Gifto's - Southall

Before I met Sue I had perhaps been to Southall 10 times in total. It was almost an object of fascination to be in an environment full of Asian people. You can tell I’ve led a sheltered life. Sue would also take me to her local Tesco where almost for the first time I saw many Indian couples behaving as most couples do - ie. actually talking to each other.

But back to Southall. Sue liked to see another world as I did, and to take a look at clothes, materials, Bollywood DVDs and CDs, and to pick up important herbs and spices; last and not least to buy some forbidden Indian sweets. In truth, the sweets available in Punjabi Southall were better than in Bangladeshi Brick Lane despite my parents proclaiming that Bengalis made the best Indian sweets.

Our trips to Southall invariably coincided with mealtimes and one weekend afternoon we stepped into Gifto's on spec.  Inside it’s rather basic, a bit like an American diner, simply furnished with long tables in the middle and booths seating 4-6 people along one side. Along the other side there is the kitchen with the chefs visibly sweating behind a glass partition. Chefs could be seen working at the grill or the tandoori ovens. We’re generally greeted quickly by one of the waiting staff and assigned to a table. On perhaps 5-6 visits we’ve never had to wait more than 5-10 minutes despite the restaurant being full.

A quick scan of the restaurant shows that Sue is usually the only white person in the room. I have on occasion seen other white people but usually as part of an Asian group. Diners are local couples with young children and buggies and larger families comprising three generations.  The language of the restaurant is not English but Hindi / Urdu. It would be surprising if many had traveled 25 minutes by car as we do.

Generally we’ve not been too adventurous ordering off the menu which is more extensive than the average curry house. Sue’s favourites are the pani puri as a starter (although we have had to return the wafers for being too thin and crumbly).  Mine is the lamb sheesh kebab, and for mains saag paneer and chicken tikka masala (yes, I am predictable).  On one occasion we’ve splashed out on king prawn tandoori. Together with naan and rice those dishes are plentiful for 2 people and we’ve often had to take home a doggy bag. The freshly made juices and lassis are invariably good.  We don’t usually have any desserts as we pass numerous sweet shops on the walk back to our car.

The food is a cut above the average curry house. Gifto's is a safe choice for locals wanting good quality North Indian / Pakistani halal food without the presence of alcohol. Our food has been well-spiced and cooked and I would have no hesitation in recommending it. The downsides are the lack of alcohol, although I understand there would be no objection to bringing one’s own, and the service, which while eager lacks professionalism. In addition, the food may be spicier than than requested - despite asking the food to be 'mild', Sue often ended up struggling with the overall heat of the food. Our total bill for 2 people excluding service has not exceeded £30-35, and Gifto's represents very good value for money.