhi reopened its doors.
Alongside regularly scooping Street Food Restaurant of the Year at both the English Curry Awards and Asian Food Awards, My Delhi is also the reigning champion of Wylam Brewery’s legendary Indian-themed food battle Argie Bhaji. It was even the winner of the BBC 2 show Britain’s Top Takeaways in 2022, launching My Delhi into an ever-growing national scale – all of which Shah is both humbled and proud of.
“It’s genuinely humbling to be recognised for our efforts, especially given the journey we’ve had since opening in 2019,” he says. “These recognitions reflect the hard work and dedication of our incredible team who pour their passion into every dish and every guest interaction and we’re especially grateful to our diners for their unwavering support.”
It's the Dehli-icious (pardon the pun!) food that keeps guests coming back, of course, and certain dishes have proved very popular with guests over the past few years as Shah points out.
“Our most popular dish is undoubtedly the Butter Chicken 1950s, a classic that originated in Delhi and one we proudly embrace,” he says. “It’s heartwarming to see how much our diners love this humble dish!”
“The Cauliflower Manchurian is another hit,” he adds. “Many guests tell us they never knew cauliflower could taste so good!”
Its recently released autumn menu features several new tempting treats too, including a couple of paneer-based dishes perfect for vegetarians but for Shah the standout addition is its Aslam Smoked Tandoori Chicken. We’ll hand it over to him to explain exactly why it’s so special.
“It’s an iconic dish and we’ve crafted our own version. What sets this dish apart is the ancient dhungar smoke technique we employ which enhances the flavour and aroma,” says Shah. “When we present the dish, we do so under a glass cloche that traps the smoke inside and when we open it in front of our guests, the smoke is released, imparting a wonderful smokiness to the chicken—it's truly a sensory experience and a hit with our diners!”
Ever the innovators, the team mix up their delicious dishes plenty of fun dining experiences. There’s bottomless brunch with a My Delhi twist served up every Saturday combining tasty street plates with non-stop cocktails and Cobra beer, and their recently launched Bottomless Curry Club - is proving particularly popular.
Taking place every Sunday, it’s a can’t-miss experience for fans of Indian food that poses a challenge: how many of My Delhi’s roadside curries can you consume in 90 minutes?
“We wanted to create an experience that allows diners to indulge in a variety of our delicious curries,” says Shah. “We knew that endless amounts of Butter Chicken would be a major draw – who can resist that?”
“The response has been phenomenal. On average, we see around one full bathtub of curry consumed during every Bottomless Curry Club night!” he adds.
They’ve got something fun up their sleeve for National Curry Week too – an online interactive cooking session with Chef Gaurav.
“He’s going to guide our followers through the process of making a delicious chicken curry with rice, sharing his top tips and culinary advice along the way,” explains Shah. “What makes it even more special is that all proceeds will go to our charity partner the Children’s Heart Unit Fund. We’re excited to bring our community together for a fun cooking experience while supporting such an important cause!”
As for the future, we could well see a national – or even international – My Delhi takeover happening soon as Shah takes the ever-growing brand to the next level, scouting out potential locations for new restaurants.
“We have lots in the pipeline and exciting plans for the future. Every weekend, we’re out exploring different parts of the country to find new venues that will allow us to continue building on our success,” he says. “We’ve even been approached about franchise opportunities, including interest from the USA!”
As big as My Delhi becomes, Shah and the team won’t forget where it all began though – right here in the Toon.
“While we’re looking to expand, Newcastle will always remain our flagship branch,” he says. “It holds a really special place in our hearts.”
My Delhi Newcastle is located at 87A Clayton Street and is open daily from 1pm to 10pm. For more information, visit My Delhi’s website.
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