In this festive season, the newly opened Hungamaa restaurant has added to the hubbub in Manchester's vibrant food scene and diverse culture.
Software engineers by profession and food lovers by passion, Amey Karkhanis and Vipul Patel jointly launched the Hungamaa restaurant in September 2022 at Chorlton, Manchester.
The restaurant specialises in Indian street food. Their chargrilled dishes, such as Kashmiri lamb chops and Tandoori chicken, as well as Aloo Tikki Chaat, Papri chaat, Pani Puri and Bhel Puri, have already turned out to be quite a crowd pleasers. So much so that the restaurant often sets out a roadside 'thela' (makeshift food cart) in pure desi style right outside their outlet. They give away sample bites of their delectable ranges of chaats and puris to passers-by.
"When we were thinking about the concept, we both were sure that it had to be a street food restaurant. We wanted a concept of 'thela' serving Indian street food. We want to create Hungamaa (uproar) in Manchester by serving the best Indian street food possible," said Amey Karkhanis.
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Besides, their signature sweets and dessert items like Gajar ka Halwa, Motichoor Laddu, and Jalebi bring back childhood memories from back home in India.
Hungamaa restaurant is celebrating 'Diwali week' from October 25 to October 30.
"We will be closed on an actual Diwali day, but we plan to serve Thali during Diwali week. We will also serve different Indian desserts that are usually not on our menu. Something like Rabdi Jalebi will be served on one of the days," informed Karkhanis.
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Born and brought up in Pune, India, Karkhanis came to the UK on an onsite project for his IT company.
"It was love at first sight with this country for my wife and me. In 2009, I decided to apply for highly skilled migrant visa and moved to the UK permanently," said Karkhanis.
"I am still a full-time software consultant, but food is my passion. I was lucky to meet an equal-minded friend with whom this dream became a reality. I believe Hungamaa is the concept that belongs to both me and Vipul. Although we never thought we would run a full-fledged restaurant, yet the dream became a possibility by accident. We consider ourselves very lucky," he added.
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When not brainstorming ideas for their newly opened restaurant, colleagues and close friends Amey Karkhanis and Vipul Patel loves to code, make new friends, talk to people and taste a variety of foods.
Vowing this Diwali to run their new business ethically and honestly, Karkhanis and Patel aim to deliver quality Indian food at competitive prices and take the Manchester food scene by storm.
*Info: Hungamaa