Aktar Islam confirms departure from Birmingham’s Lasan restaurant group

Celebrity chef Aktar Islam has announced plans to leave his role as chef director of Lasan restaurant group to pursue other opportunities according to The Birmingham Mail.

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In the article published earlier today, Tuesday, October 24, Aktar says: “I’ve decided that it’s time to branch out to achieve my own personal and professional goals and I’m excited at the opportunities that lie ahead.”

Aktar rose to prominence in 2009 after he and business partner Jabbar Khan launched Lasan in 2002. The restaurant was later chosen as Best Local Restaurant by Gordon Ramsay on the Channel 4 series The F Word. As well as being the head chef and co-owner of Lasan, Aktar also runs the Indian restaurant, Raja Monkey, Argentinian restaurant Fiesta Del Asado and is the director of Restaurant Angels, a hospitality consultancy providing support and advice to restaurants.

Quoted in The Birmingham Mail, co-founder Jabbar said: “Aktar’s a personal friend and it’s been great working with him over the years.

“It’s been a pleasure working with Aktar and I wish him every success as he moves on to fresh challenges.”

Aktar has made appearances on Saturday kitchen and was on BBC2’s Great British Menu when he wowed the judges with his Sea Bass with Battered Soft Shell Crab fish course which ultimately got him through to the banquet on series six.

Following the news of Aktar's departure, the restaurant announced today, October 26, it would be undergoing a much-anticipated relaunch costing in excess of half-a-million pounds.

Lasan Group CEO Jabbar Khan says the undertaking heralds a complete transformation of the building’s interior and exterior, making for a more immersive, more vibrant and laid-back experience.

He explains: “We’re so excited about this rebirth of Lasan – it’s been a real labour of love. Our core raison d'être has always been the love of Indian food and a passion for wowing guests with its amazing flavours, colours and textures. With this redesign we wanted to evolve our offering and showcase India’s renowned dining culture in more depth.

“True Indian dining is about bringing friends and families together to socialise, share good times and make lasting memories, so we’ve added a gorgeous bar – the yang to the dining area’s ying, if you like, where guests can relax and unwind over drinks, preparing their senses for pampering,"

Lasan is set to reopen on Friday, October 27, 2017.