Malik is tops

He recalls: "I thought: that's the music from last night's ceremony in London. I followed it to a shop nearby where about 30 people were watching a TV screen.

"They were all watching the previous evening's British Curry Awards at The Grosvenor House Hotel with huge interest.

"And there I was on the screen, going up to take the award for Top Curry House for the South-East. They were amazed to turn round and find me there I'd flown in that morning to visit family."

Malik's journey to the top of the vibrant Indian restaurant scene with Malik's Tandoori in Cookham had an less promising start.

He explains: "My father ran an Indian restaurant in Yorkshire with my older brother. I used to help after school. When he passed away we tried to run it together but we didn't have enough experience and it had to close.

"I decided to find out what really worked."

His search took him to Indian restaurants in Newcastle, and then down to London where he worked in some top venues. He also became a chef.

His lucky break came in 1999 when the owners of an Italian restaurant in Cookham with whom he was friendly asked if he'd like to take over the premises. "I said I'd love to but didn't have the money, and they kindly offered to arrange private finance."

So here he was in a beautiful historic building on Cookham High Street all oak beams and open fireplaces and with a big car park (a real asset here). "I knew if I could get the food right it could succeed."

Malik did a lot of the cooking himself in the early days, which he loved. He still decides the menus and presentation, buys all the ingredients, and takes charge of the impressive plant displays in front of the building.

And soon people were packing the place. One regular did Malik a huge favour. Chef Heston Blumenthal then a rising star, now voted the world's best loved Malik's food and named it as his favourite in a magazine interview. He also telephoned the AA Restaurant Guide telling them what they were missing. They came, gave it two rosettes and began their review with the words: "Wow, what a find!"

And that's been the response of most of the dozens of reviews Malik's gets, not only in Britain but in the US and other countries.

So why all the fuss? Malik's seems to have everything: a great setting and simply wonderful food. And there's another key to success: Malik's charm. He's self-effacing but warm and friendly, knows all his regulars by name and is the kind of guy people soon consider a friend.

Celebrities began coming and making Malik's a regular haunt. Jordan and Peter Andr were here a few weeks ago just days after their wedding, while Ulrika Jonsson, Mel B and Chris Rea are among the regulars.

You can tell a lot about a restaurant's clientele from the wine list. This one has something for all tastes and pockets, from house wines at £14 to bottles costing more than £300, and brandies from £3.25 to £55 a glass.

And the food? It justifies the accolades. The menu includes all the old curry-fan favourites along with dishes that Malik and his team devise. Some are star turns, like steamed seabass stuffed with fragrant fresh herbs. Others are homespun, like the chicken liver dish which Malik says he used to enjoy at home. It's a fabulous treatment for this earthy ingredient, with a clever blend of tamarind, chilli, garlic, ginger, garam masala, spring onions and fresh coriander.

Everything is freshly cooked using quality ingredients. For our meal, we asked for medium heat, and our dishes had no hint of fire yet were packed with subtly aromatic and warming flavours.

We did like regulars do and asked for a tray of "chef's starters", leaving it to chef's whims on the night. Among the tasty treats was a memorable grilled chicken with peanut sauce, and a pancake stuffed with spicy lamb and marinated prawns. A main course sikandari lamb shank, marinated for 48 hours then roasted, was a melting triumph, along with succulent duck breast cooked in creamy coconut with fresh pineapple. Malik's Tandoori is definitely the place for a star curry.