Saffron Street Ilford

Was craving some chaat. I’ve been to their other restaurant - Saffron Kitchen many times and I’ve always loved the chaat platter there. Since I was in the Gants Hill area however and didn’t fancy the drive to Leyton, we decided to come here instead because they do the same platter. I’ve been here several times too over the years, and whilst the food has always been consistently decent, it’s definitely never been anything to remember - just more of a nice convenient place if I’m in the area and can’t think of anywhere else to go. Anyway, I hoped the chaat platter would be just like Saffron Kitchen’s, unfortunately, it wasn’t - all the chaats were far too sweet, and the gol gappe were filled almost entirely with yogurt, which none of us enjoyed. The mains were better - nothing wow as usual, but decent with nice balanced flavours and decent portions. The Indian dishes were definitely better than the Chinese fusion options though. That said, the restaurant itself is very aesthetic, and we were seated quickly with great service throughout. The food presentation is always on point, with a bit of added theatricals for the gram if you’re into that kind of thing.