Trullo, Islington

Penne with pork, tomato and chilli ragu

In Puglia, in southern Italy, you can drive though fields of little white smurf-like huts with conical roofs, called trulli (singular: trullo). These traditional stone huts are specific to the Valle D'Itria in Puglia, and they're an amazing sight, in a fantastic part of the world. Even if you are constantly on the look out for Papa Smurf.

Pappardelle with beef shin ragu

I used to think of them every time I heard rave reports about a new(ish) neighborhood Italian restaurant in Islington, called Trullo. Now, however, whenever I hear about Puglia's trulli, I am more likely to think about the dense and delicately sweet pork penne at Trullo. Or the rich, silky beef ragout with ravishing ribbons of toothsomely al dente pappardelle. Or the big, flavour packed lamb chop straight from the charcoal grill with cannellini beans and Turkish pepper. Or even the good o'l juicy pork chop with a mustardy potato salad. The creamy caramel pannacotta was the best I've eaten anywhere (and I think TPG's in love).

Pork chop with ratte potato salad and Dijon mustard dressing

Barnsley lamb chop with cannellini beans and Turkish pepper

Trullo has instantly become a challenger for my favourite restaurant in London. It's everything a good restaurant should be - stylish but simple, uncluttered decor that makes you unafraid to spill a bit of ragout, good, efficient, knowledgable service, fun atmosphere and absolutely terrific, flavourful, simple Italian food.

Caramel pannacotta

You should not have to re-mortgage your house to get all this, and at Trullo you don't. The prices are some of the most reasonable I've seen lately, certainly for this quality (about £7.50 for an entree of pasta, £17.50 for the lamb chop). The pasta dishes are divine - I would consider having one for entree and one for my main course next time (the man at the next table had 2 bowls at once, and I like his thinking).

The Italian wine list is also excellent, and very fairly priced - you can even buy by the carafe.

The menu offers about 5 options per course and changes daily. If I lived in Islington, I'd be trying it every day. Book ahead.

Trullo, 300-302 St Paul's Road, Islington, London, N1 2LH (Tel:  020 7226 2733)

Greek feasting - Greedy Diva Happy Snaps #2

Any truly greedy person appreciates the sight of oodles of plates spread out on the table before them. One can convince oneself that one is merely pecking, when in fact one is consuming quantities that would put a sumo wrestler to shame.

This is just layer number 1 of the first course of starters that you get at the simple Greek taverna, Vrisaki. Yes, another layer of plates is piled on top. And that's before you move on to the fish and meat courses. It's about quantity rather than quality, and all served up by a bevvy of heavily moustached waiters with leather vests, which adds to the charm.

Another thing that makes me happy is baklava. Vrisaki's is good. Really good. But not nearly as good as TPG's Mum's or TPG's Yia Yia's. I know what side my bread is buttered on. (And it's true).

Vrisaki, 73 Myddleton Road, Wood Green, London N22 8LZ (Tel: 020 8889 8760)

Pepito, Kings Cross

Bar Pepito has sherry flights. SHERRY FLIGHTS, people.

A small Andalusian bar across the courtyard from related Spanish restaurant, Camino, Pepito is fun, it's friendly and it's teeny weeny. Cram around a wine barrel with your mates and slug back delicious dry, nutty sherries, with a side of hand carved, creamy jamon, a selection of cheeses or some piggy chorizo. And it's all reasonably priced.

I've been a few times now and I love it every time. It's rare that I don't leave singing. And I'm not alone - Pepito won Time Out's Best New Bar in 2010. But I never get around to writing about it (sherry hangover perhaps). So, I'll keep it short and sweet. Pepito is one of my favourite bars. You need to go. Experiment with the sherries - be brave. Enjoy.

Bar Pepito, 3 Varnishers Yard, The Regent Quarter, Kings Cross, N1 9FD (Tel: 020 7481 7331)

Vinoteca, Marylebone

Whole roasted partridge with lentils & green sauce

I love the original, and now I love the new one. Vinoteca has opened a new branch in Marylebone.

