If you know, you know Hounslow
Tucked inside a rundown west London shopping centre lies a food court serving Pakistani grills, Mumbai vada pavs, Uzbek plov and much more
Now that more or less everything about the London dining scene is documented — and often wildly overhyped — on social media, it’s rare to stumble upon a restaurant or food stall with no prior knowledge. I often find myself missing the days when I could go somewhere without the image of an influencer’s theatrical cheese pull already imprinted on my mind or having to parse 49 wildly differing online reviews before deciding to make a reservation.
Related content
My algorithm is mainly focused on food in and around London and tends to do a pretty decent job, so I’m not sure how I managed to remain completely unaware of the gem in the rough that is Hounslow Market. After navigating my way through the desolate Treaty Shopping Centre — a mall with an eerie 1980s vibe, flanked by a shuttered branch of Wilko and filled with an alarming amount of empty retail units — I made it to the other side. There I found a covered food hall in which the various cuisines of South Asia are represented in microcosm.
Stalls serving Mumbai vada pavs, Gujrati batata vadas, Amritsari fish fry, Pakistani nihari and desi nashta (Indian breakfast) sit alongside others dishing up Nepalese momos, Afghan mantu and variants of chai from masala to karak and doodh pati. But that’s not all. You can also find Uzbek plov, a Syrian stall selling grilled sea bass for £6 and one stand, simply named Iraqi Food, serving up large portions of lamb neck, okra stew and grilled meats at very reasonable prices.
Specialising in the richly spiced Punjabi cuisine of Amritsar, Delicious Foodiez lives up to its name with a wide range of dishes, all made with great care and intention. The menu includes fish fry, chicken 65, thalis and great-value meal deals under £12.99, which comprise chana, fish fry, a curry of your choice, rice, salad, roti and a drink. My chicken curry was perfect, with an aromatic sauce that begged to be mopped up with a roti almost as good as my mother-in-law’s.
Ziyafat Mahal, meanwhile, showcases Afghan and Uzbek food. I paid my visit during Ramadan, so was lucky enough to take advantage of a £10 iftar menu, which included onion bhaji, a vegetable soup, grilled chicken and kabuli pulao with lamb. The cubed and skewered chicken was the standout item for me — succulent breast meat, marinated in paprika, coriander, cumin, yoghurt and lemon — was cooked to a subtle barbequed smokiness and served with a spicy green chilli chutney. The potato bolani (£2) is also well worth ordering as a starter or to enjoy with chai.
Specialising in Pakistani grills, La Jawaab is somewhere I will return to again and again. The mixed grill platter is a steal at £8.99, including a lamb chop, grilled chicken, a sheesh kebab, biryani, salad, mint and chilli sauces, plus a bottle of water. The meats were uniformly excellent, with no weakest link. Each component was executed perfectly: juicy, rich in flavour and beautifully charred. The addition of the biryani levels up the meal in a way that steamed white rice never could. Even the salad was way better than the sad afterthoughts often encountered at South Asian restaurants in the UK. Finish off with Pakistani chai, spiced only with cardamom, and you’ll have just had one of the best-value meals available in the capital.
Of course, it wouldn’t be London without fried chicken making an appearance. WIth hundreds of sit-down restaurants and takeaways offering their versions across the city, standing out is no easy feat. Hot Bird, however, has built a loyal local following thanks to its Nashville chicken dipped in chilli oil, dusted with a secret spice blend and served in a Martin’s potato roll slathered in house special sauce (£6.49). For me the amount of sauce overwhelmed what would otherwise have been a great sandwich, but that can easily be rectified and the waffle fries (£3.49) made for a delicious, crispy, carby side.
If you’re after a quick snack, Chaat House has you covered with samosas (3 for £1), batata vada, mango lassi and many varieties of its titular chaat. Every imaginable combination of fresh fruit juice is available at George & the Juice, with a hefty combo drink costing under £5, even in this economy. For those with a separate dessert stomach, Urban Sugar Lab offers home-made sweet treats including a variety of milk cakes, the signature chocolate mud cake (both £4) and cheesecake cups at £3.
That Hounslow Market has escaped my attention until now makes me feel like I’ve been living under a rock. Now that I have discovered it, I’m overjoyed to have a place offering such a wide range of excellent food that I can keep returning to. I’m yet to try the £6 sea bass or visit for a weekend desi nashta but, as this venue’s newest fan, you can be sure that I will.
