Restaurant Review - Lahore Kebab House London

So a review of my all time favourite Pakistani/Punjabi restaurant in London, the Lahore Kebab House, just off Commercial road E1 London.

This was my 4th visit and though having not eaten in every restaurant of this style in London, this is leagues ahead of anywhere else I have visited so I feel compelled to encourage anybody who appreciates authentic Pakistani/North Indian cooking to check out this little gem. Its situated 5mins walk from the newly-ish fashionable east end area of Brick Lane - a very cool and diverse area but one that is lined with possibly a hundred flashy "authentic" Indian restaurants (not saying all bad but.. ) that attract droves of drunken British idiots and dumb tourists to sample classic British vindaloo/chicken korma - varying degrees of chilli laden soupy crap.

What we have here however is not flashy at all - and for anyone who has visited the region (not Pakistan myself but fairly extensively around Northern India) pretty damn authentic. This is a lesson in functionality - big open communal dining area with bright strip lighting, hard wooden tables and chairs throughout - though not un-comfy - and they even have water jugs in the toilets (I'm not going to spell that one out but it does bring back fond memories). Service by any modern standards is pretty atrocious, the staff will barely crack a smile in your direction despite my increasingly outlandish attempts to encourage one , but the food always arrives quickly and correctly, bills are never messed with etc etc - and best of all big tv screens play the latest Bollywood exports ( I love modern Bollywood - all the charm of traditional Bollywood just lots more flesh from the girls and less moustaches from the boys)

Its a muslim joint naturally so no selling of booze - but they neatly sidestep this inconvenience by allowing BYO, a bonus when on a budget - they not so discreetly shepherd the good muslim women and kids upstairs whilst looking after the infidels and localised immigrants downstairs (this is by no means a criticism but a lesson in the practical application of religion and business - seating 350 the place is packed every time I've been).

Also really appreciate the hardcore open plan kitchen where you can see the monstrous bubbling pots of goodness and the big clay tandoor oven (one of the greatest understated gifts to the culinary world ever by the way) - of the starters sampled we had tandoori chicken - lovely succulent and beautifully flavoured, lamb samosa - standard fair but very good,  Seekh kebabs - small rolls of lamb bits, meat of indeterminate quality but excellently spiced so don't think too hard about it, and Masala fish - big chunks of some fish or other that was a little dry but again had a lovely dry earthy spiced flavour.

On to the mains we took our usual route of not ordering any rice - an unnecessary filler - but rounds of delicious Roti - plain flat breads cooked fresh in the Tandoor which you break off in bits to mop up your various "currys" (only with the right hand of course, I refer you back to the water jug point earlier). Karahi Chicken and Bhindi Gosht (lamb with okra) were both excellent - but it was one of the house specials, the understatedly named Lamb curry on the bone which proved eye wateringly good, this is where you can't beat this style of food. A beautifully aromatic sauce of gorgeously deep flavoursome goodness I felt like crying, spices with a classic dry heat and ingredients so well integrated impossible to discern how they've done it, too often its things like chilli or say cardamon that's so dominant, (the whole "Masala mix" thing literally just meaning a blend of princicpal spices such as cardamon, nutmeg, coriander seeds, star anise, cloves, pepper and cumin etc - not just shed-loads of chilli). The sum of the parts being greater than the whole if you know what I mean - when blended properly this cooking is a thing of beauty but too rarely seen - and I think I might add that the food has that almost mystical quality that only the Japanese have so well defined as Umami ( roughly translated as satisfying meaty goodness, and well applicable here) with chunks of lamb that fall off the bone and melt in the mouth - simmering away for god knows how long, to get, possibly not the greatest cuts of meat, to be this ridiculously tender - special. The only let down on the dishes we tried was the mixed vegetable curry (cauliflower, beans potatoes yadda yadda) - which was, in itself not particularly bad, just noticeably bland compared to everything else we tried - we chose it specifically because we would'nt normally chose it, but the lesson here is that Pakistani/North Indian cooking is very meat orientated (as opposed to South Indian - strictly vegetarian and splendid) so back to the 'when in Rome' principal.

And here's the kicker - not counting the booze we brought, the bill will come to around £40 for 2 - and we could barely walk on leaving, for some of the best that this style of food has to offer - cannot recommend enough - I thank you 

And just for the record Jen, yes I know my grammer/syntax is a little dodgy but I'm writing this at 4:50am as per usual so I ask for your understanding - again I thank you

Comments

[Fatboy]

I have fond memories of the Lahore Kebab House too, I remember we had the lamb curry also, which was indeed the standout dish of the meal, truly splendid. I also agree with your assessment that it is the best Indian/Pakistani meal I have had in the UK. It is the simplicity of the food, the strict adherence to the traditional methods of the regions, and the superlative execution of the chefs that make this a firm favourite, not to mention the excellent atmosphere too. I definitely want to go back there next time I'm in London.

Anyway, keep up the good work of not being able to walk after a meal and you'll become Fatboy also. Come on son...

[Jbullett]

Nahthern...I actually thought your writing was excellent. Well done!