It's just off Edgeware Road near where, incidentally, I recently discovered the gastronomic joy that is shopping at Lebanese grocer, Green Valley. Everything you could ever need to work your way through the Ottolenghi cookbook is right there or, like me, you could buy lots of things you don't need (like a large jar of preserved lemons for just over £1) just because they look pretty. There's also a busy bakery for sweet pastries and cakes. Anyhoo...

The concept at Vinoteca Marylebone is the same as at Farringdon. Part wine bar, part restaurant, there's a great selection of wines at reasonable prices, and - if you have to wait for a table - you can browse the floor to ceiling shelves laden with temptation to drink in or take home.

The food is rustic and simple, but with a hearty oomph. Each course is matched to one of the 25 wines available by the glass, or you can choose from one of over 280 bottles. We stopped by for a bottle of wine and a one course meal, so we bypassed the tempting sounding starters (like smoked eel with celeriac and apple remoulade and wheaten toast (£8)) and got stuck into a big spicy South African (the Cape Chamonix Rouge for £19.75), while soaking up the buzz.

My whole roasted partridge with a wintry lentil stew was meaty and heartwarming, although I found the generous splodge of garlicky, herby green sauce just a little too overpowering (other minds might differ on this).

Bavette steak

TPG almost went for the lamb pie - a billowing pastry case packed full with finely minced lamb and vegetables. However, in the end he wavered in favour of the bavette steak, pink and juicy at medium rare, with thick cut, crispy chips and salad - a favourite from our visits to the Farringdon branch. The accompanying bread sauce was also excellent.

Vinoteca Marylebone is already busy. We had a short wait (about 10 minutes) for a table, but the friendly waiting staff (who still seem excited to be there) looked after us well. We simply sat by the window (or you can sit at the bar) and made a head start on the wine.

Main courses generally cost between £11 - £15 and our meal for 2 including wine and service was good value at £56.

The menu changes daily, so you're likely to see something new every time you go. Oh, yes - you will go again.

Vinoteca, 15 Seymour Place, Marylebone, London W1H 5BD, Tel: 020 7724 7288



PS. I know it seems weird that we didn't have dessert, but we stopped by at Princi in Soho on the way home where they now have these gorgeous little "Italian kisses" - they're satisfyingly crisp on the outside, but lovely and chewy within. As usual for Princi's sweet stuff, they're a rip off at £1.20 for 3, but they're so good that we keep going back for them despite our principles.

The Ledbury, Notting Hill

Roast cod, truffle puree, cauliflower, parmesan gnocchi & sea vegetables

Within a few weeks after we first moved to London 4 years ago, The Peanut Gallery was researching London restaurants for my birthday dinner. The man does not hold back when it comes to restaurant research, and he hit on a place in Notting Hill that sounded like the goods. And so it was that The Ledbury set my benchmark for London fine dining.

It's still my favourite place for a posh lunch or dinner. I've been back twice since - once with friends for the great value set price lunch (at £33.50 for 3 courses) - a terrific way to experience the brilliance while the sun flirts in through the huge surrounding windows. The second revisit was just last week to catch up over dinner with Aussie food blogging friends, Gourmet Chick, Catty and Vintage Macaroon as well as the lovely Claire from Australian wine maker, d'Arenberg. What better place to meet than over the fine food of Australian head chef, Brett Graham, drinking terrific Australian wines kindly contributed by D'Arenberg (thanks Claire) and Katnook Estate (thanks Jo).

Jo (who couldn't join us in the end) made contact with Brett Graham, who put together a special tasting menu for us, tweaked to match our wines.

Deep fried quail egg

Over a bottle of champagne well chosen by the sommelier to meet our request for something reasonably light and crisp, we start with the pretty, mousse-like foie gras canape followed by the amuse bouche - a deep fried quail egg with Jerusalem artichoke puree and shaved truffles.

