Mr Korai to open in Woodbridge Road in Ipswich this week, bringing the taste of southern India to the town

The owner of a new takeaway has expressed excitement to finally be able to bring his family's unique flavours and decades of experience to a town.

Kashem Shah, 37, will open Mr Korai in Ipswich on Wednesday alongside his brother and father, bringing with them a fresh taste of southern India.

He said the new restaurant already has the town talking, and that his family were immensely proud to finally be opening after years of hard work.

As a treat for the community, everything will be half-price on launch day, he noted.

Mr Shah said: "The recipes have been honed over the years by my family, and we bring my father's nearly three-decades of experience as a chef to the table. Some were refined by my father, and some by my mother.

"We're starting with a set of traditional dishes and house specials, but we plan to take public feedback very seriously, which could mean our menu shifts and changes frequently depending on what the public want.

"This will be a restaurant in Ipswich for the people of Ipswich – and we want to ensure we're catering for exactly what the community wants."

Mr Korai is located in Woodbridge Road.

It has taken up the unit that formerly housed BMC Cakery, before it closed in late 2020.

Mr Shah snapped up the unit at an auction in May 2021 alongside his friend Syed, and work on transforming the property has been ongoing ever since.

The two will act as joint landlords, with Mr Shah also working on front-of-house and admin.

Work included the extension and installation of a new kitchen, made to his father's specifications.

The top floor was also converted into 'a liveable state'.

On the menu include southern spins on traditional curries, such as korma, balti and bhuna.

Also available will be specials like showkoti, shorifa and thawa, available in lamb or chicken varieties, which offer a fruity explosion – and Mr Shah felt they could be best-sellers.

In addition, the family hired a tandoori chef to serve up other southern Indian staples.

Mr Shah felt that, as an veteran chef, his father, Hasan Ali, 'should have his own restaurant'.

He added: "He came to the UK at around 18 years of age, working his way up through the restaurant business, before he finally became a chef."

This also means the hard work the family puts in can be shared between them.

Mr Ali previously ran a restaurant in Newcastle, which Mr Shah worked at for a time.

Mr Shah currently works as an analyst for the NHS in London

He plans to keep his day job for now, but could slowly phase it out if the new eatery becomes successful.

The differences between southern Indian and northern Indian cuisine are subtle, he noted, often featuring different spice blends and different flavours.

In addition to his duties at the restaurant, he will also handle its social media platforms, which he hoped could bring their eatery to new audiences.

Mr Shah said Mr Korai would only operate as a takeaway, with no plans to allow diners to eat-in.

The team did a taste-test for the public over the weekend to positive reception, he added.

Mr Shah said: "What we discovered is that people really want a place to enjoy south Indian cuisine, which has been our focus to start with.

"The menu will continue to be refined and added to as we go along. All feedback will be considered and passed along to my dad, so he can edit where needs be.

"It's been a long journey, but I'm finally glad to be able to open, and all of us here hope the people of Ipswich love what we bring to the table."

Mr Korai will open on Wednesday at 4.30pm.

Normal opening hours are Tuesday through Sunday, from 4.30pm until 10.30pm.