One to Watch

With his Birmingham restaurant Opheem, Aktar Islam has achieved the impressive feat of earning two Michelin stars - one of only two Indian restaurants in the UK to do so - and so it's fair to say that his arrival in London has been met with a lot of excitement and high expectations. At the start of May Islam opened Oudh 1722, which focuses on Awadhi cuisine – a historic style shaped in the royal courts of Lucknow – adding yet another layer to the capital's already diverse high-end Indian restaurant scene.

What makes Oudh 1722 one to watch is Islam's approach. You would expect a chef of his stature to find a prime London site in which to make his debut in the capital, but he has instead chosen a slightly off-pitch location away from the hustle and bustle of Borough Market. His choice of cuisine is also interesting, with Islam exploring a cuisine which he believes is seldom given dedicated focus in the UK. Oudh 1722, according to Islam, looks back, celebrating a particular period in Awadhi cuisine and culture. "I want to show my breadth as a chef by doing something more classic," he says.

Diners will be familiar with many of Oudh 1722's dishes, however - or at least the idea of them. The restaurant may be driven by a laser focus on Awadhi cuisine but it still accessible. Its wide-reaching menu takes in street food style snacks, such as nargisi kofta - soft egg yolk and spiced venison; kebabs, slow-cooked 'dum' dishes and curries designed for sharing. Dum cooking – the slow, dough-sealed technique synonymous with the region – forms a key pillar of the menu with dishes such as raan-e-dum pukht - smoked Wiltshire lamb shoulder baked in a lamb-fat crust; a mutanjan dum biryani of oxtail and aged basmati; and zameen doz machli - whole turbot slow-cooked in spiced ghee with brown shrimp and saalan.

Set across three floors of a listed Victorian building, Oudh 1722 is an intriguing spot unlike many of the capital's fine dining Indian restaurants. "The ambition is to be among the best restaurants in the capital," says Islam. "I don't do anything by halves." Reason enough for it to be this year's One to Watch.