New Indian restaurant Jodhpur UK serving 'authentic' Rajasthani cuisine opens on Kirkstall Road in Leeds

Jodhpur UK, opened in Kirkstall Road on December 31, taking over the former My Spice and Grill venue.

Opened by chefs and friends Jatinder Singh, 35, and Satender Singh, 40, Jodhpur UK serves "authentic Rajasthani cuisine".

The duo have been working alongside each other for the last 12 years, working in a number of restaurants across the city and down in the capital as chefs too.

And the years they spent in the kitchen together has made them lifelong friends - and more like brothers - than colleagues, Jatinder said.

His personal journey to becoming a chef and opening his own restaurant in Kirkstall began at Red Hot World Buffet, which is now permanently closed.

Jatinder believes it was his was his genuine interest in cooking that led him up the ladder. And there was no better time to open the restaurant than last year.

He said: "As you grow older, you want to make your own mark. You want to give the customers your taste, your authentic flavors." And the duo find themselves incredibly lucky to have found this spot in Kirkstall Road, which they took on in September and renovated themselves.

Jatinder said: "We had been looking at different areas before we came across this one book. We thought the location was really good. We have the cinema there in Cardigan Fields so it's the perfect location for us. "

The venue, which is named after a city in the northern state of Rajasthan in India, has been decked out with imported traditional decorations to bring an authentic feeling inside the restaurant.

But it is really the food the restaurants pride itself on. Both chefs designed the menu to bring a taste of Rajasthan to Leeds.

And it has been well-received by locals. While getting the word out was difficult in the beginning, bookings have begun to pick up.

The restaurant said: "Each week, we do better than the previous week, and we are fully booked on Saturday and sometimes on Sundays. Valentine's Day was fully booked."

It is the challenge that Jatinder said he likes the most about running his own restaurant. And one of the biggest challenges has been ensuring the dishes are suited for the English palate while also maintaining authenticity for Indian customers.

Quality customer service is a priority at Jodhpur UK and Jatinder has taken on-board feedback about the menu to ensure he can appease as many guests as possible. From March, the menu will include the classic Rajasthani dish, dal baati churma.

The restaurant hopes to also offer a catering service for weddings, birthday parties and other private dining events in the near future. The team also hope to open another branch of the restaurant in North Yorkshire when the time is right.

Find out more information via Jodhpur UK social media channels.