Lahore Kebab House - London E1

As busy and noisy a transport caf as I've ever been in on a damp Monday night. LKH has a reputation stretching beyond Shadwell. The clientel is predominantly Asian too, a good sign, according to your average foodie. So too the side street location - 'off the beaten track, harder to find, no compromises made for tourists', don't you just loath them! And the great open kitchen? 'No short cuts being taken'!

Nevertheless, food (Pakistani) arrives all in a rush. Crisp Poppadoms, with sonorous slightly runny mango jam, mint raitha were only just being cracked before starters of spicy orange morsels of char grilled chicken tikka and slightly gristly rolled sheekh kebab turned up. The Mains weren't going to wait either. Salty, bold Lamb Sag, sour with green chillies, leafy with coriander. Chana Masala, big fat creamy chick peas in a light tomato soupy sauce, tangy and slightly hot. A veritable mound of soft, fluffy, popcorny rice, a very garlicky Naan and two milky, light, sweet and frothy lassis.

All in all we (Mikey was there too) got absolutely stuffed (very generous portions) for £42, a sum which might seem astronomical when the credit crunch, a silent asteroid heading for a blind date with earth, hits, but seems fine in these salient days.

FOOD (& DRINK): 4
AMBIENCE: 4
SERVICE: 3
VALUE: 3

Willp2328: 7/10