Our waiter called it "broccoli on toast"

Firm broccoli stem with natural yoghurt and tiny, sweet Falmouth Bay prawns in brown butter and vadouvan (a mixture of onions, shallots and garlic with Indian spices) is one of my favourite courses. This dish highlights the kitchen's dexterity for textures and combining vivid flavours in well balanced harmony. Basically, it's clever, and it tastes brilliant. Who knew broccoli could be this good?

We drink the 2009 Katnook Estate Sauvignon Blanc from Coonawarra - a Sauv with body and lots of zesty citrus and apple.

Hampshire buffalo milk curd, Saint-Nectaire & grilled onion broth
(Truffle toast not pictured)

A shallow soup bowl is presented next. Across the base is a thin layer of Hampshire buffalo milk curd with uncooked French cheese, Saint-Nectaire. Small clusters of grilled onions and mushrooms are dotted around the plate. At the table, an aromatic, delicate broth of grilled onions is poured over the top and, on the side, waits a toasted brioche topped with large thin disks of earthy black truffle and puree. Again, there are delightfully balanced layers of flavour at work - just gorgeous.

With this, we drink d'Arenberg's 2008 "The Last Ditch" Viognier from McLaren Vale. It's exactly the type of wine I love. It's been aged for 6 months in French and American oak, and has a lovely, big honey and cream character.

Root vegetables

Next up, a colourful arrangement of root vegetables, a nutty, sweet and earthy mix, baked in salt and clay with roasting juices, hazelnuts and Lardo di Colonnata (the silky pork fat from pigs having spent their lives feasting on acorns and chestnuts in Tuscany). Oh my. What better way to turn vegetables into pure, indulgent gluttony? Our accompanying 2005 Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon has rich fruit and tannin, but is light enough so as not to overpower this dish.

A plump, moist fillet of roast cod glistens beside a mellow truffle puree, cauliflower, parmesan gnocchi and, for some extra umami, sea vegetables. Again, it looks pretty and it's a perfectly executed delight to eat.

Roe deer

Finally, the loin of roe deer is baked in Douglas fir (coniferous tree) with beetroot and malt. There's an accompanying venison sausage, which is rich and gamey. The loin is tender and, although I think it lacks some flavour, it's topped with an oozy blob of rich marrow which adds depth.

We accompany it with the 2002 d'Arenberg "The Dead Arm" Shiraz. This is a big, gutsy Aussie Shiraz, with intense fruit, chocolate and spice. It's a gorgeous match for our rich, autumnal game dish.

Brown sugar tart

Before dessert, we cleanse the palate (ok, any excuse) with a tart passion fruit concoction in a shot glass, before finishing with a fantastic, sweet brown sugar tart. It looks like a long slab of foie gras and, praise the lord, is almost as rich. It comes with muscat grapes and a stem ginger ice-cream.

Coffees and teas at the end are matched with our choice from a delicious selection of jellies, merigues, macaroons and chocolates.

Although we didn't try it, the cheese trolley - or, more accurately, the smell of the cheese trolley - deserves a mention. Fantastic. When it moves about the room, it's like you just wandered into the cheese room at La Fromagerie with your nostrils fully flared. Save room.

Service was, as always, professional, knowledgeable and friendly without a shred of stuffiness or irritating fuss. Brett Graham wasn't in the kitchen on the night we ate (he was shooting in Scotland), and so our fantastic meal only goes to show what an all round strong team this is. Even the loos are good - mainly for featuring my favourite (Melbourne based) Aesop geranium leaf hand wash. It seems I'm bound to love this place right down to the finest detail.

Together, with service, water and corkage of £50 (which amounted to £12.50 per bottle) our bill came to £102 per head. The standard dinner tasting menu (6 courses plus amuse bouche and pre-dessert) costs £85 per head (or £130 per head with matching wines) and there's also a vegetarian tasting menu for £75. The set lunch menu is £27.50 for 2 courses or £33.50 for 3 courses. And, of course, the a la carte options are always available.

At just 30 years of age, Brett Graham has obtained 2 Michelin stars at The Ledbury and is part of the collaboration behind the 1 Michelin starred pub, The Harwood Arms in Fulham. That alone is enough to make you sick. But even more impressively, at The Ledbury, he has created a consistently excellent restaurant, brimming with easy going confidence, originality, finesse and food which is a joy to eat. It deserves all the praise it gets.

