The original branch of the Rasa chain is still going strong, serving the vegetarian dishes from Kerala with which it broke the anglicised curry-house mould in 1997. The hot-pink interior sees a roaring weekend trade, thanks to the great Indian cooking at very reasonable prices. Following snacks (not just poppadoms, but achappam and pappadavadai too) with pickles, you could have a masala dosa, but that hardly seems the point.
Enjoying Stoke Newington's restaurants is a bit like going on a culinary tour, without the bothersome leaving-the-country part. The original branch of the chain, Rasa serves the amazing south Indian food they built their reputation on. Itto's menu, meanwhile, covers the range of Asian food, from Thai to Japanese. Think we've missed a great restaurant in Stoke Newington? Let us know in the comment box below.