‘I had no idea who he was’: Boss of curry house dubbed the ‘best in Europe’ by Ryan Reynolds confesses he’s never heard of the Hollywood star (but might name a Deadpool masala after him thanks to a surge in orders)
- Ryan Reynolds had high praise for the Light of India restaurant in Cheshire
- In an Instagram post of a flyer for the restaurant, he wrote ‘best Indian in Europe’
- However the owner’s son Shaa said his parents did not know who the actor was
A curry house boss whose restaurant was described as the ‘best Indian in Europe’ by Hollywood A-lister Ryan Reynolds has confessed: ‘I had no idea who he was.’
But the family have said they ‘might rename a dish after him, the Deadpool masala or something.’
The Deadpool star heaped praise on the Light of India restaurant in Ellesmere Port in Cheshire with a gushing post on his Instagram page at the weekend.
Reynolds, who was in nearby Wrexham at the weekend to see the National League football club he co-owns beat Maidstone United 5-0, shared a flyer to his 44.8million followers.
Of the modest eatery, which sits between a glazing shop and a credit union in the town, he said simply: ‘Best Indian food in Europe’.
However the son of owner Rahaman Batan, 51, and Raija Rahaman, 48, said when he and his sister Rushmeen, 29, flagged the Instagram post to their parents – who had been on duty at the time – but they had no idea who the Wrexham co-owner was.
A curry house boss whose restaurant was described as the ‘best Indian in Europe’ by Hollywood A-lister Ryan Reynolds said they had no idea who the actor was
Shaa, 28, (centre) said when he and his sister Rushmeen, 29, (centre-left) flagged the Instagram post to their parents Rahaman Batan, 51, (right) and his wife Raija Rahaman, 48 (far-left) – who had been on duty at the time – they had no idea who the Wrexham co-owner
Since the post, the restaurant’s phone has ‘rang off the hook’ while walk-ins and online orders have spiked.
Their son Shaa, 28, said: ‘The past two days have been really busy, it’s been mental, the phone hasn’t stopped ringing.
‘My grandfather first owned the business in 1980 and it was passed down to my father in 2010, we’ve been around for 42 years, so the majority of people around here know us.
‘But now so many more people know about us and we’ve had a lot of calls since the post.
‘We’ve had more orders online and over the phone and we’ve had more people come and eat in.
‘We don’t know if Ryan Reynolds came in or if he got a takeaway – or if it was one of his team that came for it.
‘Me and my sister found out the next day on social media when he shared the flyer on his Instagram page.
Reynolds (left) – who was in nearby Wrexham at the weekend to see the National League football club he co-owns beat Maidstone United 5-0 – shared a flyer to his 44.8million followers
Shaa said his grandfather first owned the business in 1980, then passed it down to his father in 2010 and that they were well known in the community anyway as result but now ‘so many more people’ know about the restaurant
‘We told mum and dad but they had no idea who he was, they were like “who’s he?”‘
The curry house, which the family has ran since 1980, boasts dishes such as a chicken tikka masala at £7.50 and a chef’s special – a curry topped with an omelette – for £7.90.
The family don’t plan to market themselves based on Reynold’s claim their food is the best in Europe, but may jokingly name a dish after him.
Shaa – a massive fan of Reynolds – whose favourite film is Deadpool, added: ‘It’s all subjective. I don’t know what he ordered, but it’s a massive claim to make.
‘I’m a big fan, while I’m gutted I missed him, he’s been and gone so it wasn’t to be. I can’t dwell on it, it was a nice surprise and I’m just grateful for his support.
‘We’re not going to rebrand the shop or anything based on his quote, but I’d love for him to come back and see what he ordered and have him in the restaurant in person.
Shaa – who admitted to being a big fan of the Deadpool actor – said the phone at the Light of India (above), on Ellesmere Port, in Cheshire, has ‘rang off the hook’ since the post
‘We might rename a dish after him, the Deadpool masala or something. He’s quite a jokey guy, so it would be nice to have a joke with him.
‘He’d have to try it first and see if he liked it and approve the name.’
While the post has catapulted the family business into the spotlight, Shaa revealed Reynolds isn’t the first celebrity they’ve had through their doors.
Shaa added: ‘Gary Lineker visited the restaurant in the late 1990s and posed for a picture with a Walker’s Crisp packet with my dad and uncle.’
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