The Ledbury, 127 Ledbury Road, Notting Hill, London W11 2AQ (Tel: 020 7792 9090)

Hog Roast: The Red Lion & Sun, Highgate

One of my most enjoyable discoveries this year (thanks to Lizzie) would have to be the big, fat, piggy hog roast at the Red Lion & Sun in Highgate.

This gorgeous pub in the far northern hemisphere (SO much leafy greenery - my eyes, my eyes...!) has an outdoor beer garden which can accommodate about 30 people. As we catch our last few mild nights for the year, I heartily recommend it as a place to gather your troops for a pig on a spit, drinks and easy going good times. However, as the air frosts up during the coming months, you can also take over the back area of the pub for your feasting.

Lizzie organised a hog roast bash here for 30 friends recently. Heath Ball, the friendly owner (@Pubhobbit on Twitter), managed to get his hands on a stonklingly good 75kg Gloucester Old Spot for our pleasure. It was basted in bourbon and roasted just to the point of beautifully juicy and tender - I couldn't fault it. Crackling was also top notch, and it comes with oodles of basic side dishes - potato salad, a colourful tomato and basil salad, coleslaw, freshly baked focaccia and - of course - apple sauce.

There was enough for us all to go back for at least seconds.

All this cost us £10 each. Price will depend on the size of the pig and the size of your group, so you can work that out when you call ahead to arrange things.

If pork is not your thing, (1) take a good hard look at yourself, and (2) perhaps try the lamb roast instead. Heath is a Kiwi so I'm tipping he knows his lamb roasts - I'm keen to go back to try it myself.

At this point, you may notice a distinct lack of happy snaps. The distraction? I was busy getting patriotic over the fantastic Australian wines from the D'Arenberg winery in McLaren Vale which were brought along for our group to sample for the evening (thanks Claire). If you want to try some terrific Aussie wines (with quirky names like The Love Grass, Stump Jump, The Hermit Crab), do look out for them. I've always been a fan so it was nice to sip them and remember the rolling vineyards of home....

You can see pictures of the evening taken by others here and here.

The Red Lion & Sun, 25 North Road, Highgate Village, London, N6 4BE (Tel: 020 8340 1780)

Cafe Luc, Marylebone

I may have mentioned before that The Peanut Gallery has a baby which has nothing to do with me. His bike. It's custom made and now has brand new wheels. It appears he is preparing for the Tour de France.  If I had, long ago, instituted a rule that every dollar spent on the bike is to be matched by expenditure on shoes for me, I'd be a very happy woman.

The trouble with having a such a bike is that you can never take it anywhere - or leave it anywhere at least. Many times, we have cycled around town looking for a nice coffee spot where TPG can not only secure his bike nearby, but eyeball it while he is eating, and be within a clear path to a doorway or open window to enable him to leap through the air and pounce in the event that anyone looks sideways at it. Sometimes it's easier just to go home....

So the bike valet service at Cafe Luc is something of a welcome addition to the London cafe scene for our household. After a cycle around the leafy streets of Primrose Hill and Regent's Park, customers can drop off their bikes with the bike valet and eat with the assurance that their pride and joy is safely locked up inside the building.

Apparently, they also offer a shopping valet service if find yourself unable to resist the temptations of the cafe's chic Marylebone High Street location.

Cafe Luc is run by Julie van Oostende and her father, Belgian restaurateur, Luc van Oostende. Despite their Belgian heritage, the menu at Cafe Luc is more broadly Modern European - although there is a Belgian week menu coming up from 20 - 27 September 2010. (Unfortunately there will not be waffles - the first thing TPG checked - although there will be speculoos, vanilla and salted caramel ice-cream which will appease him).

