East Ham- the Indian Foodie Haven

As an Indian, and that too from south India, I have been longing for some good Indian food (especially south Indian food).  I had heard about East Ham and how it is like a melting pot of people from south Asia. It is said that it resembles a 'little India' in London with all the sounds, tastes and colours of India. I was very curious about it and finally managed to go to East Ham for a trip in the winter break with my friends. So here is an account of my impressions of East Ham and it's dishes.

Reaching East Ham and First Impressions

We reached East Ham station which is on the District Line of the London Underground by around 1:30 pm and just in time to have lunch. East Ham is well connected -

As soon as I reached there and started to soak in the vibe, it felt that I had transported my self to a typical Indian market with the 'bustle' and 'hustle' associated with it. Instantly, it made me feel at home.

Thattukada: Kerala Cuisine

We first zeroed in on 'Thattukada' (which means a small roadside stall or shack), a small restaurant specializing in some good non-vegetarian food from Kerala, one of the southern states of India and my home state as well. It's location is - 

 We ordered Kerala Parotta (a type of flat bread) and Beef Fry combo, and Prawn Mango Curry paired with steamed rice. It was lip smacking with the buttery Kerala Parotta perfectly balancing the spicy Beef Fry and the tangy Prawn Mango Curry. 

Price: 13 GBP per person approximately

Next Stop: Saravana Bhavan

Since one of us was a vegetarian, we went to Saravana Bhavan, a famous South Indian vegetarian chain. It's location is - 

We ordered a classic Masala Dosa (made from fermented rice batter) which was crispy and golden with a generous filling of spiced potato.  It was accompanied by some coconut chutney and sambar (a type of lentil vegetable stew).  

Price: 12 GBP per person approximately

Final Destination for Dessert: Pooja Sweets

For dessert, we went to Pooja Sweets, a dessert shop specializing in Indian sweets like jalebi, ladoos, gulab jamun etc. It's location is - 

 We had Gulab Jamun with Rabri and some jalebis. We munched on the jalebis as we walked our way to the East Ham station. The jalebis were as we expected them to be - sticky, sweet, and slightly crispy.

Price: 6 GBP per person approximately

Final Thoughts

East Ham is a foodies' haven for anyone who loves Indian food. For students, this is a must visit place if your taste buds are missing the textures and flavours of Indian food. One should not expect the same level of freshness or taste of typical Indian home-cooked food but it is still worth it (reasonably affordable as long you share!). So, whether you’re craving south Indian dosas or north Indian sweets, East Ham with the bustle of a typical Indian street is the place for it!

Written by Geromic

Resident in Westminster Bridge