Switching between regional, British and Chinese Indian in different sections of the menu, this popular Indian restaurant in Harrow Weald has something for everyone. The Desi-Chinese food is done well here, from a crispy lamb as satisfyingly sweet and glossy as any Chinese takeaway, to hakka noodles, chilli garlic chips of mogo and the ubiquitous chilli paneer.

The name is deceptive, serving neither plaice nor (the small bird) poussin, and this Kenyan-Gujarati restaurant in Queensbury has recently switched its entire menu to veg, with a particular specialisation in that beloved Kenyan-Gujarati snack: chips. The whole world is represented here in fried potato and cassava, from Kenya — chips with a buttery poussin chilli sauce — to India — Masala chips — China — Szechuan chips — and Wales — cheesy chips.

Outside the constituency boundaries by a few metres, this iconic Desi-pub in Queensbury is pitched somewhere between Gymkhana and a big Indian Spoons, without the dismal politics. The draw here is extremely obvious: it’s a pub that does good Indian food, where those who like beer and those who like mixed grills, and those who like mixed grills while drinking beer can meet in one big Venn diagram.

Bigger and busier than Mazar, Masa is usually only at a third capacity until it opens up for huge Afghan weddings. Mantoo here are decent versions of the never-spelled-the-same-way, pan-central Asian dumplings; but better are aashak filled with chopped leeks and topped with yoghurt and chilli oil. The true test is the simple bara, a lamb kebab, which Masa passes with flying colours, interspersing well grilled lean meat with crispy parcels of fat.

Ostensibly a mithai shop that has undergone the well travelled migration route of Gujarat to Kampala to London, the vegetarian restaurant of the same name connected to it is also one of London’s best Gujarati hang outs. Snack on fried dishes of samosas and kachoris as well as simple but well executed homely staples like toor dal. It also does its own take on a quesadilla on the menu as a ‘quasidilla’, which may or may not be an extremely good joke and is probably trademark-worthy.

On the lower half of Kenton Road, this Afghan restaurant has quickly established itself as one of the best places in the area for grills and karahis. Depending on how big the canvassing group it’s possible to pre-order a mixed grill (3-4), a lamb shoulder (5-6), a lamb leg (6-7) or the whole beast. (15+).