Aktar Islam

The Climb

Training at Prince Albert School and early work in a family kitchen set the base line for Aktar Islam’s career: repetition, pace, and the standards that come from service rather than theory. At his father’s restaurant, The Indian Palace in Solihull, the work was practical and immediate. The first restaurant project at Karma in Shirley, Solihull, extended that grounding into a more public setting, where the move from kitchen support to project work marked the start of a wider professional voice. Ownership and founder roles followed as that voice became more defined. At Lasan Group in Birmingham (until 2016), Islam moved into co-ownership, building experience in a city dining scene that was becoming more closely associated with his work. Legna (2018–2020) and Pulperia in Brindley Place, Birmingham (2020–2022) continued that pattern: not a single fixed format, but a sequence of openings that added range while keeping the focus on discipline, timing and control. Opheem (since 2018) now anchors the portfolio, alongside AI Restaurant Group, where Islam works as chef / restaurateur / entrepreneur. The through-line is clear in the record itself: a career built by opening, adjusting and opening again, with each stage adding another layer to the same practice.

Today

At Opheem in Birmingham, United Kingdom, Progressive Indian cuisine is used as a working method rather than a label. Aktar Islam’s cooking draws on Indian flavours, cooking techniques from all over the world, and a mix of traditional and very modern methods, so the menu sits between reference and revision instead of treating either as fixed. The result is a kitchen language that stays connected to Indian food while refusing to stand still. Product-led cooking gives that approach its structure. At Opheem, the ingredient is not treated as a backdrop to technique; it is the starting point that keeps the work legible beneath the complexity. Islam emphasizes evolution and adaptation in cooking as part of what defines human creativity, and the line fits a kitchen culture where technical ambition is meant to stay in service of clarity. Authorship is part of the same position. Islam has also spoken about creative freedom as a right, and that principle reads across the restaurants and roles attached to his name. Tradition remains present, but it is handled as material for testing, adjustment and renewal, not as something to be frozen.

In Their Words

Recognition

The awards record shows how closely Islam’s work has been watched as it moved from local recognition to national notice. For Opheem, the sequence includes Second Michelin star for Opheem (2024) and Michelin star for Opheem (2019). Earlier markers include Birmingham Young Professional of the Year (2012), Great British Menu: fish course winner (2011), The F Word: Best Local Restaurant (2010), and The F Word champion (2009).