Lovers of Asian food now can nominate their favourite restaurants for the fifth Asian Curry Awards. The awards are open to all Indian, Bangladeshi and Asian restaurants in Britain, including - Chinese, Thai, Japanese and Malaysian, that have been trading for at least 12 months and have a minimum 4-star hygiene rating, with a plan to boost this to 5 stars.

The winners will be announced at a high profile, glittering awards ceremony at the London Hilton on Park Lane in Mayfair on Sunday 15th November 2015.

Curry lovers can nominate their favourite restaurants and chefs online via www.asiancurryawards.com. Voting closes 16th September.

Leading restaurants will be visited unannounced by a panel of judges led by Pat Chapman, editor of the Cobra Good Curry Guide to ensure a truly representative customer dining experience. Participating restaurants will be required to send the ACA meal four complimentary vouchers, which will be presented at the end of the meal.

Whilst the judging criteria are heavily weighted towards the quality of the food and cooking, additional points will be awarded for ambience, customer service and hygiene.

Short-listed chefs will compete in a live cook off in London on 5th October.

“We expect top chefs to challenging the existing standards and exceed them,” said Asian Curry Awards chairman Yawar Khan, who added, “These Awards are designed to encourage our young people into the restaurant industry and to motivate those already in the profession to set sights even higher.”

Nominations forms and details of the whole awards process may be downloaded from the ACA website www.asiancurryawards.com.

The full list of national award categories is:
• Best Asian Restaurant of the Year
• Best East Asian Takeaway/Delivery of the Year
• Best South Asian Takeaway/Delivery of the Year
• Newcomer of the Year (restaurants established less than 3 years)
• Best Asian & Oriental Chef of the Year (International)
• Young Asian & Oriental Chef of the Year (under 30)
• East Asian Restaurant of the Year
• Best International Asian Restaurant
• Lifetime Achievement Award

There are also 10 regional awards for the Best South Asian restaurants in London, London suburbs, South East, South West, East, South Coast, North, Midlands, Wales and Scotland & Northern Ireland.