Zamana: The Best Pakistani Resturant in East London ?

Restaurant: Zamana

Address: 36 Woodford Ave, Gants Hill, Ilford IG2 6XQ

Fun Fact: Zamana means “time, period, duration; season; a long time; an age; (in grammar) tense;—the world; the heavens; fortune, destiny.” It’s also used in the phrase zamāna dekhnā, which means “to see the world” or “to gain experience.”

Last month, some family friends hosted a graduation dinner, and they chose Zamana as the restaurant. Let me just say, it did notdisappoint. In fact, I’m going to boldly claim that this is hands down the best Pakistani restaurant I’ve ever been to.

Now, being South Asian, I usually skip out on these types of places because, well... why go out for food when you can make it at home—and dare I say, way better? 😂 But since we were a pretty big group, the food was already pre-ordered for us, so I didn’t have to make any decisions.

Here’s what we got:

Starters:

• Channa Chaat

• Lahori Fish

• Lamb Seekh Kebab

• Chicken Malai Tikka

Mains:

• Lahori Lamb Karahi

• Butter Chicken

• Bhindi Do Pyaza (Okra)

• Tandoori Naan

Let me tell you: this meal was perfect. The flavors were so rich and layered, but it also had this little street food twist. I’m not exactly sure what gave it that vibe, but you could definitely taste it. The balance was amazing—without losing that authentic Pakistani flavor we all know and love.

The meats? Insanely tender and juicy. The curries? To die for (literally). What really blew me away was that the curries were full of flavor but not heavy—no heartburn like I usually get with most Pakistani curries. And here’s the kicker: my absolute favorite dish was the okra curry. Yes, you heard that right. I actually liked the okra curry, and if you know me, you know I never go for okra. 😂

Sadly, I was so busy organizing, socializing, and—let’s be honest—eating 😜 that I forgot to snap any pictures of the food. But I did manage to snag one from the restaurant’s TikTok page.

Trust me, you’ve got to try it. Now, run and don't walk!😂