Macclesfield: New Bollington restaurant KIRA by Sunitha celebrates first fortnight
A new Bollington restaurant is celebrating being fully booked in their first full month - but that hasn't stopped them aiming for a Michelin star.
KIRA by Sunitha, located on Palmerston Street, opened on December 21.
Macclesfield Nub News went down for a bite to check out the ambitious eatery and cocktail bar.
Different from an old school Indian restaurant, KIRA offers authentic small nibbles with a top quality drinks menu.
Restraunteur Sunitha Southern is already known in Bollington and nationwide from her former food truck The Indian Goat.
Now, she has taken those skills and translated it into a high end setting, at affordable prices.
"We want people to come in, forget the world around them and enjoy themselves," said Sunitha.
"All our dishes are designed for flavour. The food comes when it is ready, and we make sure the drink flows for you to come in, switch-off, and have a good time.
"The best-selling dishes so far have been the fish pakora and our truffle chilli chips."
Things to eat range from £3.50 with the most expensive being £11.20, with no single item being over £12, a claim not many Macclesfield eateries can offer.
There is an even spread of plant-based options, vegetarian options and meat or fish options.
The dishes are served when they are ready, with no 'starters or mains' culture. And each item is made to be shared.
The dishes themselves compliment the elegance of the restaurants decor, both from the choice of ingredients and the plate presentation.
Highlights include scallops with parsnip puree, to a King Crab kofta with spiced potato fritters and beetroot ketchup.
There is a kids menu, still with an Asian twist, and a small dessert menu with traditional Indian sweets.
There are even multiple gluten free options. And the rice they used is double dried which means it is less starchy than other rice such as basmati, meaning you will feel less drained and heavy in the stomach after eating.
In fact, you'll be feeling so energised that you'll want to check out their upstairs and keep the festivities going. This is as they will be opening an upstairs drinks area in time for Valentines Day.
KIRA by Sunitha will also open a third section of the restaurant in the summer, with an outdoor area.
"It has been a fantastic journey so far," she recalled.
"Opening and serving customers has not been stressful. But the six weeks of renovation was the most challenging, as I wanted to open for the two year anniversary of the truck, to reflect the transition from the Rec to this new restaurant.
"But we did it. With a big thanks to all the local companies which helped, from LUX Arvika Macclesfield for the interior, NSM Electricals from Congleton, Bollington Printshop and Tunnicliffe Signs. Henry from South Park's Tatama Coffee who also was a big help out."
The menus accessibility from the small places, price, and sharing nature means that you can be forgiven for crossing over flavours. Be it dunking chips or mini poppadoms into into vegetable puree from a fish course.
The staff are also keen to pair drinks with certain dishes, to enhance the taste, and share their expertise.
Sunitha has handpicked the sixteen staff herself. Her sister Sonam is also working there.
She expressed her pride in offering employment to local people.
"It is a privilege to give young people a roof in which they can come and safely work," she added.
"I feel very lucky to have such a fantastic team.
"All our employees are from this area. Lots of parents reached out and it is great to give young kids an ambitious place to work where I am aiming to get my first Michelin star that will put us on the map in Cheshire.
"We love celebrating all things local. We have local drinks like RedWillow and Forest Gin. Forest is like heaven in a glass for me.
"And we're incredibly grateful to have all the local people supporting us.
"My business is people powered, I have never spent money on marketing and we feel very lucky to have the backing of the community.
"We look forward to welcoming you."
14 can sit at the bar near the entrance, and 45 in the restaurant area.
The layout of the building has had some renovations since its previous incarnation as an Italian restaurant.
Namely one is the creation of an open kitchen, which means you can see Sunitha and her sister cooking.
This is a nice homage to Sunitha's roots of having a food truck on the Bollington Recreation Ground, but also echoes the warm hospitality on offer, and makes the kitchen feel part of the dining experience.
This is one out of three Indian restaurants in the Happy Valley, but as the above proves, KIRA is one-a-of-a-kind.
KIRA by Sunitha is located at 88 Palmerston Street, Bollington, Macclesfield, SK10 5PW.
You can book the restaurant on this link. Follow them on Facebook.
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