Best-Value Restaurants in South East London: Cheap, But Not Cheap Eats - Eater London
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single Londoner in possession of a tenner must be in want of a restaurant somewhere on a pedestrianised section of an A road. Before it becomes a dual carriageway, the Lewisham section A20 is home to one of south-east London’s certified gems in Everest Curry King — a Tamil canteen where curries are arrayed behind glass and heated up, authentically, in the microwave to order. The best thing to do is get a selection (four vegetable or a meat/fish and two vegetable) and choose between skilfully spiced pumpkin, okra, and beetroot curries or comforting yellow daal. The highest compliment to give the kingfish curry is that it tastes completely homestyle, without any showboating, but the best of vegetarian options is an outstanding aubergine and chickpea number: the aubergine cooked beyond the point of Maillard reaction until it has the bitter chew of licorice with skin the texture of Japanese lacquerware. Outside of this, the kothu puttu rotis are a highlight, made to order (listen out for the machete clanking in the back), and uplifted by the heat and crunch of raw chilli and onion, while the highlights of the snacks is a bulging, breaded cutlet of mashed fish, pregnant with a whole boiled egg." - Jonathan Nunn
