The London Sizzler
6690 Southwest Freeway
3 out of 3 faces
As a pregnant woman who is basically always hungry and pretty much always craving
some type of food (this is a condition I was struck with long before the pregnancy,
but it makes for a convenient excuse), the London Sizzler is a dream come true. I’ve
eaten there a number of times now, and I’ve never been disappointed. I get a ton
of food and my taste buds can dance back and forth between sweet and savory.
The Sizzler is in a strip mall at the intersection of 59 and Hillcroft (in the same
center as Himalaya). It plays up the “London” aspect of its name in its décor, which
is a cross between a strip-mall restaurant and a British pub—it has a faux red telephone
booth inside, a pubby bar, and some good beers (Boddingtons! Stella! Go so beautifully
with curry and heat!) on draft. It’s also got a bunch of big tv screens, perfect
for watching some football while soaking up some curry.
My favorite thing on the menu is actually not really on the menu—it is a pistachio-crusted
naan (street name: Peshawari naan), and is like dinner and dessert in one. The
other thing I love that I’ve only had when it’s on the specials menu is something
called “Handi chicken”—if you see it, get it; you won’t be disappointed. Any of
the curries I’ve ever ordered (korma, vindaloo, madras, butter) were excellent and
spiced to order---beware; if you order something spicy, it is spicy as all hell.
They are not f-ing around, even for Houstonians, who aren’t afraid of a little heat.
A friend ordered the Pili Pili (which is described as being “extra spicy”) and was
weeping throughout his meal (he finished it so as not to lose face in front of the
waiter). They are known for their “sizzlers,” which I sampled last time. The “mixed
grill” gave us a bit of everything, and the chicken wings were by far the winners;
I would order them by themselves next time. I also recommend the dal fry, the samosas,
the goat curry, and the chicken biryani. Order a side of raita, you’ll need it to
combat the heat. The only thing I’ve ever had here that I haven’t particularly liked
were the Chili Manchurian, vegetable dumplings that were just kind of a waste of
my time. I would have rather gotten more pistachio naan! The staff is always very
helpful in letting you know just what you’re ordering, and whether or not you’ll
have enough of it. And the beauty is that you can always just order more if need
be. The Sizzler gets five sizzling faces.
– Catie
