Lombok

Loved by locals, this corner of South-east Asia in south-east London is a consistently safe bet for spice fans, and does well to accommodate cosy dinners and noisy parties alike. Lombok is a family affair behind the counter too - we interrupted a homework session when we arrived early evening. The furnishings strike a happy balance between authentic and elegant, with wood-panelled walls, linen napkins and a few arty trinkets. Service was attentive, if not quite cheerful, and the small space makes for an intimate time with fellow diners.

Thai, Malay, Vietnamese and Burmese dishes are all well represented on the menu, which is impressively inexpensive and varied. A plateful of vegetable tempura was tasty, though the carrots, pumpkin and green beans inside were slightly underdone. Thai red curry was fragrant and wonderfully spiced, but let down by gristly chicken pieces. A surer hit is the singapore chilli crab, which comes whole in a lake of sweet, fiery sauce with crispy noodles. Cracking our way through it was messy, but well worth the effort.