Raghu Govada on what’s on offer at new Hythe Marina restaurant Indian Kitchen

THE head chef behind a new restaurant on Hythe marina is striving to be the beacon for authentic Indian cuisine.

Raghu Govada has recently opened the Indian Kitchen on Shamrock Way after working for many years at the Boathouse restaurant just next door.

A trained chef, Raghu has worked in various hotel and pub kitchens and also runs two takeaways in Southampton.

“I have always wanted to have my own restaurant,” he said. “I’m not complaining, but my takeaway customers like to know what they’re getting; in the restaurant I can really showcase and get back to the authentic ingredients and spices.

“Here, I can interact with my customers and tell them about the dishes on the menu, and they can tell me the level of spice they’re happy with. I serve really traditional dishes – so for instance the kormas I serve would not be as sweet as you might get from a takeaway, and I use rich ingredients like cashew nuts in my chicken tikka masala.

“This beautiful location really appealed as well, but many people don’t know we’re here so what I really want is for us to become a destination restaurant.”

Since being officially opened during a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by New Forest East MP Julian Lewis, the feedback has been good.

Raghu says some customers have returned four of five times following their first visit just a few weeks ago.

“Along with my business partners at the Boathouse, we want to give locals more choice when it comes to eating out,” he continued. “We want to bring that spark to the marina again and give locals and others from further afield a reason to come here.”

The eatery has been fully booked in the evenings, and Raghu has plans in place to up the footfall at lunchtimes.

“People tend to want to eat Indian food in the evenings, so I want to introduce a lighter, budget-friendly lunch menu with dishes like chicken tikka wraps to entice people in,” he said. “I’m also going to be serving cocktails in the summer.”

Raghu studied hotel management at Madras University in India before moving to the UK. He then completed a masters in IT at Portsmouth University, but soon came back to the hospitality industry.

The Indian Kitchen opens from Tuesday to Sunday, between midday and 3pm and then from 5pm until 9pm.

For more information or to book a table, visit https://indiankitchenhythe.square.site

Alternatively, call 023 8251 4322 or email g_rk007@yahoo.com