What Are the Best Starter Dishes at MyLahore
The starters at MyLahore tend to get underordered. People arrive thinking about the karahi or the biryani, they plan their main course on the way there, and by the time they sit down the starters feel like an optional extra. That is a mistake worth correcting. The appetiser menu at MyLahore is where the street food tradition of Pakistani Punjab shows up most directly, and for some dishes in this section, there is genuinely nothing else like them on the menu.
MyLahore Appetisers: Start With the Chaat Section
If there is one section of the starters menu that defines what MyLahore does differently, it is the chaat. Chaat is a category of South Asian street food built around contrasting flavours and textures: something crispy, something soft, something tangy, something cool, all working together in the same dish. It is simultaneously one of the most complex and one of the most satisfying things you can eat, and it is the part of the menu that most clearly connects MyLahore to the food culture it grew out of.
What makes British Asian food unique gives useful context on why chaat and dishes like it occupy such a central place in South Asian food culture. For first time visitors, what to expect when you dine at MyLahore and what to order on your first visit are both worth reading before you arrive.
Best MyLahore Starters: The Samosa Chaat
The Meat Samosa Chaat is the one to order if you are new to the section. A crispy mutton filled samosa sits at the base, topped with chickpeas, potato, onions, cucumber and tomato, then finished with spicy yoghurt sauce, tamarind and crunchy papri. The samosa provides structure and warmth. The chickpeas and potato give it body. The yoghurt sauce cools everything down. The tamarind brings a sharp, fruity tang that cuts through the richness. The papri adds the crunch. Eaten together, the components do something that none of them could manage alone.
The Veg Samosa Chaat follows exactly the same build with a vegetable filled samosa instead. Both versions are worth ordering. If your table is split between meat eaters and vegetarians, ordering one of each and sharing is the natural approach.
Papri Chaat: All the Flavour Without the Samosa
The Papri Chaat removes the samosa entirely and lets the other components carry the dish on their own. Chickpeas, potato, onions, cucumber, tomato and spicy yoghurt sauce, finished with tamarind and papri. It is lighter than the samosa versions and works well alongside them as part of a larger shared spread. It is also fully vegetarian, which makes it the most accessible entry point into the chaat section for those who are new to it.
MyLahore Sharing Platters: The Cheese Lovers Section
Not every table is in the mood for chaat. For something more immediately familiar and comforting, the Cheese Lovers section covers that ground efficiently. These are crowd pleasers, ordered quickly and eaten fast, and they work particularly well when the table includes younger diners or people who are newer to South Asian food.
The Cheesy Garlic Naan is four slices of warm naan topped with melted cheese and garlic. It is simple and hard to argue with, especially alongside something from the chaat section. The Cheesy Garlic Bread takes the same idea and applies it to a fresh baked French baguette with cheese, garlic, olive oil and herbs. The Chilli Cheese Nuggets are crispy, cheesy and carry a little heat.
The Chicken Tortilla Strips sit in this section too: chargrilled shredded chicken with onions, peppers, mozzarella and MyLahore sauce in a tortilla. They are more substantial than the bread options and a good choice for anyone who wants something recognisably filling before a lighter main.
MyLahore Menu Recommendations: Home Favourites and the Combo Platter
The home favourites section of the starters menu is where the flame grill tradition makes its first appearance in the meal. This is the section to go to when the table wants to eat well before the mains arrive rather than just graze.
The Combo Platter pulls together chicken seekh, mutton seekh, flaming chop, meat samosa and crispy chicken strip on a single plate. It is the most efficient way to cover the starters when the table cannot decide, and it gives everyone a taste of the grill section before a full main course. The Sweet and Crispy Chicken, spiced fried chicken strips mixed with steak cut chips and finished with sweet chilli sauce, is a strong choice if you want something easy to share without any ceremony.
The Bread King Prawns are fresh fried king prawns in a light crispy batter, served with sweet chilli sauce. They are lighter than the meat options and a good choice for those who want something from the sea before a curry or a karahi main.
Lahore Food Traditions: Pakoras and Paratha
The pakoras and paratha section is where the menu reaches furthest back into the domestic and street food traditions of Pakistani cooking. These are dishes that have been made the same way for generations, and their simplicity is the point.
The Fish Pakora is flaky cod pieces in a special spicy batter and deep fried. The Onion Pakora is onions, spinach and potatoes in the same batter, crisp on the outside and soft within. Both make more sense eaten fresh and hot than described in writing. The Cheesy Keema Samosa sits nearby and is worth flagging for anyone who wants the samosa format with something richer inside: crispy pastry filled with lightly spiced mutton mince, melted cheese, onions and potato.
The Aloo Paratha is soft, flaky pan fried bread filled with potato, described on the menu as king size and ideal for sharing. It is generous enough to anchor a starter spread on its own and it pairs naturally with raita or yoghurt to cut through the richness of the pastry.
The blessing of eating together and food and family: how meals bring generations together both speak to the tradition behind dishes like these, and why communal eating built around shared plates carries such significance in the culture that shaped MyLahore’s menu.
Family Friendly Starters: How to Build a Starter Spread
MyLahore has restaurants in Leeds, Bradford, Manchester, Blackburn and Birmingham, with the same menu and the same standards across all of them. Bradford also has a delivery option for those who want to eat at home. A full overview of all MyLahore restaurants is easy to find.
If you want to know more about the thinking and values behind the food, our story is a good read. And if anything practical is unclear before you visit, the FAQs cover the most common questions, or you can get in touch directly.
It is also worth knowing that By MyLahore handles catering for weddings and corporate events, and Ranges by MyLahore is a separate delivery and collection service for those who want to enjoy MyLahore food at home, with things like ready to grill items and tray bakes available to order.
For a regular look at what is coming out of the kitchen, follow along on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. There is always something worth ordering.
