Meet the founder — Syed Bashar
From a young waiter in Kingston to the proprietor of Richmond's family-run Indian kitchen. The background, the values and the people behind Jaflong Tandoori.
A short bio
Syed Bashar grew up in Sylhet, Bangladesh, learned the trade across South West London and opened Jaflong Tandoori in 2008. He is still in the restaurant most nights — greeting guests, checking plates before they leave the pass and calling suppliers first thing in the morning. His two sons now work alongside him.
- Role
- Founder & proprietor
- From
- Sylhet, Bangladesh
- In hospitality
- 40+ years
- Opened Jaflong Tandoori
- 2008, Richmond upon Thames
"A restaurant isn't a building — it's the people inside it. I've spent 40 years learning that the best food comes from teams who feel valued, ingredients that are respected, and communities that are genuinely served."
Syed Bashar, founder & proprietor
Background — from Sylhet to Richmond
Syed's story begins in Sylhet, Bangladesh — a region known for its tea gardens, rolling hills and intensely flavourful cooking. Food was the centre of family life. His grandmother's kitchen was where spices were ground by hand and where he first learned that cooking is an act of care.
Arriving in the UK in the 1980s, he started at the bottom of the restaurant industry as a waiter in Kingston upon Thames. He was not only serving tables — he was studying the kitchen, the flavours, the management and the relationships between staff and guests. Within a decade he was leading family-run restaurant teams across South West London.
In 2008 that experience became Jaflong Tandoori, named after the Jaflong waterfall region in Sylhet. Eighteen years on it is still a family business, and the meat still comes from trusted halal suppliers — we are not a separately certified halal premises, and Syed prefers to say so plainly.
What Syed stands for
Four values that decide how the kitchen is run — and how we answer when something goes wrong.
Authenticity
Sylheti recipes cooked the way they were taught at home — curry bases made from scratch, breads baked to order, nothing shortcut for speed.
Consistency
The same dish, every service. An 18-year run, a 5/5 Food Hygiene Rating and a 4.9 average across 5,700+ reviews come from routine, not luck.
Generosity
Give back to the community that keeps the doors open — NHS meals, school fundraisers and annual aid to rural Sylhet.
Improvement
Read every review, act on the honest ones. Small changes each month beat big promises once a year.
A career in food
Began his restaurant career as a waiter in Kingston upon Thames, learning every part of front-of-house service and kitchen operations.
Progressed to restaurant management, leading family-run teams across South West London and balancing authentic recipes with British dining expectations.
Set out to open his own restaurant, bringing the flavours of his home region, Sylhet, to Richmond upon Thames.
Jaflong Tandoori opens at 16 Ashburnham Road, Richmond TW10 7NF. The family dream becomes reality.
Became founding food partner at Ham Fair, Richmond's largest community festival — a partnership that continues today.
Expanded into professional catering: weddings, corporate events and school fundraisers.
Donated free meals to Kingston Hospital frontline workers during COVID-19 and moved the business delivery-first while keeping staff employed.
Trusted for catering across Richmond, Kingston and Twickenham, with around 500 events served since 2008.
Unveiled a newly renovated dining room and welcomed his sons into the business, carrying the Jaflong legacy forward.
Giving back
For Syed, community isn't a marketing strategy — it's a responsibility. Here are some of the causes closest to his heart.
Kingston Hospital
Donated free meals to frontline NHS workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shalini Yadav Fund
Raised £2,500 for a young woman's rare skin condition treatment through a charity dinner.
Sylhet, Bangladesh
Annual aid programme providing clothing, food and housing materials to rural communities in Syed's home region.
Ham Fair Partnership
Annual food partner since 2010 at Richmond's largest community festival, serving thousands of visitors.
Local Schools
Fundraising host for Hollyfield, Grey Court and King Athelstan Primary schools.
Taste what Syed built
Order tonight, or tell us about your event and we will come back with a menu and a price per head — usually the same day.