Lahori

You're walking down Ilford Lane past the usual high street chaos, and then you catch the smell—charred meat, cumin, fresh coriander. That's your cue to push through the doors of Lahori. Inside, it's stripped-back and no-nonsense: formica tables, bright lighting, and a kitchen that doesn't mess about. Order the karahi and watch it arrive still bubbling in the cast-iron wok. The biryani's properly layered, the samosas have that crucial crunch, and the naan blistered from the tandoor tastes like someone actually knows what they're doing. It's the kind of place where the regulars know their order off by heart and the owner remembers your face.