WHILE Glasgow is home to many well-established Indian restaurants, there’s one family-run business in the West End that aims to offer something a little "different".
Owned by brothers Vinod and Gaurav Sharma, Chimes of India opened on Sauchiehall Street in Finnieston in December 2022 serving authentic food using traditional recipes.
While there may be no shortage of other Indian restaurants nearby, Vinod says one thing that sets their menu apart, which is around 60% vegetarian, is they offer dishes that many others don’t.
"In the starters we have momos," Vinod says, "and we have something called desi chicken and desi lamb which is more flavourful on the bone. We sell that a lot.
"Most of the restaurants don’t do it on the bone.
"And we cook one pot of things so when it’s finished, it’s finished."
READ NEXT: First look inside new Chinese restaurant set to open in city centre
Momos are a type of steamed filled dumpling in Tibetan and Nepali cuisine that is also popular in India, with Chimes of India serving vegetable, chicken and spicy chilli versions.
I enjoyed a portion of the steamed chicken momos which were served with a spicy sauce on the side.
The filling was delicious and having it steamed kept it fresh and light, but Vinod says the fried version is also popular with diners in Glasgow.
While serving a wide variety of traditional Indian dishes, Chimes of India also offers a Scottish twist on some dishes with items such as haggis pakora with the light and crispy batter complementing the flavourful haggis.
The business is very much a family affair with Vinod taking on the role of managing director, Gaurav heading up the kitchen and Gaurav’s son Mayank also working there helping prepare their dishes fresh each day.
Vinod explained: "My brother is the chef and my nephew came from India just a couple of months ago and he is a trained chef as well.
"Then my wife and daughter also help. We have a small beauty salon nearby [IVY Beauty & Nails] and when my wife finishes there she always comes here and if it's busy she will give us a hand for one or two hours."
READ NEXT: ‘I tried this Sunday roast with a Caribbean twist’
Vinod and Gaurav chose the Sauchiehall Street spot to be the home of their restaurant because they "wanted to do something small" with the cosy restaurant seating around 30 diners in total.
Vinod, who originally comes from near Delhi, says it has been a tough time to open a new business due to the cost-of-living crisis but that it’s been doing well.
He said: "It’s a tough location because Mother India, Ashoka, Murphy’s, and lots of established restaurants are nearby but it is doing well.
"Gradually we are moving up, it will take time, but we will be okay.
"Last summer was good so I’m hoping this summer will be good as well."
He continued: "We are very busy with takeaways and deliveries, sitting in is busy on weekends and if there’s a concert [at the Hydro] we’re full."
Vinod and Gaurav previously worked in The Wee Curry Shop on Ashton Lane but left the business during Covid in 2020.
Vinod, who has lived in Glasgow since 2006, says he decided not to return to the hospitality industry at that time after working in it for almost 30 years but decided to open Chimes of India as he missed the "buzz" of working in a restaurant.
He said: "I was thinking in the beginning I would really enjoy a nine to five because I’ve never done it before, I was 18/19 when I started working in a hotel.
"I worked for HMRC and then the NHS working on a computer, but it wasn’t me.
"I like the buzz of the restaurant, busy running around, talking to people.
"You meet a lot of interesting people from all around the world."
Vinod also worked for DiMaggio’s for around 10 years and was a manager in Amarone before moving to The Wee Curry Shop and has praised his customers for their support of the new business.
He said:"They’ve started coming back and I really praise a lot of my customers.
"Even during Covid, they were texting me. I’ve known them for around 15/ 16 years."
Vinod has lived in Glasgow since 2006, after working in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cyprus, and Dubai, and believes the popularity of Indian food in the city is in part due to the weather.
"It’s a cold country and the food is hot," he laughs.
"I think that’s what makes it popular.
"The curry is always popular in Britain especially."
Chimes of India is located at 914-916 Sauchiehall Street.
It is open 4pm-10pm Monday to Friday and 12.30pm-10pm Saturday and Sunday.
You can find out more at chimesofindia.co.uk.
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here