Masala Wala Cafe

"Masala Wala opened in 2015 with just five tables and has since grown into a Brockley institution. It was founded by Saima Thompson and her mother Nabeela Muqadiss with the aim of showing off Nabeela’s Pakistani home cooking. The small menu changes each month, featuring four homestyle curries, roti, basmati rice, and salads — everything feels light and fresh with distinct flavours. Do not miss Saima’s auntie’s hot carrot pickle if it’s on the menu — deftly spiced with sour and spicy notes which make it impossible not to eat by the spoonful." - Helen Graves

"Established by mother-daughter duo Nabeela Muqadiss and Saima Thompson in 2015, Masala Wala Café serves home-style Punjabi cooking with a focus on seasonality and simplicity. The menu, which changes changes every month, spotlights vegan and vegetarian dishes (in addition to a lamb and chicken dish) such as kuddu channa (pumpkin and chickpeas cooked with cumin), saag shakurkundi (spinach and sweet potato), and gobi ki sabzi (cauliflower, sweetcorn, and kale cooked with mustard seeds). The claim of home-cooked food is a misnomer in many food establishments but not here. The dining experience at Masala Wala mirrors the warm hospitality one might receive when turning up at a Pakistani household unannounced. The hearty fare is best washed down with the bespoke Pakistani Pale Ale prepared by Brockley Brewery." - Rida Bilgrami