Lads it’s Gokyuzu

Another Tehrani sandwich shop called Caspian (the other is in Ealing), this takeaway specialises in Iranian pizza and subs. Skip the pizzas and stick to exceptional sandwiches full of delicious wobbly things like livers, tongue, beef salami, and brains.

Bar Mayfair, no area has such a concentration of Japanese restaurants as Finchley (which is where many of the community live). Izakaya is not an izakaya exactly but one of the best spots for sashimi, yakitori, and katsu kari. A good all rounder.

A mix of Greek Cypriot owners and Ashkenazi Jewish traditions have kept this small cafe alive for the past couple decades, quietly serving some of the best salt beef in the city. Get a mix of salt beef and tongue, and don’t forget to order a latke on the side to untraditionally insert inside it. 

Just about the best falafel in London, so herby the insides look like emeralds, with hot crusts that crack on teeth. Don’t miss the sabich as hefty as cannon balls, fluffy pitta soaking up freshly fried aubergine, hard boiled eggs, hummus, chilli sauce, mango pickle, and chips. Vegetarian only, except for when the Sabbo boys cook their Moroccan grandmothers fish recipes on weekends.

Recently taken over by fish wholesaler Atariya, Cafe Japan is now an open secret among London’s sushi obsessives as one of the best in the game (Andy Hayler even giving it that coveted 14/20 rating). Try to sit at the counter and get omakase for a parade of thoughtfully prepared sushi of the chef’s choosing.

In the former Local Friends location, Sun of China is carrying on the Golders Green Hunan tradition, saving one side of its menu for slowly braised Chairman Mao’s pork with buttery fat, or dry wok dishes of brisket, tripe and tongue. 

Tucked inside the Cricklewood Wing Yip, Reindeer Cafe is a very Hong Kong daipaidong, of the type that is dying out in Chinatown. Many dishes exceed what is available in Soho, particularly the clarity of an excellent wonton soup, bobbing with fat prawn-sweet dumplings. It’s also a chance to grab some of the more unfashionable HK dishes, like cha chaan teng-style macaroni breakfasts with ham or sausage, or the simple textural pleasure of a bowl of curry soup filled with fish balls, pork rinds and turnip.