Punjab

Punjab is a restaurant that has survived by evolving steadily. It moved to the present site in Neal Street in 1951, like the India Club, in order to be close to the Indian High Commission and all those clerical workers pining for a decent curry lunch.

The original Punjab was a café opened on Lehman Street by Gurbachan Singh Maan in 1945. Maan was a noted wrestler (a talent that came in handy, as his reputation alone was enough to quell fights among the customers) and he sold home-cooked Punjabi food to Lascar seamen from the nearby docks. Business boomed to such an extent that he made the move to Covent Garden and today the Punjab is run by his grandsons Sital and Resham Maan.

The Punjab is very much how you would expect a good curry house to be. There is silk wallpaper. You will see carved wood. Service is brisk. Prices are competitive. The menu is masterly. The food here is an astute combination of the familiar and the strange. The old-faithful dishes are here - you can have lamb Madras or chicken tikka masala, even tandoori chicken survives on the menu - in 1962 this was one of the first London restaurants to install a tandoor. At the Punjab they introduce a new dish about once every six or seven years. Since the 1970s, the big hits have been - in chronological order - chicken tikka masala; jalfrezi; acharri gosht (lamb with north Indian pickling spices); pudina gosht (lamb with mint); anari murgh (chicken with a sharp/ sweet pomegranate sauce); and garlic chicken. This year the chefs will be marking the 50th anniversary by creating another dish. As is always the case, this newcomer will be tried out on favoured regular customers for a month or two, and only if it meets with their approval will it earn a place on the main menu.

To dine well at the Punjab you should start with kadu and puri - which is a self-indulgent fried bread topped with a savoury dollop of pumpkin mush cooked Punjabi style. Or perhaps try the chicken chat - scraps of chicken in a tangy sauce.

For main course dishes try building a historical spectrum - the acharri gosht is a brown, savoury, spicy and rich lamb curry; the anari murgh is lighter and a good deal sharper and fruitier. The simple curries are very reliable: methi murga, or perhaps lamb jalfrezi, rich with ginger and capsicums. Do not expect the Punjab to set off any culinary fireworks, but you can count on well-made, straightforward curries and efficient, helpful service.

Punjab Indian Restaurant
Neal Street, London, WC2H 9PA