Saffron Street, ilford

Saffron Street, ilford (££)

So often we throw around terms like “hidden gem” and "underrated,"  and often, despite our best intentions, we’re so wrong. It’s hard to define what actually is a hidden gem or what’s underrated, but when the most popular Tik Tok ‘only’ has 8k views, I count it as pretty hidden. Meet my hidden gem: Saffron Street is an Indo-Chinese fusion restaurant with three locations: Gant’s Hill, Leicester, and Blackburn.

While I still classify this as a bit of a hidden gem to many, it is not to locals. This spacious restaurant often has queues out the door, with views of packed tables, generous platters, and modern decor through their large glass windows. We luckily booked in advance, which meant that at our allocated time, we got first dibs on the next available table. The menu, while not massive, is still nicely broad, with clear street food influences and origins.

After ordering some quite (and maybe, too) sweet mocktails, we decided on our food. Unsure where to start on the menu, we decided on the well-priced thalis (sharing platters). The two platters we decided on were the Chandni Chowk to China and the Lucknowi Darkaari, one Indo-Chinese and one more traditional Indian. While these two platters were more than enough, we also ordered Samosa Chaat. No regrets.

First up came the samosa chaat, crispy and spicy samosa’s, topped with sweet and tangy chutney, soft yoghurt, and a crispy garnish. A great balance between sweet and spicy, crisp textures and soft, the chaat is an absolute favourite and dangerously moreish. The Chandni Chowk to China features Saffron Street’s famous ‘floating fork’, a floating fork full of vegetable chow mein. Also on the platter were spring rolls, chilli paneer, Kolkata chicken, dhamaka prawns, chicken lollipops, lamb bao bun, fried rice, prawn crackers, and gulab jamun (every platter comes with a sweet treat!).

Where to start? As it sounds, the platters do come with a lot of food, serving two people generously. The chow mein was well seasoned, although it could have benefited from a few more vegetables! The spring rolls, slightly small but crispy and full of flavour, similarly gave a punch of flavour to the chilli paneer. Soft inside but crispy on the outside with a sticky sauce, the paneer was excellent and one of the highlights of the platter. The Kolkata chicken was cooked well, and whilst it didn’t exactly hold its own against some of the other dishes on the platter, it wasn’t bad to any extent. The lollipop chicken was similarly great—crispy, full of flavour—a theme you’ll see throughout. Perhaps the best dish on the platter, however, were the dhamaka prawns. Crispy prawns, cooked perfectly, in a wonderfully spicy and tangy mayonnaise-based sauce.

Also delivered was the other platter, the Lucknowi Darkaari. This more classically Indian platter came with: mini Samoas, lamb chops, sholay wings, lamb rogan josh, butter chicken, chicken biryani, naans, far far, and kheer. Looking at my favourites first, the lamb chops. The chops were cooked to a perfect char, but still soft and not overcooked inside. Nicely seasoned, the lamb chops were large, succulent, and garnished nicely. The lamb rogan josh, garnished with a chilli, had a great heat to it without being overly spicy. Full of succulent chunks of lamb, its sauce was perfect for dipping naan into. Equally crispy were the sholay wings, again not too spicy but full of flavour; the mini Samoas were also texturally excellent and full of flavour. The butter chicken, a deep golden brown that is often seen as vibrant yellow, had a rich flavour and was seasoned excellently with soft and moist chicken chunks. The rice and naan were excellent, as you’d expect, and perfect for mopping up excess sauce. Interesting were the far-fetched potato starch crisps. Not so flavourful, they were fun and different.

As mentioned, each platter comes with a little 'sweet treat’, a thali seen as a balanced meal more than a platter, hence the savoury to sweet. The gulab jamun was excellent, sweet, and a perfect way to finish the meal. Equally, the kheer was rich, spiced perfectly, and had us fighting over the last spoonfuls.

So, yes. Lots of food. Overall, as you’ve likely read, the flavours were powerful, and the dishes cooked all as you’d expect. The mocktails, while pretty, were quite sweet, and I’m not sure I’d get one again. The service was friendly but somewhat laid-back, so not one if you’re in a particular hurry. All being said, for me, Saffron Street is a little hidden gem, excellent food at great prices, and perfect if you’re a fan of sharing dishes and having a little bit of everything.