Fazlur Rahman’s understanding of Indian cuisine is profound.

From the age of eight he would watch his mother prepare family curries at their home in London and gain an insight into how spices can be blended to perfection.

He began working in the kitchens of his uncle’s restaurant at the age of 12 and the following year was appointed second chef.

This month Fazlur was named runner-up in the prestigious Welsh Restaurant Awards’ Restaurant of the Year category, while in August he was named overall winner of the Welsh Asian Food Awards.

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“Yes, it’s a great honour but then Indian cuisine has been my true passion for as long as I can remember,” he says during a break from the kitchens of his restaurant at Panache, Pembroke Dock.

“It was my mother who first taught me what individual spices can do, and this is something I’ve spent my whole life exploring.

“So many chefs train under just one person with the result that their food follows one particular style.

"But I’ve explored and experimented with different authentic spices and the different ways in which they can be blended, so my dishes have been created with a combination of Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and even Thai flavours which create some truly original dishes that no other Indian chef can offer.”

Western Telegraph: One of Fazlur's signature dishesOne of Fazlur's signature dishes (Image: Western Telegraph)

“Chicken tikka masala is the best-selling dish throughout the UK but interestingly enough, it was created back in the 1960’s for the British people. So in essence, it isn’t a true Indian dish,” he says.

“I put a great deal of effort into creating a sauce that’s original for Panache with the result that it’s different from any other tikka masala sauce you’ll taste in Pembrokeshire.”

Fazlur places a tremendous emphasis on the quality of ingredients used in his cuisine with the result that he travels to London once every two weeks to stock up with fresh spices while all his meats come from quality local butcher Andrew Rees of Narberth.

Fazlur moved to Pembroke Dock in 2010 when he began working for ‘Buddha Buddha’ in Tenby where his cooking earned him a nomination for the best Indian Food in Wales.

He then opened Chamelis in Llandewi Velfrey which earned him yet another award in the Best Restaurant in Wales category.

Ten weeks ago he returned to his home town in Pembroke Dock to open ‘Panache’, in Queen Street.

“This is the town I live in and the town I care for, so it was natural to open a restaurant here,” he said.

“Yes, running your own restaurant is one of the most stressful jobs you can think of as you have to maintain your standards, your food, your staff, and sometimes you find yourself working around the clock.

“But when you get as much back from it as I do, then it’s all worthwhile.”

Panache is open Monday to Saturday from 5pm to 10.30 while an ‘eat all you can’ buffet runs on Sundays between midday and 9pm.