We’ve got used to going to the sprawling Dishoom for our spice fix and as a result, it’s been years since we darkened the door of JQ stalwart, Lasan. Big mistake.

Tucked around the corner from the RBSA gallery, Lasan is as gorgeous as we remember. Big mirrors, banquet seating and dreamy lighting make for a chic comfortable brasserie vibe.

The food is the main event and right up our street. We shared a platter to start which we highly recommend. It included morsels of deliciousness like clay oven chicken – succulent and nicely spiced along with perfectly cooked cubes of mahi salmon; meaty, charred sarson prawn and tender chunks of Bihari beef kebab that melted in the mouth. An accompanying zingy salad with punchy pickled cucumber worked a treat as did the duo of chutney – mint and red pepper. There’s a veggie version too which looks awesome.

At our indecisive best, everything about the menu appealed so we were happy to be led by our waiter. He made some great choices. Sikandari lamb shank was marinated in Kashmiri spices then slow roasted and shredded. Tender and smoky, the lamb was served with a brilliant dhal makhani and fresh raita. It was a hefty dish given we’d just devoured a platter and we probably could have shared, but it was seriously good. Methi chicken was pan fried served on a moreish bhuna with spinach and fenugreek – a complex warming sauce that we found best mopped up with a perfect naan.

Not something we’d normally order, we then threw in a curve ball with Gobi Angari – tandoor roasted cauliflower sauteed with nigella scented onion masala and can confirm never has a vegetable tasted so brilliant.

The food isn’t too hot – it’s more complex than that in a wonderfully warming way. We won’t be ditching Dishoom as we’re suckers for the black daal, but we will be eating at Lasan a heck of a lot more. There’s room in our life for both. Go.