Wishing You A Happy New Year
From everyone at Itihaas, we wish you a great Hogmanay night and a Happy New Year. Have a good one!
Hogmanay Night
Before you head into town to celebrate, make sure to pop in for one of our spicy satisfying meals!
Takeaway
If you’re planning to stay indoors to celebrate, you can order a takeaway and we will have it ready to be collected.
New Year’s Day / Buffet Availability
We are open all day on New Year’s Day and our A La Carte menu will be available to choose from.
Please note, as New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday, our Sunday Buffet will be suspended until next week. We apologise for any inconvenience this causes.
Merry Christmas from everyone at Itihaas
From all the staff at Itihaas, we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas!
Christmas Gifts
If you have left it late to buy your loved ones a Christmas gift, why not treat them to a meal at Itihaas by giving them Gift Vouchers. The vouchers can be bought online and they will be posted direct to the recipient.
Our Gift Vouchers are available as a monetary, lunch, bottle of wine or set dinner vouchers.
Christmas Day Meal
We are open on Christmas Day from 1-8pm so why not book a meal at Itihaas so you can spend this special occasion with family and friends – just relax and enjoy your meal and leave all the hard work to us!
Christmas Catering
If you need to make a large takeaway order for those home/work Christmas parties then we can help! Contact us with your enquiry on one of the numbers below.
Tel: 0131 663 9800
Mobile: 07966 172 022
Dalkeith chef is Bangla’s best in Scotland
Matin Khan receiving his award from Eugene Reddington, Sales Managing Director of sponsor Molson Coors breweries.
Midlothian restaurateur Matin Khan has been voted the best Bangladeshi chef in Scotland.
The director of Dalkeith restaurant Itihaas received the award at the annual dinner of the Bangladeshi Caterers’ Association (BCA) in front of 1,000 guests at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel in London.
Mr Khan, who moved to the UK from Bangladesh at the age of 13 and recently opened the Radhuni restaurant in Loanhead, Midlothian, commented: “Bangladeshi food is an increasingly important part of the Asian cuisine offering, so winning this award is yet another tribute to the high standard of food consistently served at our restaurants in the Lothians.
“I believe cooking is an art form which needs to be created from the heart and perhaps that is the secret of this success. Curry is the spice of life and this shows that my team and I are better at making it than the rest!”
Last year Itihaas was judged the top South Asian restaurant in Scotland by Spice Times magazine and was one of four finalists in the Indian category of the 2011 Scottish Restaurant Awards.
Eric Pickles, UK Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, guest speaker at the London event at which awards were presented to regional winners, said: “Curry may not have been born in Britain but it has found a home here. With over 12,000 establishments turning over £4.3 billion each year it’s not difficult to see that British curry is a great success story.”
The BCA awards, which featured ‘Bollywood’ entertainment, were hosted by Tasmin Lucia Khan, of ITV’s Daybreak.
Dalkeith curry boss behind bars
As featured in this weeks Midlothian Advertiser.
Restaurateur Matin Khan has made an arresting pledge to put smiles on young faces this Christmas.
Earlier this week, the boss of award-winning Dalkeith curry house Itihaas was on the run, expecting the long arm of the law to catch up with him at any second.
He told the Advertiser: “I don’t know if you have heard, but I have got myself into a bit of trouble and will have to answer for my crimes on Wednesday when I will be arrested by Lothian and Borders Police and taken to a secret location. You may ask ‘shouldn’t we just leave him there?’ but I think I have a lot more to give to society.”
The Make-A-Wish Foundation has told Matin that it will bail him on Friday, but only if he manages to raise £2000 for the children’s charity, which helps children and young people fighting life-threatening illnesses.To help buy Matin’s freedom, visit www.just giving.com/MatinKhan.
Online donations will be entered into a draw to win a meal.
Matin Khan is getting arrested all for a fantastic cause!
I don’t know if you have heard but I have got myself into a bit of trouble and will have to answer for my crimes on Wednesday 7th December when I will be arrested by Lothian and Borders Police and taken to a secret location in Edinburgh.
I know you may ask yourself “shouldn’t we just leave him there” but I think I have a lot more to give to society.
Make-A-Wish have told me that if I raise over £2000 they will release me on bail at 4.30pm that day.
All the bail money / donations are of course going to a wonderful charity, Make-A-Wish who grant truly magical wishes to children and young people fighting life-threatening illnesses in Scotland.
For anyone who donates online I will put their name in a Prize draw to win a meal for two at ITIHAAS Restaurant. Dalkeith
Please dig deep and help me raise enough bail money to buy my freedom. Please visit www.justgiving.com/Matin-Khan – thank you and please pass this link on to friends and family!
My favourite haunt
Matin Khan is featured in this week’s Midlothian Advertiser on his favourite place in Midlothian, the National Mining Museum Scotland in Newtongrange. Be sure to pick up a copy!
Business community says Matin’s a hero!
