If you’ve ever been to Asha’s for curry, you’re in great company. It seems that every time celebrities come into town for a flying visit, they make a beeline for a Newhall Street restaurant before they leave.
Aston Villa president and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard visited this week for a double order of prawns, Tom Cruise ordered a table in the heart of the restaurant for tikka when he came to film Mission Impossible and Ed Sheeran The Rolling Stones frequent Asha too.
But this got us wondering. What makes Asha a great place to be? We have no doubt the food is great but Birmingham is great for curry across the board. So what’s up with Asha specifically?
Read more: Steven Gerrard eats at Curry’s in downtown Birmingham and orders £50 of shrimp
Manager Nouman Farooqi gave us a buzz to see if he could share an idea. The first thing to mention is that Asha’s is a famous restaurant in its heart – named after, and opened by Bollywood legend Asha Bhosle, a huge star.
“We used to host celebrities because that’s how things started for us. Asha Bosley is very famous, and she’s in the Guinness Book of Records for recording the most singles,” he said.
(Photo: Nouman Farooqui/Asha’s/SWNS)
“It’s hard to know exactly why it’s become a magnet for celebrities, but I think it’s a combination of things. We opened our first Asha store in Dubai in 2002 and we’ve built the brand since then, and we’ve got a good reputation. People know that if they come to Asha’s, They can always expect great food and service.”
In addition to a name for fine dining, Asha’s also hosts guests in secret rooms away from the eyes of other diners, just in case there’s too silent business to discuss.
“We have private dining rooms and kiosks where people can have a private dinner,” Numan said. Ed Sheeran and Jaykae sat in a private dining room, so they could talk—they had ordered spicy butter chicken and a main course.
The Rolling Stones eat in the private area too, as did Cliff Richard and Steven Gerrard. Tom Cruise came with his bodyguard but they made it clear he wanted a table in the middle of the restaurant, not in a separate dining room.
“His bodyguard sat nearby but Tom didn’t want any fuss, he just wanted to be around other customers. This should just be his personality – he’s a normal person.
(Photo: Asha’s/Twitter)
“None of the customers bothered him when he was eating and that’s what’s so nice about Asha’s restaurant – the customers are always friendly and respectful.”
There are other factors that may play a role in Asha being such a big celebrity. Noman explains: “We are also in a really good location, in the heart of Birmingham. Plus we have a car park.
“It’s a combination of all of these things that we think contribute to why celebrities visit us. If I were a celebrity, I wouldn’t feel comfortable going to a place where people were staring at me or teasing me while I was eating.
“Celebrities just want to go somewhere relaxed with a nice atmosphere and good food. This is the service we provide to all customers, regardless of their status.”
For the latest events and attractions, food and drink, and things to do around Birmingham, Wolverhampton and the Midlands, visit our website What’s on the home page. If you’re on Facebook, you can find our City Life page here.
Watch: We made a pilgrimage to Bilston for fried cream eggs, orange chips and a heartache
Discover: Best Places To Go In Digbeth According To People Who Know It Well
Read: I went underground to a hidden pub under Birmingham and found a secret passage to Japan
