Express Masala

Express Masala occupies a unit on Thames Road, a commercial strip on the western edge of the Creekmouth industrial area. The menu mixes Indian curry-house staples with fish-and-chip staples — an unusual pairing that reflects the practical, catch-all character of takeaways serving mixed industrial and residential communities. Curries run from mild korma and tikka masala through to hotter baltis and jalfrezie; the fish side covers battered cod, haddock and chips. The combination means regulars can collect both an Indian main and a side of chips in a single stop. Thames Road lies between Barking's town centre and the industrial estates of Creekmouth, and Express Masala serves both the workers using the road and the residents of the surrounding terraces. A workaday spot without pretension.