These are some of my Black Country Indian restaurants as we celebrate National Curry Week
National Curry Week has been going for more than 25 years, created to drive awareness and celebrate Indian restaurants in the UK.
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They can be places that have a familiar feeling where staff know you and welcome you like a friend or just somewhere that the food is really, really good and you enjoy the culinary sensations that the place provides.
I'm someone who appreciates a good curry, starting out with a chicken korma when I was younger, then enjoying a chicken tikka massala or a lamb bhuna as I got older and, now, where I appreciate the endorphins rush when I eat something spicy, like a chicken naga.
Over my 40-plus years, I've been able to eat in Indian and other South Asian restaurants across the country, from Moti Raj in my university days in Sunderland to the Tale of Spice in Pewsey in the Wiltshire countryside.
Closer to home, I've found places that were excellent and enjoyable places to eat because of the food, the service, the decor, the company I was in or all of the above.
Ahead of National Curry Week, which runs between October 7 and October 13, I wanted to list some of my favourite places within the region and why I like them.
Living in Wolverhampton as I do, there will be more restaurants on my list from there, but I've also list some of my favourites from outside the city as well.
The Indian restaurant nearest to where I live and one where I've never left feeling hungry or dissatisfied with anything from my visit.
Situated on the Penn Road about a mile outside of Wolverhampton city centre, the restaurant sits along a busy area of shops and takeaways, as well as being within walking distance of the Mount Tavern pub.
The restaurant boasts a litany of awards, including most popular Indian Restaurant on the Year in 2018, and it's not hard to see why as the staff there make you feel welcome the second you step through the doors.
It has a warm interior, with plenty of space for seating and a colourful design on the walls, keeping the place light and bright.
Most importantly, the food is really good, with a vast range of house specialities and chef's specials, plus all the traditional curries you would expect, each with sharp flavour and a wonderful aroma that enhances the senses.
My favourite from here: Chicken Capsila with Pilau Rice and a Tandoori Roti, with Cauliflower Bahjee on the side.
This is a place I've been able to visit after wrestling shows (my past hobby), arriving with a number of other wrestlers all looking for a good meal and a pint of Kingfisher.
