Taste Asia Magazine Interview with Chef Iftahar Ahmed,

Every issue of Taste Asia is built around a simple belief: exceptional food deserves to be discovered, but so do the people, families and stories behind it.In this edition, one of those stories takes us to Royal Leamington Spa, where Bombay Restaurant has been part of the local dining landscape for more than 45 years. Our visit reminded us that longevity in hospitality is never achieved by reputation alone. It comes from consistency, quality, adaptation and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to make people want to return.Our review of Bombay explores precisely that. From the warm, family-led hospitality and elegant surroundings to the cooking itself, there is a sense of pride throughout the restaurant. The Signature Sea Bass particularly captured our attention, combining crisp fish with a subtle mustard marinade, fresh fruit salsa and delicate balsamic acidity. It is an imaginative dish that demonstrates how an established Indian restaurant can respect tradition while confidently introducing something new. The Lamb Shatkora and Chicken Tikka Biryani further revealed a kitchen that understands flavour, balance and the importance of allowing individual ingredients to speak for themselves.But behind every enduring restaurant is a story much larger than the menu.Our exclusive interview with Iftahar Ahmed takes readers inside the remarkable journey of a family business that began when his father and uncle opened Bombay in 1980. Iftahar first joined the restaurant as a teenager and has since spent decades helping it evolve through enormous changes in Britain’s restaurant industry.What emerges from our conversation is not simply the story of a successful restaurateur, but a lesson in resilience. Iftahar speaks about adapting to changing dining habits, embracing modern marketing, experimenting with new dishes and even investing in the restaurant during the uncertainty of the pandemic. Yet throughout all that change, family remains at the centre of Bombay.Today, his daughter and son-in-law are increasingly involved in the business, carrying the story into another generation. That continuity is perhaps Bombay’s greatest achievement. Awards may fill its walls, but its real legacy is the trust built with generations of customers and the determination to protect what the family created while continuing to move forward.This is exactly the kind of story Taste Asia exists to tell.And these stories now travel far beyond the restaurants and communities where they begin. Taste Asia is available in print across more than 190 countries and through more than 40,000 retailers and platforms worldwide, including Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwell’s and many more. Our mission is to give exceptional chefs, restaurateurs, independent businesses and culinary traditions an international platform and introduce their stories to readers around the world.As you turn the pages of this issue, we hope you discover not simply places to eat, but people worth knowing, dishes worth travelling for and stories that remind us why food remains one of the most powerful ways of bringing cultures and generations together.Enjoy the issue.