Away from the booze-soaked balti houses of Brick Lane is this calm, reserved restaurant. Its authentic Pakistani flavours and elegant atmosphere make Bundu Khan worth a try.

The Venue
Bundu Khan looks like a misfit in this scruffy end of Commercial Road. While its surroundings look worn out, Bundu Khan is a gleaming piece of newness. Heavy glass doors, the sort you find at hotels, lead through to a clean, quiet, tiled restaurant filled with neatly laid tables covered in crisp white linen and origami-styled napkins.

Other bits and pieces around the restaurant include an ‘80s-style chandelier dangling over the staircase and back-lit sculptures hanging from the walls. Traditional music plays at a level which isn't intrusive, and the staff are just as discreet. In fact, if it weren't for the white vans thumping up and down Commercial Road you could almost trick yourself into believing Bundu Khan was a hotel restaurant in some far flung destination. And it's a world away from the Brick Lane curry houses where you're usually within armpit's distance of your fellow diners.

Downstairs, the hotel-like qualities of this place continue. At the bottom of the stairs it sweeps out into a much larger dining area where you half expect to see a man playing jazz on a shiny black piano. It's all very clean, the bar upstairs is shiny and even though they don't serve alcohol it's fully stocked with everything you need to make a mean mocktail. Toilets are downstairs (although there are disabled loos upstairs) and they're tiled, expansive and very well kept.

The Atmosphere
During the week this place struggles to fill up. But it's set up for families, couples and large groups. Given the size of the place, particularly the downstairs, it's conceivable this restaurant is hired out for celebrations. They don't serve booze though and although you're welcome to bring your own it's unlikely you'll see a group of vindaloo-hungry men bundling through those gleaming glass doors clutching their four-packs.

Staff are helpful, and if you show an interest in the origin of the dishes you'll be greeted with an enthusiastic response and given a mini-history of the dishes which bust a few myths about curries.

The Food
First up, the poppadoms. These aren't soggy, or too thin, they're just what you'd hope for. So are the condiments - finely sliced tomato and cucumber (minus the onion), marmalade-like mango chutney and something fairly hot which is similar to lime pickle. There's also an innocuous-looking green sauce. Don't wade into this without having a tiny amount first. It's the sort of sauce that kicks the back of your throat so hard you end up doing those weird coughs that make your eyes water and your nose flare. The bowl of yoghurt that comes with these sauces is enormous and once you've had a few dips in the green sauce you'll understand why.

For starters opt for a mixed grill to share, which costs £12.50. This includes the chicken tikka (individually £4.25) which has a nice barbecued spiced flavour and is served on the bone, so it's still moist. You also get the very rich lamb dish seekh kebab (£3.50), and then there's bihari boti kabab, cubes of beef which are rich with spices but still moist (£8.50). The tandoori chops (£8.50) are fine, but the standout here is the chicken. All the meats are nicely spiced without being overwhelming and each has an individual flavour, despite being served in the same dish. To go with all that meat there's a paratha (£2), a speciality of Bundu Khan. This flatbread is nothing like naan, so don't be surprised by the thin slice of flaky fried bread that turns up.

And so to the main course. Meat eaters are likely to be intrigued by the promise of the tender grass fed lamb in the rhogan josh. They will, therefore, ignore the daal, and it's their loss. Yes, for once, the vegetarians can say with conviction that they're enjoying their meal more than everyone else because the daal is sublime. Whilst the lamb johl fraizi (£8.50) here is delicious and as tender as promised, the daal chana (£5.50) is the standout dish. It's smooth, it's nicely spiced, and it's very hard to stop eating it. Believe it or not, the lamb just can't compete with these silky lentils.

Pilau rice (£3.50) is also a surprise. It's not the multi-coloured mound of greasy grains you expect, but an almost crunchy heap of white rice topped with onion. Peshwari naan (£2) is on the menu as well. This is very sweet but not too sugary and it's squashy enough for some heavy-duty mopping should you wish to clean that delicious bowl of daal.

For dessert there's the gajar ka halwa (£3.50), which is made from carrot and is nicely sweet, but not overly so. Or there's their own ice cream, qulfi malai wali (£3.50), which is unfortunately quite bland, and coats your palate with a milky, nutty sort of flavour.

The Drink
As there's no alcohol, the menu can be disconcerting. It has a comprehensive list of cocktails but they don't serve booze, so searching for the beer is futile. You have to bring your own if you're a beer and balti sort of curry fan. For spicy foods, the kucumber cocktail (£2.50) is recommended. It’s a cooling mix, although it can taste a little synthetic if you drink all the way to the dregs.

Another cooling concoction is the lychee colada, a creamy, refreshing drink which is almost like lassi in its consistency. Their mocktails are presented with panache, complete with cherries, umbrellas and fancy glasses. But these are innocent pleasures - for example, they also offer a Kiss on the Beach, a much more demure version of its raunchy vodka and Archers equivalent.

The Last Word
It's certainly not your typical East London curry house, and if you're after a bustling restaurant you'd best keep heading east. But with dishes that please vegetarians and carnivores alike, it's worth a visit. Make the most of the calmness though, because as soon as you push open those gleaming glass doors you're greeted by the snarling traffic of Commercial Street.

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