5 months ago
28
The tables were filling up at Urban Tandoor, a British
curry house
wholesome enough for a family meal and elegant enough for a low-key first date. Painted flowers twist up its entrance and lights adorn the colourful walls inside, a homage to
Bristol
's artistic reputation. The local haunt in southwest England promises an array of crowd-pleasers, from jalfrezi to moilee.
But it wasn't only the food that had brought diners to
Urban Tandoor
on a recent evening. "Their
TikToks
," said Jake Smith, 22, who was celebrating his birthday. "I think they're hilarious."
Staff members at this local institution have charmed an audience online with their versions of pop songs, anthems and trends. By most judges of talent, the covers are, well, bad. @urbantandoorbristol There is "Bhaji Girl", in which two employees wear blond wigs a la Barbie and Ken and sing about chutney. There's a "Grease"-inspired "You're the Naan That I Want", featuring the group in leather and lipstick. In "Mr. Riceside," the popular Killers anthem becomes a tale of a diner whose eyes are bigger than his stomach. You might, kindly, describe the dancing as "fervent."
The singing, reminiscent of a bevy of uncles at a karaoke night, is possibly worse. But production value is beside the point. And their "so-bad-it's-good" marketing campaign is working, said Sujith D'almeida, the restaurant's owner. Online commenters from as far away as Texas vow to visit Bristol one day to eat a meal at Urban Tandoor. D'Almeida said the restaurant had seen a noticeable boost in diners under the age of 30. "There is no talent involved," he said. "There is no practice. Somebody just puts on the wig. We just get on with it."
Grown men dancing in costumes may seem silly, but D'almeida is serious about his business, which he started in 2013 after a career in five-star hotels and on cruise ships. He enlisted Nonsensical Agency, a marketing company, in 2021 to help further the restaurant's reach on TikTok. But he also just wants Urban Tandoor to cheer people up. Some patrons have confided that the videos had entertained them through periods of ill health and depression, he said. "Happiness is something that is lacking in the world at the moment. It is a sad place," he said. "We just give them 60 seconds of enjoyment."
D'almeida said the videos had helped the restaurant stay afloat. Curry houses, which hold a special place in Britains's culinary landscape, have faced challenges in recent years, from labour shortages, changing palates and Covid lockdowns. "We were very worried," D'almeida said. But he also said he never wanted Urban Tandoor to just focus on food. He wanted it to be a place of entertainment or escape. "I wanted to share much more of the Indian culture. I wanted to blend Bristol with Bombay." The TikToks, he said, had given a "new dimension" to their brand. "It is matter of one song going viral," he said, "and then we get clients from all around the world".
