Delighted Bhatia sees star award as tribute to Indian community

Zaika may have been the first Indian restaurant to be awarded three rosettes by the AA, but chef-patron Vineet Bhatia still feels its newly granted Michelin star came "out of the blue".

"It's great, in fact it is amazing," he said. "I didn't expect it so soon." The 70-seat restaurant, part of Claudio Pulze's Cuisine Collection, opened in London in March 1999.

Bhatia sees the award as not just a major achievement for the restaurant but as "a very good achievement for the Indian community".

He added: "Most of our customers are very happy with what we are doing. Getting a Michelin star proves we are leaders in Indian cuisine both in the UK and in Europe."

Atul Kochha, head chef at London's Tamarind restaurant, which this year also won its first star, was thrilled by what he saw as a change of attitude at Michelin.

"I am very, very pleased," he commented. "I had given up hope, I was not expecting it at all."

Kochha believed Michelin had been preparing itself to expand recognition to non-European cuisines, "but it takes time for them to assess and judge them properly".

He said his restaurant's new standing would have little impact on evening business - it was so busy that the 98-seat restaurant restricted itself to 120 covers per night - but he hoped it might boost the slower lunchtime trade.

By Angela Frewin