Five restaurants from Northern Ireland have made it into the finals of the Asian Curry Awards in London later this year.
To mark National Curry Week (October 4-10), the longlist for this year's awards ceremony - which will be held on November 21 - has been revealed.
In Northern Ireland, restaurants in Belfast and Bangor have been recgonised for their offerings.
The longlisted restaurants in Belfast are Cinnamon in Dundonald, Bengal Brasserie in South Belfast, and Bengal Spice in the West of the city. The eateries in Bangor making the list are Bokhara and Bangla.
The Asian Curry Awards are widely recognised at the sector's most prestigious awards. Organised by the Asian Catering Federation - which represents the UK's 30,000 restaurant and takeaways - the awards cover all Asian cuisines including Bangladeshi, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and Middle Eastern among others.
Chairman of the Asian Catering Foundation, Yawar Khan, acknowledged that the pandemic has been "devastating" to those in the hospitality sector.
He added: “These awards will acknowledge the sector’s resilience, innovation in the face of such adversity.”
The nominees will now be whittled down by online public vote, before visiting judges determine the winners.
Spice lovers can vote for their favourites at www.asiancurryawards.com.