The interior was designed by Stiff and Trevillion (who were behind Le Cafe Anglais' decor) and is something like that of a larger Galvin Bistrot de Luxe, although slightly more corporate. It's a schlick looking brasserie, with muted walls, black wooden tables, chocolate banquettes and lots of mirror action. Eye catching light fittings include amber hand blown glass bulbs from Murano bubbling over the copper bar, and clusters of small black lampshades spaced along the walls. Even the loos are rather dashing.

Open all day from 7am, with a breakfast menu available until noon and a brunch menu available until 6pm, the hearty Full English breakfast (£12) was just what I needed last Sunday afternoon. The yolks of my 2 perfectly poached eggs oozed gloriously onto toasted brown bread, a delicious sausage (unfortunately no-one could tell me where it came from), black pudding, roasted cherry tomatoes, tasty bacon, sauteed mushrooms and baked beans. The baked beans were the only slight let down here - they were fine, but a home made batch would improve things.

Two upright eggs with soldiers (£5.50) were also perfectly cooked, although the smallish serving of toast may not be enough to satisfy you on it's own. I would suggest accompanying this with fruit salad, or the TPG went for pancakes - a dainty stack with maple syrup and berries were excellent (£7.50).

There are healthy options like Greek yoghurt with berries and honey and, while the menu is mostly quite conventional, more offbeat numbers like apple spring rolls with green apple coulis are available.

Juices are freshly squeezed (I had orange, but carrot, apple, pear and grapefruit are also offered) and I enjoyed a spicy, well made Bloody Mary to accompany my Full English. The coffee was fine, although not one to go out of the way for.

Service appeared to be helpful and attentive across the room. There were occasional gaps in product knowledge, but not too much to begrudge them - it's all very casual and friendly.

Cafe Luc is a good option for breakfast with cocktails in style - or one to remember if you're out free wheeling with an obsessive compulsive bike owner.


Cafe Luc, 50 Marylebone High Street, London, W1U 5HN (Tel: 020 7258 9878)

Greedy Diva was a guest of Cafe Luc.

Ginger and White: Coffee in London

Ginger and White has been on my hit list for a while. And then out came the sun. The day had dawned to dust off the bike's winter coat and hit the roads to Hampstead Heath.

Gorgeous.

Finishing off our salads at Gail's on Hampstead High Street (mixed reviews from us, but the cake selection rocks), The Peanut Gallery and I decided a 2nd coffee of the day was in order. Enter Ginger and White.

A staunchly British themed coffee shop, Ginger and White is set back from the main drag in a quiet little pedestrian laneway, Perrins Court. Inside is a big, communal table with crayons (or coloured pencils?) in the middle, suggesting a child friendly attitude that will likely be a selling point for some, but a roomful of childish shrieks and me should never meet before my morning coffee. All is overseen by a large Union Jack painting and a counter laden with cakes, pastries and biscuits. There's talk of salads and sandwiches also being available (like Northfield's Farm's roast beef with horseradish mayo and watercress on onion bread - oh my...), and all ingredients are apparently British and sourced direct from the farm.

But we were there for the Square Mile coffee (currently the Spring brew - a blend from Brazil and Colombia). The flat white was smooth, caramel-y and strong, hitting all the right notes. Admittedly on the basis of only 1 visit at this stage, I have to rate the coffee right up there with that of all my favourite antipodean coffee shops of London. A freshly squeezed orange and grapefruit juice was also lovely.

As far as I know, there are not too many options for a really great coffee in North West London. I don't hang out in Hampstead all that often, but when I do, I know where I'll be sipping my flattie. Thumbs up.

Ginger and White, 4a-5a Perrins Court, London, NW3 (Tel: 0207 431 909)

Hashi - Japanese Cookery Courses

I'm currently reading yet another fabulous book by food and travel writer Michael Booth, this time about culinary travels in Japan ("Sushi and Beyond - What the Japanese Know About Cooking" ). In between the laughs, it only serves to reinforce how much the cooking of Japanese food is still shrouded in mystery for many of us - and the fact that Japanese restaurants tend to specialise, to the point of mastery, in only one type of food (go here for your udon noodles, and somewhere else for your perfect ramen, sushi or tempura) makes the thought of polishing one's kitchen chopsticks seem a daunting task.

