Etles Uyghur Restaurant

Etles Uyghur Restaurant on Hoe Street is one of the most celebrated and distinctive restaurants in Walthamstow -- the first Uyghur restaurant to open in London (2017) and, according to Time Out, still "the best place in the capital to grab authentic food from China's Xinjiang province, home to the Uyghur Turkic Muslim community." Run by husband and wife duo Ablikim Rahman and Mukaddes Yadikar, Time Out describes it as "an unassuming place that serves dishes made with love and steeped in tradition," offering "massive, comforting bowls of spicy chicken stew with broad noodles and similarly hearty portions of tender lamb kebab."

Uyghur cuisine sits at the crossroads of Central Asia, the Middle East and China -- the result of the Silk Road cultures that shaped the Xinjiang region. Signature dishes include ganbian chaomian (thick, chewy hand-pulled noodles with veal and sesame), lamb samsa (baked samosa-style pastries), kidney kebabs seasoned with chilli flakes, and Etken chai (traditional Uyghur tea boiled with milk and salt). The menu also features a range of offal dishes for the adventurous. BYOB (bring your own wine or beer from the off-licence opposite -- no corkage). Halal throughout. Open Tuesday to Sunday, noon to 9:30pm; closed Monday. Website: etleswalthamstow.com.