Tayyabs – East London

I mentioned a few weeks back, that I have wanted to go to Tayyabs, a Pakistani restaurant just off Whitechapel Road, East London, for a long time, and each time my plans had been thwarted.  I've lost count, but I think this was 4th attempt, Ramadan was over, so we made a reservation and I crossed my fingers, hoping it would be 4th time lucky.  Thank goodness they take bookings.  Upon arrival it is hard to see how they are going to accommodate us; the queue snakes all the way through the dining area and out onto the street and every table is crammed full of hungry diners.  The place reminds me of a nightclub.  I've never eaten in a restaurant where I've had to say 'excuse me' about 32 times, contorting myself as I scooch past the people in the queue to get to the toilets.  There is no denying it is a squeeze, but the waiters do a phenomenal job ferrying to and from the kitchen, quickly and safely transporting your food to the table.  I don’t know how they manage to do it, constantly having to run the gauntlet of drunken diners each night.  Either way if you don't like crowds and prefer a quiet, sophisticated dining experience then don't come here, because you won't like it.  Don't take your girlfriend out for a romantic dinner a deux and moan about the atmosphere and how busy it was.  I don't want to hear it because I have warned you haven't I?  Lecture over, continue reading if this sounds up your street.

     I'd been warned that the curries were nothing special and that the thing to come for was the goodies from the tandoori oven, so we purposely steered clear of the curries, with the exception of tarka dahl.  This was a decent dhal, thick in consistency and you could actual make out the yellow split peas which gave it a good texture unlike some of the more porridgey ones you can get.  Vegetable samosas for starters were fine, but things started looking up when a sizzling platter arrived with shish kebabs, tandoori chicken, and the star of the show, the lamb chops arrived.  The shish was a good warm up before the main event, the chicken was moist and well flavoured from the spicy marinade, but the lamb chops were so moreish.  They were huge chunks of spicy, meaty goodness, the kind that make cutlery redundant, and are best eaten like a true neanderthal with your hands.  I liked the rotis, and they were even better when used to mop up the dhal. 
The best bit is the price.  You can eat well for a tenner a head.  If you don't believe me, check out the picture of our bill for two.  It's also BYO, so be sure to stock up at the supermarket on Whitechapel Road before you get there.  I liked this place and only wish it were a little quieter and less 'discovered' than it is.  The food is good to excellent, although I can't comment on the curries, but if you are here for tandoori, you won't be disappointed.  Would I have stayed and queued for an hour or more if we hadn't had reservations?  Probably not, because it was 8.30 and I was hungry, but would I come back again, and visit at a less popular time (if that exists) or make a reservation?  Absolutely, without hesitation.