TV chef Cyrus Todiwala OBE is set to open a new Portuguese inspired restaurant called Assado in London early next year. Cyrus is well recognised for his appearances on a number of BBC cooking shows and also the success of his first restaurant Café Spice Namaste which opened 18 years ago. Positioned as a premier casual dining restaurant, Assado will be another platform for the ever-experimental Todiwala to demonstrate his knack for breaking the culinary mould when this new restaurant opens in Waterloo in March 2014. Looking ahead to next year, Cyrus said: “This will be a new take on East meets West. Not many people realise that the Portuguese explorers were the first to experiment with spices such as cinnamon, pepper, cloves and nutmeg. “The world woke up to new flavours because the Portuguese shared with Europeans what they’d discovered in places like Asia, Africa and the Americas. But they also influenced local cuisines in the territories that they discovered, and so you will find the food in Goa is very much influenced by Portuguese cuisine.” But Cyrus, who will be running Assado alongside Pervin Todiwala, says that the new restaurant will not confine itself strictly to Goan cuisine, nor should it be mistaken for a Portuguese restaurant. He said: “Assado will be offering a new concept in world cuisine in that dishes will combine the flavours of India with the kind of food Portugal gave the world, in fresh ways. Remember, the Portuguese were everywhere from Mexico to Brazil to the East Indies, which includes Southeast Asia and the sub-continent. “To be able to take these complex influences and put them all together without compromising my integrity as an Indian chef is a real challenge but also a dream come true for me.” This new venture is all about blending spices and ingredients characteristic of his Todiwala’s unique brand of Indian cuisine with the culinary traditions and techniques spread by the Portuguese explorers during the period in history known as ‘The Age of Discovery’. The name ‘Assado’ comes from the Portuguese word meaning ‘roast’. Assado will be open seven days a week from 11am to 11pm and will include a deli counter, freshly made take-away dishes and also a live kitchen which will showcase the hot meals being prepared for the dining customers. The bar will include wines, spirits, port and cocktails with Brazilian and Portuguese influences.
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