A wistful dream come true

It is hard to believe that Chowki is not just a product of some wistful daydream. This new restaurant, within earshot of Piccadilly Circus, has starters priced between £1.95 and £3.50, and mains between £4.95 and £7.95. It's a modern place with a slick bar and friendly service. And the food? It's great - authentic, regional, home-style Indian cooking, well spiced, with good pronounced flavours.

Each month the menu majors on three regions of India and offers three or four authentic dishes from each. During July, the food comes from Kashmir, Chettinad and Lucknow. Chowki is the brainchild of Kuldeep Singh, the man behind Mela, the award-winning Indian on Shaftesbury Avenue.

Chowki is a very honest, very good-value place. Stand-out dishes from the starters on the current menu are the Chettinad mussels - spicy, with black pepper, garlic and lemon grass; the kabargah from Kashmir - two lamb chops, marinated before being cooked on a griddle; or from Lucknow there is a new take on chicken tikka, all yoghurt creamy smoothness. Main courses come with a dal and the appropriate rice or bread. From Chettinad, the Nilgiri chicken is a winner - green with coriander and mint. From Lucknow, the classic lamb on the bone. From Kashmir, a splendid vegetable dish made with colocassia (a kind of yam). Ordering the 'regional feast' (£9.95) brings all dishes from that region, so take two friends and you'll get to try the whole of this month's menu! n