Paya

Paya — branded "Paya Oriental" on some local directory listings — is the Chinese-and-Thai takeaway on Gloucester Parade, the small shopping run that sits a few doors along Blackfen Road from the bigger Blackfen parade. The shop runs a collection-and-delivery operation rather than a sit-in dining room, and competes for the local Friday-and-Saturday trade against the long-established neighbours on the parade. Unusually for the area, the menu pulls in a Thai sideline alongside the standard British-Cantonese list — Thai green curry, pad Thai, satay skewers — which gives it a sharper identity than the typical Blackfen-area Chinese shop.

The Chinese side runs sweet-and-sour chicken or pork in batter, beef in black bean, salt-and-pepper ribs and chicken wings, special chow mein, singapore fried rice, foo yung and a long curry section, with set meals priced for two, three and four. The Thai side adds tom yum soup, basil chicken, pad see ew and red curry. Combination meal deals at the household-sharing end of the menu are the routine weekend order; the shop runs through both its own collection counter and the main aggregator platforms with delivery across Blackfen, Lamorbey, Welling and Falconwood. Card and cash accepted; trade is largely evening.