Asher's Africana

Get to Asher’s Africana at 1pm and don’t be surprised if you find a few people outside waiting for the shutters to open. The humming, cash-only vegetarian Gujarati spot in Wembley has a warm, laid-back, canteen-ish feel to it that’s only heightened by groups of friends, old and young, with their eyes fixed on ludicrously thin rotis and ears open to whatever tea is being spilled. Never the excellent chai, incidentally. 

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

There are a few choices to make but going with a thali is a safe bet. The Gujarati special includes five ghee-smothered roti, a choice of two vegetable curries, samosas, lassi, and yoghurt. The bread is notably wonderful—thin, chewy, and a perfect vehicle for what curry you choose—and a tear with a scoop of soft, melting potato and aubergine curry makes for a perfect bite. The curries change not just daily, but hourly, depending on the mood of the hectic kitchen. It’s worth having a chat if you’re after something on the spicier side, or something that’s straight nourishing. Asher’s Africana is very good at both.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch