A Harrogate chef famed for his luxury private home dining service has cooked up a Covid success story by ‘taking to the streets’ for a new catering venture.

Whaheed Rojan’s Asian Street Food Shack, situated in a car park on Harlow Hill, has continued to grow in popularity over lockdown to the point that customers are now travelling from Leeds, Skipton and Wetherby to sample his authentic dishes.

Seven years ago, Whaheed started The Round Table Dining but the devastating impact of Covid led the former Queen Mary II chef to seek out new opportunities.

Weeks after launching his Asian Street Food Shack from his own driveway, he was offered the use of a car park on Harlow Hill.

Whaheed said:

“Launching the Asian Street Food Shack was a gamble, but with Covid putting The Round Table Dining on the backburner, I had to do something.

“I have spent my entire career as a chef, learning from the best and travelling the world. The Orient has always been a favourite of mine; the culture, markets, people and of course the food.

“I would frequent the street food stalls where I would offer to cook with the locals in exchange for authentic recipes, and it is these recipes that now feature on the Asian Street Food Shack menu.

“All the dishes are freshly prepared, and wherever possible I use local ingredients from local suppliers. What I’m creating is proper street food from a shack, and such has been the popularity of this venture that I’m now looking to expand.”

Open from Wednesday through to Sunday, Whaheed will soon be launching a spring/summer menu, plus setting out tables and chairs for alfresco dining.

Current dishes include a vegan Cape Malay Vegetable Curry, Crispi Chilli Pork, Green Mango Salad, Beef Satay, Indonesian Chicken Wings and Sirloin Steak & Crispy Onions Boa Buns and a weekly special curry.

Further information about the Asian Street Food Shack is available from its website, https://www.streetfoodshack.com/

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