Prashad, Bradford

In the last lap, Prashad, a small family-run place in Bradford, triumphed over the gastronomic giant from North Lincolnshire, Winteringham Fields, and Sheffield's vibrant Milestone. Only at the grand final did Prashad fail, beaten by Casa Mia, another tight-knit family business from Bristol.

From the TV sequences it was just possible to see how Prashad lost. The judges had been ecstatic about its flavours. Mr Ramsay, for once almost expletive-free, told them their food was better than some Asian restaurants with Michelin stars. It is unlikely Prashad will ever have one. It will not be necessary.

Horton Grange Road in Bradford is one of those long, long roads that link town centres with the suburbs. There is nothing of visual note to arrest the casual traveller until the gaudy fast food outlets at the top end. Prashad is nearer town, on a corner, calm, nothing shouty about the exterior, which extends down a side road where it faces its annexe, the Prashad Lounge. Here you can stay until your table is free. You'll almost certainly have booked. There is now seating for 40, in two rooms, and the latest publicity is merely going to make the waiting list longer and the Patels wonder whether they can expand again.

The menu is tight and presented in a long concertina folder: easy to read in subdued lighting, easy to handle. The chaat special is worth a try, a jumble of crumbled samosa, chickpeas, potato, yoghurt and tamarind. You will find it under the Roadside Snack section on the menu. There is plenty of this sort of eating in Asia, where so many very poor people can only afford cheap but sustaining food. Another engaging "snack" idea is filling pastry cases with tit bits, such as dahi puri. This is egg-cup sized puri (deep fried unleavened thin wheat bread) into which you spoon potato, chickpea, yoghurt and tamarind. It gets the meal away to a spicy, satisfying, start.

Prashad already had a zealous following before the TV audience was alerted. Many are prepared to travel long distances. "Wish we lived nearer" is a theme. That is what television does, with its millions of viewers following the cooking heats. "Phenomenal Asian cuisine" says the answering machine. That it is. The Yorkshire Post voted Prashad Best Asian Restaurant for 2006. Yorkshire Forward gave its Chef of the Year title, and so on. Website comment is overflowing with praise. "The best food I have ever eaten".

Mrs Kaushy Patel set it off in the early 1990s, selling homemade snacks using her family recipes from Gujarat, which is in western India above Mumbai. In time she opened the cafe, with light tubular metal chairs and tables to match, nothing flashy, the business being driven forward by her son, Bobby, and his wife, Minal, with Mohan Patel working in the background. Today there is solid wooden furniture, heavy cutlery, like dozens of other bistro restaurants. Minal has taken over as head chef.

Prashad is a word meaning blessed food and just about everything you'll eat there has been touched by the chefs' hands, in their words passing on the love into the food. The menu does include "curries" but they are meat and fish free, often vegan, like everything here. It is also alcohol-free and you'll be offered water or lassi – try the massala flavour which is thinner and more refreshing than the familiar mango goo.

The traditional curry eater will find plenty of new tastes. The food is predominantly from Gujarat and had already been introduced in the north in Leeds (and briefly in Bradford) at Hansa's, another applauded female-run vegetarian restaurant started by Hansa Dabhi 20 years ago. It moved us on from the ordinary "Indian" stuff into a new level of texture and taste and ingredients: wonderful, too.

Maybe you should try Prashad's mixed platter to start. This is the chef's selection of eight starters, which will ease the appetite. One style of starter is a deep-fried ball or oval, with a hard crust encasing, say, mashed peas and garlic in deep-fried chapatti. Deft handling and hot oil ensure that not a trace of fat adheres to the casing. You could eat them while wearing kid gloves without a stain on the nap. The flavours and textures are fascinating. They exceed expectations. Look at other tables and you'll probably see others experiencing the gust of surprise and delight. Try a plate of pethis, which are potato balls with a centre of flavoured coconut.

Signature dishes include dhosa, a rice-flour crepe with a choice of fillings and lentil soup on the side. Another which people rave over is chole. This is chick peas in tomato and onion sauce: rich, luscious. But what is Prashad like for something as ordinary as a vegetable curry? Forget the generic stew of mixed veg. Prashad's home-style "handi" is confined to potato, cauliflower, petit pois and carrot – once again bursting with tastes in its thick sauce.

This is great food. Portions are average rather than abundant and the pyramid of kishdi rice (with dhal) was on the small side. Roti (really chapatti, not the thick oven-baked roti), are small and the kitchen's buttered naan is more akin

to an American pancake in texture, nothing like the typical fluffy naan, which I prefer.

It is possible that the Prashad desserts lost it Mr Ramsay's ultimate accolade. Indian sweets are, indeed, sweet, and not to everyone's taste. Try the kulfi ice cream instead. It is made in house and you get to take home the floral pot.

Service throughout was well-informed and helpful. The rate is brisk without rushing. Prices: starters from 3.75, roadside snacks from 4, other main courses from 6.50, breads from 80p, rice from 2. In short: rather marvellous food and excellent value. Missing: any information on food sourcing.

Prashad, 86 Horton Grange Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, B7 2DW. Tel: 01274 575893 or [email protected] Open: Tuesday to Friday 11am to 3pm and 6pm to 10.30pm. Weekend: 11am to 10.30pm. Closed Monday. Level access on one floor to the unisex WC. Street parking. Take away service at reduced prices.

YP MAG 27/11/10