This only makes Reiko Hashimoto-Lambert's Hashi Japanese Cookery Courses all the more satisfying. In her straightforward, down to earth style, Reiko has been teaching Japanese cooking in England for over 10 years, and did so before that in Tokyo. She has appeared as a guest on Saturday Kitchen, and is currently writing a cookbook (has anyone else noticed the dearth of accessible, decent Japanese cook books, beyond Wagamama's Westernised account)?

I recently attended a class at Hashi, which was an amalgam of Hashi's Beginners and Advanced classes. The session was a well balanced mix of demonstration and hands on practice, and class sizes are small enough (there were 7 people in mine) to get some much needed personal attention and a good view of the stove top.

Reiko guided us through the making of a mouthwatering beef tataki with creamy sesame sauce - so delicious, but deceptively easy, this would definitely impress the dinner party guests.

We then rolled up our sleeves to make some pork and seafood gyoza, artfully mastering the delicate folding of the gyoza wrappers. Mine went from ugly duckling to beautiful swan surprisingly quickly, but there's definitely a trick to them that requires expert guidance and hands on practice to avoid the elephant man effect.

Reiko's signature dish, scallops with creamy spicy sauce on sushi rice followed next (a more advanced dish, but still most definitely achievable in the home kitchen) and then some gorgeous cold soba noodles with spicy aubergine. Oh, how I love a good bit of aubergine.

All was, of course, eaten on beautiful Japanese plates and bowls - because a chipped white plate (a la Chez Greedy Diva) just won't do for the Japanese.

Reiko's Saturday classes run from 11am - 3pm and cost £120. She is also running an evening canape class for £70, and her 4 class courses - some for beginners, and others becoming more gourmet right up to "Master Chef" level - are £240. You'll pick up lots of tips and tit-bits along the way which will help demystify Japanese cooking, and over the full set of courses you would be well on your way to having a full repertoire of dishes under your sushi belt to replicate at home. Above all, the class has inspired me to be more adventurous in the kitchen, putting Japanese cooking more squarely in my comfort zone. Bring out the dashi, baby.

While Japanese ingredients can be difficult to source, I heartily recommend the new and improved Japan Centre on Lower Regent Street (they even sell fresh wasabi root). Reiko also supplies a long list of suppliers to her course participants.

Hashi, Japanese Cookery Courses, 60 Home Park Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 7HN (Tel: 020 8944 118) www.hashicooking.co.uk

I attended the Hashi cookery class as a guest of Hashi, as organised by The London Foodie, along with other guests The Wine Sleuth, Gourmet Chick, Tamarind and Thyme, Kavey Eats and Gastro Geek.

Karahi King, North Wembley: Best curry in London so far...

Last night involved a 2 part mission:
1. To entice The Peanut Gallery beyond Zone 2 of the London Tube map.
2. To find a curry worth writing home about.

Today, I'm one happy camper.

Some time ago, over a glass or two of wine with the fabulous Food for Think, I lamented my complete inability to find a delicious curry truly worthy of London's repute for such fare. Ms Food for Think promptly issued, and I eagerly accepted, an invitation for TPG and I to join her and boyfriend Mr J at Karahi King in North Wembley.

North Wembley is in Zone 4. No, I am not joking. Somehow, possibly due to the guarantee of good company, the promise of plentiful food and my inadvertent omission to mention zoning, I managed to lure TPG there anyway with barely a whimper. He did pack 2 magazines for the journey.

Karahi King is plastic plate, paper napkin, no frills dining in an almost canteen/cafe style setting. Naturally, this is the perfect backdrop for wonderful, pleasure filled plates of joy to be scooped, shared and chatted over in glorious Friday night abandon.

There's an open kitchen with karahi pans ready and raring to mix you up an exotic storm of spicy North Indian goodness. Mr J, who has travelled around India and seems to know his stuff, took care of the ordering. I recommend you take him with you if you visit - he's right on target every time. Our starters were scrumptious - juicy Seekh Kebabs (lamb mince) were perfectly grilled with a hit of aromatic spice, while the gorgeous Paneer Tikka (cubes of cottage cheese), grilled with onion, tomatoes and capsicum, went some way to revealing the mystery of what might get a vegetarian out of bed in the morning. Each dish was broken up over beer bottles and wine glasses, and scooped into some fine naan to aid delivery.

