Ali Dine In

Ali Dine In is a small alley-width, inexpensive venue that serves – ironicly considering the name – mostly takeaway. The buffet is filled with numerous and rotating curries, stews, dahls and rice dishes.

Although Indian and Pakistani cusines share ingredients, Khan’s food is meatier, heartier and milder (in terms of the level of chilli-heat). He serves the famous Pakistani dish nihari, a meaty, fatty stew rich from being cooked with bone marrow. There’s also karahi, a curry-like stew of tomatoes, green chilli and meat prepared in a wok-like circular pot of the same name.

Each meal comes with bread, usually tandoor-baked flatbreads, and rice, such as biryani and pulao, which is made with boiled meat, the rice cooked in stock.

While buffets are often derided for not being fresh, that’s not an issue here because trade is busy and the bain-maries are emptied and refilled as often as a Friday afternoon beer jug.