Nasreen Halim samples authentic Pakistani food in a popular kebab house that recently moved to Wood Green

Lahore has opened in The Mall Wood Green after building up a well-deserved reputation for authentic Pakistani cuisine at its other London restaurants.

As we approach Lahore, located on the upper level of the mall, it appeared very busy – mostly because there is a separate takeaway area at the front of the restaurant.

We were greeted immediately and shown to our seats and as we sat down with the buzz of the busy restaurant we were brought over various dips with some poppadoms, slightly thicker then any I have tried before but still crispy.

We had a mixture of a delightful onion salad, chilli dips and also mint sauce and mango puree.

By this stage our mouths are watering and looking forward to more.

We were then presented with starters to share a whole tikka platter, this included lamb chops, chicken tikka, masala fish and seekh kebabs – mince meat rolled into a sausage.

This all had a wonderful chargrilled taste. I have never eaten fish masala before and I am now a huge fan – the presentation was excellent, a real sizzling dish. It all tasted so good I didn’t want it to finish.

For mains we were served with chicken madras, and chicken jalfrezi, both served in traditional Pakistani stainless steel dishes.

At this point I was starting to feel pretty stuffed and overwhelmed by the effects of all the chilli peppers – although perfectly pleasant, it’s best to bear this in mind if ordering the madras – one of Pakistan’s spiciest dishes. The mains came with pilau rice and the best garlic naan you will taste in Britain.

This was all washed down with loads of water and a dreamy mango milkshake. For those wanting an alcoholic drink, it’s worth taking note that the venue is halal with strictly no alcohol served.

For dessert we enjoyed the Pakistani ice cream lollies, which were lusciously creamy and came in flavours like mango.

All the staff were on their toes running around the very busy restaurant and while we were there they were setting up for a wedding party – proving they are capable of accommodating all dining requirements.

Lahore restaurants are infamous for their standard and quality of service and food.

In fact, all the food is prepared in an open kitchen and all dishes are freshly prepared.

Lahore can also count a few celebrities among its clients. Most recently the Wood Green branch played host to cricket player Michael Holding.