(Saag paneer)

Our curries followed. Each had its own distinct flavour and texture, and was in a whole other league from the "pieces of meat floating in non-descript sauce" variety that I have come to presume. (Although we recently had some decent ones with friends at Gaylords, Fitzrovia. Oh, please - so immature). We feasted on the Karahi Chicken (tender chicken breast cooked in tomato, onion and coriander, with a hint of ginger), Keema Karahi (minced lamb and potatoes in a spicy mix of tomato, chilli, garlic and coriander leaves), a smoky Saag Paneer (spinach and cheese), and soupy looking dahl with temperate spices. We soaked them up with rice and large garlic naans.

(Top: Karahi Chicken; Below: Dahl; 

Top of page: Keema Karahi)

TPG and Ms Food For Think lingered over some creamy, pyramid shaped mango kulfi (ice cream to you and me).

(Most indecipherable total in the world - 

until you see it's written on the back)

There's a huge array of both meaty and vegetarian dishes. It's delicious, cheap (around  £15 per head if you're really feasting - including beers and service) and it's even BYO (extra tick). And despite my carryings on with the bit about Zone 4, it's actually an easy shoot straight up the Bakerloo line. Oh, and you must stop by at the formerly Irish, now of mystery variety, pub across the road on your way home. Ah, the thrill of new discoveries. I'm back on the curry wagon.

Karahi King, 213 East Lane, North Wembley, London, HA0 3NG (Tel: 020 8904 2760)

Lahore Kebab House: Whitechapel, London

In the hotly debated world of food lovers, there's one thing most Londoners hold as gospel - if you want some good lamb chops, go to Whitechapel.

Whitechapel boasts some of the oldest and most revered Pakistani restaurants in London. Many would cite Tayyabs as a favourite. These kinds of places are to the feasting Brit what good Thai and Vietnamese restaurants are to the gluttonous Aussie. And, although the Thai and Vietnamese flavours are still preferable to my Australian palate, I'm not one to knock back a good plate of lamb chops. Here, in London, go to the right places and they do them so well.

Last week, we took on a feast at Lahore Kebab House.

The first thing you notice is that it's massive and it's packed to the rafters. The whole upstairs floor was crowded with groups welcoming in the weekend with Cobra beers, spicy curries, grilled chops, and tandoori chicken to their hearts' content. At least one thing this place has over Tayyabs is that there's so much seating, you won't have to spend half your night in a queue.

We started with poppadoms, minted yoghurt and mango chutney (all fairly standard) and, the main draw card for me, platefuls of expertly grilled, marinated lamb chops (£7.50). The spicy marinade is intense, but delicious, and our first serve was moist, tender and juicy - perfect. Subsequent platefuls were, unfortunately, quite chewy.

There's a full range of curries (£5.50 each for vegie, £7.50 each for meaty) varied from mild to spicy - we sampled most of them. While nothing screamed out at me as being earth shattering, they were a cut above the curries I've sampled closer to home in the West End. Serving sizes are decent.

The huge stacks of plain naan we ordered to slurp them up were excellent.

And (halleluyah!) it's BYO, so take your booze (there's an off-licence next door) and for 15 quid per head you can feast til you burst. Just don't expect any frills - champagne glasses were provided for the red wine drinkers.

Service is brusque and not particularly personable, but when you're getting such good food at low prices, and given the number of covers, you can't expect too many pleasantries. The only hitch occurred when our waiter spilled red wine all over the shirt of one of the ladies at our table - however, they did deduct her share from the bill.

Perhaps not a location for a romantic special occassion (do NOT get any ideas TPG), but just brilliant for a big, noisy night out with a gang of like minded gluttons.

Lahore Kebab House, 2-10 Umberston Street, Whitechapel, London E1 1PY