The wonder of Indian food has taken Britain by storm over the past two decades, to the point where it is a serious rival to other ethnic cuisines. Considering curry was originally created for the British in India this a slightly ironic twist to events, but it could explain why every self respecting town, and many villages now have their own Indian restaurant, and the phrase 'nipping down for an Indian' has taken on a significance that excites the taste buds like crazy.

So no surprise at all to find that South Woodford, historically part of Essex, and located where the North Circular Road starts some kind of uneasy relationship with the M11, hosts one of the best Indian restaurants since 1996, Bhangra Beat. The driving force behind it is Shamim Ahmed Khan, whose aim is to offer excellent food and value for money, if not exactly on the same plate at least in close relationship to each other. Shamim pioneered balti-style cooking in London with his Streatham restaurant of the same name back in 1993, since then he has pursued his passion for food with developing flavours and presenting specialties from various regions of the Indian sub-continent

The décor is a cool setting of gentle colours, with sparkling wooden floors, spotless table settings and gives an overall impression of solid comfort and creates the right mood. On Saturday nights live music and classic Bollywood songs from the 70s and 80s bring some of the best entertainment in London to the restaurant, giving a special lift without shifting the balance of pleasure from the table. Shamim has not been slow to recognise the take-away, and the quality of their meals to take home is superb in every detail. They offer free delivery to the following postcodes: E11, E18, IG4, IG5, IG7 and IG8.

The menu features delicious and unusual starters such as sabji kofta, spicy deep fried vegetable dumplings, and king prawn pepper fry cooked with butter and lots of black pepper. The selection of kebabs is enticing with lemon flavoured shelled king prawns leading the way followed by tandoori chicken, lamb, paneer and duck tikkas.

Curry lovers will find a whole new range of delicacies such as Bengal fish curry stewed in a lemon flavoured sauce; malabari lamb stir-fried with crushed chillies; Cochin chicken in a heavy mix of spices, tomato, mint and coriander; mint chicken, and a whole range of balti dishes. Vindaloo, korma and jalfrezi, well loved favourites, are also present alongside mango chicken, while the speciality would no doubt be the Rajasthan influenced lal jhal, which has chicken tikka with chopped ingredients and spices.

Lifelong carnivores may find that some of Bhangra's vegetarian dishes are worth more than passing consideration. The spicy, hot saag aloo relies on spinach and potatoes to create a distinct flavour while the sabji malai korma balti has an assortment of vegetables for a light and pleasing taste.

Reliability in any restaurant is a cardinal virtue, particularly where a cuisine other than one's own is concerned. The host of compliments received from both regular and new customers at Bhangra is a sure indication this has been achieved.

Find out more by a clicking on their straightforward Website.