A FEAST for the eyes as well as the belly has bagged one Bicester chef the title of Regional Chef of the Year.

Arzoo Miah, of Arzoo restaurant in Market Square, has once again wowed award judges with his spicy menu.

The chef battled it out against others in the south central category for the 2018 Asian Restaurant and Takeaway Awards.

A tastebuds tingling three-course meal had to be dished up to the judges in a battle at Oxford Brookes University last month.

Mr Miah whipped up three impressive courses which included baked aubergines, king prawns in south Indian spice and a red salmon steak.

The menu impressed the judges at at an awards night on Sunday, September 30, and Mr Miah was announced as south central regional chef of the year 2018.

He said: “It feels great, I am very proud.

“Obviously everyone wants to win and everyone tried really hard on the judging day when we had to cook a three-course meal at Oxford Brookes.

“We had to serve our menu to three judges and were only given an hour.”

Mr Miah served the judges the feast of Beguni Bahar for starter which included baked aubergines with cheese, sesame seeds and tomato.

The main course was a Roshun Jinga Nizami, which consisted of king prawns cooked in south Indian spice, roasted on skewers with peppers, shallots and served with chutney.

The side dish was Goan Shakuti which was red salmon steak cooked in fresh spice and herbs with pilau rice.

Mr Miah, who has been at the restaurant in Bicester for more than 18 years, said: “I always say it is as much about taste as it is how you present the dish.

“How you make quality food look good is important and that is something we alway try to do.

“It is also about being confident in the kitchen.”

Mr Miah was treated alongside other chefs to a sparkling awards ceremony in London on September 30 where the winners were announced for the Asian Restaurant and Takeaway Awards.

They were joined by a host of politicians and celebrities including celebrity chef and former Ready Steady Cook presenter Lesley Waters. The accolade is the latest of a string of awards picked up by Mr Miah, including being crowned the king of spice twice previously by Master Chef Promotions - in 2017 and in 2015.