Abdul Latif; Restaurateur who claimed to sell the world's hottest curry (great)
Hyfler/Rosner
Last Updated: 3:57pm GMT 24/01/2008
Daily Telegraph
Restaurateur who claimed to sell the world's hottest
curry but preferred to eat fish and chips
Abdul Latif, who died on Sunday aged 53, was a
restaurateur in Newcastle-upon-Tyne where he claimed to
serve the world's hottest curry.
He offered his famous blistering dish - called "Curry
Hell", and likened to molten lava - free to any customer who
could finish it.
This was entirely typical of Latif, a colourful
entrepreneur whose talent for self-promotion was matched by
the intensity of his curries. Whereas the average vindaloo
might contain a teaspoonful of chilli, Latif's recipe called
for four times that quantity. It was served (as one wag
noted) with rice, chips or bread, and a fire extinguisher.
To the amazement of Latif and his staff, a man from
Manchester set a record by polishing off a Curry Hell in 90
seconds.
Latif found his way into the Guinness Book Of Records
in 2004 for the world's longest curry delivery when he
arranged for a frozen vegetable biryani and peshwari naan
bread to be delivered from his restaurant in Newcastle's
Bigg Market to Sydney, a distance of nearly 11,000 miles.
The order was placed by a Geordie expatriate, Rachel Kerr,
who took delivery on Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Such was the renown of his restaurant, the Rupali,
that it was featured in the adult cult comic Viz.
One of six children, Abdul Latif was born on December
15 1954 near the city of Sylhet in East Pakistan (now
Bangladesh). He arrived in Britain in 1969 and went to work
in Manchester, but an incident during a night out - when
someone called him a "Paki" - persuaded him to move to
Newcastle.
On Tyneside Latif worked as a waiter in a relative's
restaurant at Whitley Bay. He opened the Rupali in 1977, but
found the going tough for the first few years. Once
established, however, his restaurant went on to win a number
of awards.
In 1987 he introduced his Curry Hell Challenge.
"There's no secret to making it so hot," he explained, "it's
just a process of cooking the crushed chilli seeds in cold
water." But his deceptively simple method produced
formidable results. Only two or three diners in 100 managed
to finish the challenge.
In 1994 he purchased the manorial title Lord of
Harpole (a parish in Suffolk) for £5,500, describing himself
as the first Bangladeshi Lord of the Manor. By using the
title he raised thousands of pounds for Tyneside charities;
for a fee, he would allow his restaurant's clients to don
his manorial robes and crown.
Latif was surprised to be elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Arts in 2003 for "his efforts to make a
difference in society". On joining the ranks of figures such
as Charles Dickens and Benjamin Franklin, he mused that no
one coming to Britain from overseas should feel like an
outsider: "My being made a Fellow of the RSA is proof that
ethnic minorities are part of this society."
In 2004 Latif passed his restaurant to one of his sons
after the business failed to pay a VAT bill and went into
liquidation. He explained that the company had struggled
since the 9/11 attacks, often catering for just a handful of
customers a night. The establishment was relaunched as the
Curry Capital.
Latif revelled in publicity stunts, offering free
curries to pregnant women, Jonny Wilkinson, Graeme Souness
and members of the British armed forces on leave from Iraq.
His own personal favourite food was not curry, however, but
fish and chips.
His death, apparently from a heart attack, was said to
mark the end of an era. "Our annual Christmas curry (table
for 57 booked every year till 2012) will never be the same,"
lamented one customer, "without the Lord telling us to be
quiet, charging us too much for our beers and then letting
us do a conga through the kitchen."
Latif also served mulligatawny soup in steel ashtrays.
Abdul Latif is survived by his wife, Neawarun, their
four daughters and two sons.
Hyfler/Rosner
"Hyfler/Rosner" <rel...@rcn.com> wrote in message
news:zLqdnaAjPvxKsQTa...@rcn.net...
> Abdul Latif
>
>
> Last Updated: 3:57pm GMT 24/01/2008
> Daily Telegraph
>
>
>
>
> Restaurateur who claimed to sell the world's hottest
> curry but preferred to eat fish and chips
>
> Abdul Latif, who died on Sunday aged 53,
I guess he should have stuck to the curry.
Great obit.
Charlene
> His death, apparently from a heart attack, was said to
> mark the end of an era. "Our annual Christmas curry (table
> for 57 booked every year till 2012) will never be the same,"
> lamented one customer, "without the Lord telling us to be
> quiet, charging us too much for our beers and then letting
> us do a conga through the kitchen."
>
> Latif also served mulligatawny soup in steel ashtrays.
>
> Abdul Latif is survived by his wife, Neawarun, their
> four daughters and two sons.
Yet another great one. Thanks for posting.
wd43