A Bournemouth eatery has been crowned the best Thai restaurant in the nation at the 'Curry Oscars'.

Medi and Noi Vahdati opened Tiien Thai on St Michael’s Road 12 years ago to bring traditional Thai cuisine to Bournemouth. 

They have now been dubbed the Thai Restaurant of The Year at The Asian Curry Awards 2023. 

The husband and wife team were shortlisted for the award in September following a visit from a mystery diner. 

They were then whittled down to the finalists by voting members of the public. 

At the event, Tiien was named the winner by a panel of judges from the Asian Catering Federation (ACF).

Medi said: “It was fantastic to find out that we won. I can’t thank our customers enough for supporting us.

He added: “The most important thing to us is our customers and hardworking staff."

The ‘Curry Oscars’ were held at the Grosvenor House in London’s Mayfair on Sunday, November 19.

They were hosted by BBC anchor Samantha Simmonds with special guest London Mayor, Sadiq Khan leading the awards.

In a speech, Mr Khan spoke of the critical contribution that the Asian catering industry has made to the economy and the cultural significance of Asian cuisine.

Medi and Noi Vahdati wanted to bring a taste of Thailand to Bournemouth and provide an authentic Thai dining experience.

Medi said: “We wanted to bring a sense of Thai hospitality to Bournemouth.”

The restaurant is decorated with traditional furniture from Thailand and many inspired decorative touches like the feature lampshades made with specially sourced material with black and white illustrations of ‘angels and soldiers’.

The word ‘tiien’ in Thai translates to ‘candle’ with every table at the restaurant adorned with candles. 

The waitresses wear traditional dress, and customers are met with a Thai greeting and delicious food. 

Medi said: “All the food is freshly cooked; we do not compromise on quality.”

Following their success, the pair have started to look towards the future.

They plan to expand the restaurant and build an area with outside seating.

They also want to create traditional Thai-style huts for up to ten guests.

Medi added: “It will be nice for customers to sit outside and see the sea.”