Dayashankar Sharma, the founding chef of fine-dining Indian restaurant Heritage Dulwich in South London, is to open a second venue. Sharma will open Baiju in Worthing, West Sussex, on 25th March, offering similar Indian comfort food as its sister restaurant, but in a “more relaxed and informal setting”.
Meaning ‘father’ in Hindi , the Baiju will have 45 covers, with an additional private dining room seating 10 more.
The menu, a mix of nostalgia with moderm flair, has been built around Sharma’s family recipes. Signature dishes will include desi handi murgh, tandoori avocado and venison; dahi ke kebab; konkani fish tikka and dhaba ka murgh, inspired by Rajasthan’s roadside eateries.
A drinks menu of wine, craft beer and cocktails, has been designed to pair with the spicy foods.
Sharma said: “Following the success of our Dulwich restaurant, opening Baiju feels like a natural next step. Worthing’s charm, strong sense of community and flourishing independent food scene made it the right location for a more relaxed expression of our cooking.”
A former chef at Michelin-starred Tamarind, Kensington’s Zaika, and then Grand Trunk Road in South Woodford. Sharma opened Heritage Dulwich in 2020, which restaurant was added to the Michelin Guide in 2022.
Author: George Shaw
Former BBC journalist and founder and CEO of an award-winning London advertising and PR company for 20 years, providing restaurant consultancy services. Spent a decade as the director of communications of the Asian Catering Federation in the UK and lead judge for its various restaurant and chef awards programmes. Now returned to journalism, specialising in food and travel and currently the Editor-in-Chief for Taste London, Taste Asia, the Good Curry Guide and CEO of International Culinary Guides.