The Shahi Nan Kabab – Southall

THIS RESTAURANT HAS SINCE CLOSED DOWN!

The famous Shahi Na[a]n Kabab – so famous, in fact, that it has five branches alone in Southall (three of which are literally within a brisk 30 sec walk of each other).

Can’t figure out the logic in that; but given that they’ve survived up till now, they must be doing something right. In any case, decor and aesthetics isn’t exactly their strong suit, which is putting it mildly.

We also reckon the cutlery being used might be from a bygone era too, which makes this place uniquely distinct, though not necessarily in a good sense. Despite all this, the place obviously works as it continues to do what it’s meant to: serve up those iconic kababs.

So what’s all the fuss about? Well, tighten your chuddies and head on over to experience the best chilli sauce you’re ever likely to have. Yup; you heard us: CHILLI SAUCE. We can’t think of a more addictive one.

Having said that though, we do distinctly remember the sauce being thicker, i.e. not as watery, and chillier, from back in the day.

Similarly, there’s an issue with the length of the kebabs too, as we recall them being longer than they are now. This watering-down of their signature sauce, and the shrinking of their kababs, are all the hallmarks of what Pakistanis would dub as kanjoosi, or stinginess. And yet, having said all that, the entire thing, when had fresh off the grill there and then, still tasted so darn good!

Large Shahi nan kebab in fresh naan with extra chilli sauce and garlic sauce.

The tandoor naan and kabab was brought alive, of course, by that sauce. It’s really hot; so if you can’t take your chilli, you might want to add some garlic sauce to dampen things down.

And always go for the tandoor naans (above), not the others. Oh and tell them to add extra sauce if you’re nasally congested. But be warned, you will suffer the consequences later on during the day (though it’s entirely worth it).

The rest of the menu pales in significance really. Old rice that’ll be reheated, and chicken curry with more oil than curry.

It’s one of the best naan kababs in the business, with the menu being value for money. It’s also a great lunch time snack; and its legendary status will keep it going for generations to come (we hope).