Eastern promise

The A12 (aka the Eastern Avenue) is a racetrack with rules so arcane that unless you were born and bred in Ilford you will never get a sniff of the podium champagne. The dual carriageway punches its way from the Blackwall Tunnel up towards Essex and would be a simple drive were it not for the invention of the speed camera.

Their proliferation has meant that high-powered cars driven by knowledgeable locals weave in and out of the traffic at impressively high speeds before slamming on the brakes to pootle past the speed cameras.

By Newbury Park the traffic is thundering as it passes one of those huge, old, ugly, brick-built pubs called The Avenue. But this is a pub with a difference as, in 1998, one wing of the boozer was turned into a restaurant called Masala 910, and it is now something of a local favourite.

The old-fashioned decor - busy wallpaper, patterned carpet, plenty of ornaments - is perfectly at home in a tall and well-proportioned room that must once have been either a lounge bar or a function room.

The food is authentically Punjabi, so you can expect rich dishes and a fairly liberal hand with the spices. Vegetarian starters range from mogo chips (cassava crisps) to samosas and chilli paneer.

The non-veg range is dominated by good dishes from the tandoor or grill. Jeera chicken comes on the bone, and while a little bit light on the cumin, it's tender, freshly cooked and served on a sizzle dish. Tandoori lamb chops are heavily spiced.

The sheek kebabs are very good and well spiced. Masala fish is also a must-have - large chunks, pearly, large-flaked fish inside with a spicy exterior. Order a bread with the starters - the methi wali roti is particularly good, a fresh baked roti with a fenugreek stuffing.

When you have decided on the starters it is time to consider the rest of the lengthy menu, on which you are faced with around 70 further options. There are a few old favourites, such as chicken tikka masala, kurma and bhuna for fans of the trad highstreet curry, but the Punjabi dishes are much more fun.

Try butter chicken Jaipur. This dish is a firm favourite at weddings in Delhi, as it is suitably extravagant due to the addition of large amounts of butter. Some pundits suggest that butter chicken is the forefather of chicken tikka masala. At Masala 910 this dish is done well, the spices have been cooked out properly and the flavours are well balanced and rounded.

Methi gosht (lamb with fenugreek) is also good. Or how about egg bhurji - a mix of spiced scrambled eggs and onions? The veg dishes are successful, too - masala wadi bhindi (okra) in particular, and sabse mahan de dall ( wellseasoned urid lentils). It may also be worthwhile trying some of the chef's specials - lamb sharabi is described as "tender lamb marinated with whisky", or perhaps malaidar murgh, "chicken marinated in cream"?