World Foodie Guide

Background:

Fellow food bloggers rave about this Pakistani Punjabi restaurant in Whitechapel, which has been around for over 30 years. So I finally decided to drag myself over to East London, in fact twice in the last month, to see what all the fuss was about. The first visit was with my little brother, the second visit a huge food bloggers’ meet last week, organised by Helen from Food Stories and Chris from Cheese and Biscuits, and beautifully documented by Chris Osburn (check his post for the full list of food bloggers who attended, and see the photos). All these photos have been kindly provided by Niamh from Eat Like A Girl, as my little camera just wasn’t cooperating in dim lighting.

First impressions:

On my first visit at 7pm on a Tuesday evening, Tayyabs was packed, not just with diners tucking in, but with people waiting for a table. The queue was the longest I’ve seen in a long time, but also quite orderly as people have to wait behind a roped off area. After a brief conversation with a waiter holding an impressive print-out of all the reservations for that evening, we were seated after ten or fifteen minutes, which wasn’t bad at all. But last Thursday, when it was even busier, all we had to do was walk into the VIP room where our two tables were waiting for us!

Tayyabs is a huge dining area with basic decor, divided into two sections, with a VIP room (which is much more spacious than it looks). It’s also incredibly loud, chaotic and smoky (you’ll leave smelling of food, so a tip – wear old clothes and head home for a shower before bed!) and in the main dining room, you won’t be able to have a proper conversation unless you shout across the table. The service, however, was surprisingly efficient on both visits, considering how many people needed to be served simultaneously.

Menu:

I turned up armed with a shortlist of dishes to order, provided by Helen and Chris, both regulars. I’d asked them for recommendations aside from the lamb chops. Helen responded: ‘dry meat‘ is a must. The ‘tinda masala‘ (incredible!) and the grilled meats, while Chris offered: dry meat, tindi masala, seekh kebabs, chicken tandoori.

We ordered the following (aside from poppadoms, nan and pilau rice):

• lamb chops x 4 (£5.50)
• sheekh kebab x 2 (£1.80)
• dry meat – small size (£6.00)
• tinda masala (£5.00)

The lamb chops were quite spicy but dry and not very meaty at all. I was a little disappointed with them, given how much people seem to love them. The sheekh kebab were very succulent in comparison. What I didn’t expect to like was the dry meat, which doesn’t sound appetising but is in fact a dry lamb curry, with plenty of chunks of tender lamb. Delicious. The tinda masala – baby pumpkins – was unusual, as I’ve not had it before. It was slightly watery, but provided a lovely contrast to the other meaty dishes.

I promised to publish my brother’s verdict on the lamb chops: ‘My sister pointed out that this was Tayyabs’ ’signature dish’, so I couldn’t wait to tuck in. My expectations were now at a high. My disappointment came straight away , as I was trying to cut into my first lamb chop, with little success. The reason was a combination of the knife not being sharp enough and simply a very ‘boney’ chop. I was annoyed about how little meat there was on it. My second piece wasn’t much better either and it was also quite dry. I would expect them to check the quality of each lamb chop before cooking them, if this is their signature dish. Maybe it was just my unlucky experience’.

At the food bloggers’ dinner last week, I was able to try more lamb chops, sheekh kebab, dry meat and tinda masala. I have to say, the lamb chop was even less meaty than the ones I had on my first visit. I’m a enormous fan of lamb chops, just not the ones at Tayyabs. But I can definitely recommend the dry meat and tinda masala.

However the highlight of the evening must be the roast spring lamb! There were three legs of lamb to be precise, to be shared between 21 food bloggers. Each came on a bed of spiced rice, covered with a mildly spicy paste. The meat was gorgeously flavoured and came away with little more than a gentle prise with the knife and fork. This was a special treat from the owner (organised by Chris), and can apparently be ordered in advance. It is highly, highly recommended for large groups!

The verdict:

Tayyabs offers great value for money (both meals cost just £12 per person including service charge and excluding BYOB alcohol). It’s best visited with a group of friends, and if possible, book the VIP room, because it’s less chaotic and smoky in there (although unless you can fill the entire room with your friends, you’ll still have to share it with others). And unless you love queueing for hours in a very smoky atmosphere, then booking is essential! Would I return? Most probably, but only as part of a large group!

10 – Perfection, 9.5 – Sensational, 9 – Outstanding, 8.5 – Superb,
8 – Excellent, 7.5 – Very Good, 7 - Good, 6.5 - Above Average, 6 – Average

All the London restaurant reviews on World Foodie Guide

Contact details:
New Tayyabs
83-89 Fieldgate Street
London E1 1JU
Tel: 020 7247 6400 / 9543 / 8521
www.tayyabs.co.uk

Helen Yuet Ling Pang @ World Foodie Guide

Tags: dining out, food, London, meat, Pakistani Pubjabi, restaurant review, restaurants, traveleating