The very best of Lucknow at Oudh 1722

Aktar Islam is reluctant to choose a dish that might become a signature of his new London restaurant. “Everything we have on the menu will be familiar to people, but it will all have my signature.” He thinks for a moment, then says, with neither modesty nor arrogance, that his take on butter chicken might be the best people have tasted.

His first restaurant, Opheem, is not only one of the best in Birmingham, but one of the best in the country. Of the 23 restaurants in the UK that hold two Michelin stars, only two showcase Indian cuisine. So, yes, chances are that Islam’s butter chicken will be well received. But where Opheem is all about Islam furthering Indian fine-dining in the UK, Oudh 1722 shines a light on Awadhi cuisine, a historic style from Lucknow in northern India, known as one of the world’s great centres of gastronomy.

Interiors across three floors of a Victorian building in Borough have been designed with a light touch, keeping the focus on food that Islam says is nodded to in the UK but “not in its truest form”. “It’s all about time and slow processes,” Islam says. “I think that’s why people don’t commit to it – it’s a very labour-intensive style of cooking.” There’ll be shorba (a traditional soup, above) to start, and curries including duck (right), while notable techniques include dum cooking, where food is sealed in with dough: a smoked lamb shoulder baked in a lamb-fat crust, a whole turbot in spiced ghee with brown shrimp. Richly spiced kebabs will also be a menu cornerstone – for example lamb with chilli and rose. It’s a style of food that’s been fascinating to Islam, over what he calls his 30 years of research – his kitchen career. Islam says: “As I’ve learned about Indian cuisine over the decades, this is the one that’s stood out, the one that’s revered.”

Oudh 1722, 66 Union St, London SE1 1TD, oudh1722.com

● In Manchester’s Northern Quarter, The Trof has reopened – reimagined and refocused. Expect British classics – hogget mince on dripping toast, dressed Devon crab, pistachio-cherry bakewell tart.

● In Edinburgh’s Stockbridge, Skua has reopened after a short renovation. Phrases like “caramelised stout and honey milk bread with cultured butter” make us think checking out the new menu is a run-don’t-walk situation.

● One for the diary: on 31 May, Updown Farmhouse will host their third annual English wine festival – the best of Kent and beyond in the gorgeous garden.

Photograph: Rebecca Dickson