Lombok

Time Out says

Tue Jul 31 2012

Herne Hill residents are constantly complaining about the (surprising) paucity of good restaurants in their postcode. Perhaps they just take Lombok for granted; after all, it’s been churning out the same superb South-east Asian staples for years. Friendly, family-run and low-key in design – the small room of cloth-covered tables is still dominated by an old-school dark wood bar – the place is always packed on a Friday and Saturday night. The menu covers classic dishes from across the region, taking in Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand… The Singapore chilli crab was singularly impressive, if messy to eat: a whole crustacean served with an explosion of crispy noodles and a thick, sweet sauce of ginger, onion and spices. Thai green curry is no namby-pamby creamy-coconut dish, it really packs a punch. Waiters will steer those less in love with chilli towards milder dishes such as the chef’s special, padang chicken – still a complex compilation of sweet, citrussy and spicy flavours. Starters were nice enough but overshadowed by the mains, though the house ice-creams and sorbets provided a refreshing end to the meal.