Fazz’s Indian Kitchen and Bar will be opening the doors at 43-44 Bondgate for the first time next Thursday (January 16) following months of work.
The new restaurant – which will be serving up a range of Indian street food dishes alongside curry classics – is being run by Fazlur Rahman, along with the help of cousin turned Darlington restaurant extraordinaire Mohammed Miah.
Mo, who has either owned or had a connection to several Indian restaurants in the town over the past three decades, told The Northern Echo: “Well I have had this venue since the early 1980s and it used to be the Garden of India.
“I then had a break because of some health issues.
Fazz’s Indian Kitchen, in Darlington (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
“It has been closed for years and I was thinking of selling the property. But I didn’t, and my cousin came in and said he would open it.
“It’s a family reunion – Fazz has got the expertise. Nobody is doing street food like this in Darlington, and the cuisines are authentic and home cooked.”
The venue is steeped in decades of history as it’s where Mohammed opened The Garden of India in 1986 before selling it, buying it back, and transforming it into Akbar the Great.
Fazz’s Indian Kitchen (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
He then rented the site out for several years before it closed in late 2022.
But it was an easy decision for Fazz, who has owned restaurants in Cumbria, Spain, and currently operates three in Bolton and another in Suffolk, to launch his new venture in Darlington.
“It’s the history,” he explained. “This place is special. When you have that background you can feel it. [Mo] has been here since the 1980s, it just needed a fresh start and updating.
Fazz’s Indian Kitchen, in Darlington (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
“It has been a major refurbishment. I think it took nearly two to three months or 12 weeks – we decided we were going to open in October.
“When Mo came back in he said: ‘Is this really happening?’”
Mo, 60, added: “I’m really happy to be able to support Darlington again, and I’m feeling much better now. I’ve been retired for six or seven years and I’m feeling good.
“I would like a new challenge again, it’s like a new baby.
Fazlur Rahman at Fazz’s Indian Kitchen (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
“Darlington has supported me over the years – I just love Darlington, Harrogate… everywhere has been good to me. But especially this place and all of the memories.”
Fazz continued: “We’re at the end of the town but because of the history over the 30 years, everybody knows about this place.
“Darlington is a nice town, there’s a lot more happening here compared to where I come from.”
Fazz’s Indian Kitchen and Bar recently soft-opened – and Fazz said the reception has been “very positive” so far.
Fazz’s Indian Kitchen (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
It will be open seven days a week between 12pm and 10.30pm, with a special 25% on collection only offer on for the foreseeable future.
Indian fans can expect all the classic dishes – from bhunas and dhansaks to chicken tikka and biryanis, as well as specials and set meals.
As well as the street food menu and a la carte menu, there will be a special lunch menu, which will feature lighter bites and two courses for just £10.
Fazz added: “They all said to us: ‘If you keep the food like this, then you will have no competition’. One person said: ‘Once you open nobody will go anywhere else.’”
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Regarding the official opening, Mo added: “Hopefully the mayor is coming and we’re going to have all the friends from the 1980s and 1990s coming.
“It’s like a gathering to say thank you to them all.”
You can contact Fazz’s on 01325 728892 or online at www.fazzindian.com.