“Son, it’s 70% food, 15% location and 15% your smiley face,” these wise words were spoken by founder of the Punjab Restaurant, Gurbachan Singh Maan, to his grandson Sital Singh Maan, who currently now owns the restaurant.

Sital Maan prides himself on continuing the tradition his grandfather started – which is to provide authentic Punjabi home cooking in a relaxed setting within London’s Covent Garden. As a boy, Mr Maan would earn his pocket money working at the Punjab and by 1971 he purchased the restaurant direct from Grandfather.

Today, the Punjab is the oldest North Indian restaurant in the UK, serving generations of diners in the heart of London’s theatre land. The restaurant boasts customers from all over the world and from all walks of life, including actors Martin Short and Raj Kapoor, as well as a host of doctors, lawyers and politicians. But back in 1947 when Sital's grandfather was just starting out in the City of London, things were very different.

The war had just ended and food rationing was in place. Curries and tandooris were virtually unheard of among local people, however, there was a gap in the market from a growing number of Indian businessmen and military attaches looking for some good Punjabi home cooking.

Gurbachan Singh Maan, a passionate food-loving Punjabi, arrived in the UK in 1936 from the lush fields of the Punjab. A true hard working Punjabi entrepreneur, he made his fortune in selling household goods and items direct to homes throughout southeast England during the period of world war two. He adored Punjabi cuisine and regularly cooked delicious homemade curries and daals for friends and family.

Gurbachan transformed his passion for Punjabi food into business by establishing the Punjab Restaurant in the City of London serving homemade Indian dishes, rustic, wholesome and full of earthy flavours.

Business boomed to such extent, that he started to attract diners throughout the greater London area. He made the move to Covent Garden in 1951 after much persuasion from his clientele, who wanted the restaurant to be situated in more central location. After a while, it was not only Indian students frequenting the restaurant, but as Sital says, “slowly local people came to tantalise their taste buds”.And it seems that once customers get tantalised, they keep coming back for more. Some customers have been coming for more than 30 years now, and there is one 76 year-old regular who has been coming since 1952. He loved the Punjabi cuisine so much that for forty years he dined at the Punjab twice a day, five days a week.

So what is the secret to the Punjab’s success? “We don’t copy other Indian restaurants by making food too hot. People appreciate what we do with flavour. If you’ve got something really good – stick with it,” advises Sital. “Balance is the key, as Punjabi spices gently promote and never dominate the flavour and texture of the primary ingredient, be it fish, meat or vegetables.”

While staying true to Punjabi home cooking, Sital has had to make certain adjustments over time. For instance, they now only serve one dish with nuts because of the problems withnut allergies. Under Sital's ownership and management, 1970's, 1980's and 1990's saw the restaurant grow from strength to strength. In 2001, Sital further expanded the business to meet the increasing demand for its specialist cuisine allowing the restaurant to handle large groups. Sital is seen by many in the Industry as one of the key pioneers of introducing and developing Punjabi cuisine to the UK.

In 1999, the UK Curry Club awarded the Punjab, the Best UK North Indian restaurant and has consistently placed the Punjab in the top 100 UK Indian Restaurant list.

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