Itihaas Director Matin Khan has been honoured by Midlothian and East Lothan Chamber of Commerce as a ‘Local Hero.’
The award was presented for his extensive work in the community. Itihaas sponsors many local sports clubs and social organisations, and Matin has raised substantial amounts for charity.
His certificate was handed over at the Chamber’s annual Enterprise Exhibition and Awards ceremony at the Roslin Institute by Jo Robinson, Editor of the Midlothian Advertiser and East Lothian News, and Arthur Johnston, Chairman of The Business Partnership.
“We regard the award as a badge of honour,” said Matin. “It shows the importance which Itihaas attaches to its role in community life in and around Midlothian and East Lothian.
“Our reputation for serving the finest Asian food attracts customers from far afield but local people are the basis of our business and we try to play an active part in many aspects of their lives.”
Dalkeith curry restaurant named in Britain’s hot hundred
Midlothian restaurant Itihaas has been named one of the top 100 curry specialists in Britain.
The Dalkeith restaurant, opened less than four years ago, is one of only six establishments in Scotland among 100 shortlisted in the 2011 British Curry Awards. The others are in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Renfrewshire.
It is the latest distinction for Itihaas, voted best South Asian restaurant in Scotland in 2010 in awards run by Spice Times magazine and one of four finalists in the Indian category of this year’s Scottish Restaurant Awards.
Some 2,700 restaurants were entered for the British Curry Awards from a record 68,000 public nominations. Nine regional winners will be selected from the shortlist and announced at the Battersea Evolution, London, on 28 November at an event hosted by celebrity chef James Martin and attended by more than 1,500 guests. It will be the biggest night of the year for almost 100,000 people involved in the industry.
Awards’ organiser Enam Ali MBE said: “This is the seventh year of the British Curry Awards and the standards get higher every year. To reach the shortlist is a tremendous achievement. Interest in the competition has been greater than ever, underlining the tremendous support for Britain’s favourite food.”
Matin Khan, Bangladeshi-born Director of the restaurant on Dalkeith’s Eskbank Road, commented: “My team are proud to have been listed as one of the best curry restaurants in the whole of Britain and one of only a very select number in Scotland.
“Our menus are built around traditional Indian and Bangladeshi dishes, using the freshest ingredients and authentic spices. Curries come in an amazing array of flavours and textures, and we consistently try to get our customers’ taste buds buzzing!”
Mr Khan recently opened another Midlothian restaurant, Radhuni, in Loanhead’s Clerk Street.
Donate £1 on your bill today…
and give a gift that a will last a lifetime
“When I was blind I felt totally helpless. Now I can take care of my family again. Thank you!”
A campaign is underway, involving hundreds of leading Asian restaurants across the UK, which invites you to make a small donation to help restore sight to vulnerable poor people in Bangladesh.
At the end of your meal, a voluntary charge of £1 per table will be added to your bill (after service and VAT). You can easily opt out if you inform your table waiter that you do not wish to participate.
What is Vision Bangladesh?
Vision Bangladesh is a ground breaking partnership between BRAC and Sightsavers.
Our aim is to eradicate avoidable blindness in Sylhet by 2013 and across the whole of Bangladesh by 2020. We are already well on the way to achieving this ambitious task. Since January 2011, we have organised more than 21,000 successful cataract operations.
We need your help to continue our work and reach our target of performing 100,000 sight restoring operations in the division of Sylhet by 2013.
A simple 20 minute operation, costing only £20, can change a person’s life forever.
Donate £1 on your bill today – and give a gift that will last a lifetime.
Itihaas Restaurant proudly supports Vision Bangladesh.
About Sightsavers
Donate online at www.brac.net/visionbangladesh
Sightsavers Registered Charity Number/Reference:
England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 207544.
Scotland: SC038110
BRAC UK Registered Charity Number: 1115482
95% of the donations will go directly to deliver the Vision Bangladesh programme in Sylhet Division, Bangladesh. BRAC UK’s fundraising costs are covered by the remaining 5%.
Recommended Meal – August 2011
This month our main dish is a regular favourite with our diners but we suggest some other dishes maybe not so commonly ordered.
Starter – Murghi Chatt
This starter has a bit of a kick with a hot and spicy sour sauce cooked with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and of course small pieces of (murgh) chicken.
Main – Garlic Chilli Chicken
One of our most popular curries, a medium-hot dish consisting of chicken kebabs cooked in a sauce made from chillies, garlic, various herbs and spices. As the main ingredients alone make it a spicy dish, we recommend ordering it with some Raitha to cool your palate down!
Side – Mixed Vegetables Bhaji
These medium spiced mixed vegetables will help to take some spice from the main dish!
Rice – Ghee Batt
If you’re fed up with Pilau Rice this a great alternative. Basmati Rice cooked in ghee (purified butter) and onions.
Bread – Nan
If you feel you’ve got space for more, one of our generous sized nans will do the trick to help soak up that spicy garlic chilli sauce.