Diwali Banquet

Cinnamon Kitchen is a new concept from The Cinnamon Club team. Drawing on the same ethos of innovation and creativity as the original restaurant, Cinnamon Kitchen offers evolved Modern Indian cuisine in a relaxed setting in the heart of the City of London.

Anise, where the evening starts, is a bar inspired by the cuisine of Cinnamon Kitchen, but with very much its own identity. With imaginative cocktails and a wonderful selection of wines and beers, this bar offers a unique option in the City of London

Helen is known for her unique brand of wit and observational humour which are reflected in both her writing and presenting work. She is a prolific comedy writer with a bulging portfolio.

From the early days at the famous Comedy Store in London, to creating the ‘girl at the bar’ in BBCs Naked Video, not to mention becoming Catriona, the ditzy journalist in BBCs Absolutely Fabulous, Helen enjoys the unique position of having starred in most top TV comedy and Radio shows.

Treading the boards includes following hot on the heels of Julie Walters in Educating Rita, playing Doreen in Alan Bleasdales Having a ball, and performing in London’s West End The Vagina Monologues in 2002 and Calendar Girls last year . Helen is currently in development of a sitcom which has been optioned, a comedy book and a number of TV projects.

Clasically trained in India with the acclaimed Oberoi Group, Vivek has always believed that as with other creative forms, Indian cuisine should evolve over time. By designing from the vey outset a menu based wholly on modern Indian dishes, Vivek placed himself firmly at the forefront of the movement to take Indian cuisine ‘beyond authenticity’. 

He has authored 3 bestselling cookbooks and is a familiar face on TV, with regular appearances on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen and UKTV’s Market Kitchen. 

Following up on the success of the Cinnamon Club, Vivek and his team launched Cinnamon Kitchen and Anise in the City in 2008. 

Alfred Prasad, 37, is the Executive chef at Tamarind. Born in Wardha (central India), Alfred lived all over the sub-continent through his formative phase which expanded his mind to the immense possibilities of the eclectic Indian cuisine. 

Over the years, Navin has set new foundations for Indian cuisine and is regarded as one of the leading new wave Indian chefs in the UK, with a natural flair for exciting, innovative cuisine that caters to the more health conscious diner. For Dockmasters House Restaurant, Navin has created a menu featuring ancient, traditional Indian recipes using modern British ingredients to create a lighter, more contemporary menu. His vision is to bring back to Indian cuisine what has been lost over the years... distinctive flavours, aromas and style!

Head chef Anirudh Arora is a prodigious talent. Aged 25 he was cooking for Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, then Prime Minister of India. In 2002, he was brought in to head up Udaimahal restaurant at one of Rajasthan’s most important new hotels, the Oberoi-owned Udaivilãs. The property was immediately applauded for its sophisticated classic Indian cuisine. 

It is Ani’s obsession with detail that makes him such a conspicuous talent, as well as his curiosity for the cuisines of India and its border country. The son of an Indian army officer, he has spent time in regions as diverse as Kashmir, Ladakh, Lucknow and Calcutta, these formative experiences informing his broad repertoire of culinary knowledge, his research missions continually drawing him back to India. 

Ani is currently the head chef of Moti Mahal, which is consistently rated among the top 5 Indian restaurants in London. 

In November 2008 Abdul opened Cinnamon Kitchen as its Head Chef, having worked with Vivek for close to a decade. Abdul heads a team of 13 chefs in a state-of-the-art kitchen that is currently producing some of the best modern Indian cooking in the country.