'Slow-cooked for 14 hours': inside NOx, Leytonstone's new Turkish smokehouse
Plus: how Mainyard Creative Quarter in Leyton will look, Farha x Chunk collab, Acme Tacos reviewed and Blackhorse Road's budget wine taproom
“We’re a family-run, full-service smoked meat restaurant, built around our genuine love for food and bringing people together.” So said NOx Smokehouse co-owner Jenna when I spoke to her back in February.
And last weekend, in the glare of the year’s first bank holiday, Jenna, together with her partner Can (pronounced Jon), launched Leytonstone’s newest dining room.
The slightly tricky name — and spelling — simply alludes to “the chemical formula of nitrogen oxide,” she said, “the natural gases released when wood burns in our smoker. When those gases hit the meat, they form that rosy-pinkish signature smoke ring, and lock in real smoke flavour.”
Unlike open-fire BBQ restaurant Burnt down in Leyton Midland, here the chefs use a professional pellet wood smoker, which “allows us to control temperature and smoke levels precisely and deliver consistency.” And they don’t believe in being “too rigid” with the menu, either. “So while our menu focuses on low-and-slow smoked meats and BBQ is at our core, there’ll always be a sense of creativity and movement in what we serve.”
As I said in my earlier feature, it’s been a long road here. Originally from Turkey, the couple moved to Australia in the late teens, where Can worked at acclaimed restaurant Nomad in Sydney, before they finally settled in Loughton in 2024.
And although the couple are based in Essex, they have a strong E11 connection as Mattcup Coffee, part of the cavernous Continental Food Exchange store near Leytonstone High Road Overground, is run by Can’s brother and their mutual friends Emrah and Zeynep. “It gave us a reason to hang around the area regularly,” she says. And that was what gave birth to NOx.
So, how long do the meats go in for? “They’re slow-cooked for 12-14 hours and then rested for another two to three,” Jenna told me this week. “That means it takes a solid 16-17 hours of prep before it even hits your table.”
On a sunny afternoon over the long weekend, my partner and I popped by for an impromptu visit, and in today’s issue I offer some thoughts about the best dishes to order from the concise menu. Scroll down for the full review. @noxsmokehouse
Welcome to issue 77. Where did you spend the hottest day of the year so far? Half of Leytonstone appeared to be drinking outside the North Star when my friend and I slipped in for a late afternoon pint in the sun. Better still, their £8 Wednesday deal on pizzas (margherita and pepperoni only) was running, although for me it’s all about the marinara with extra anchovies (£11.50).
If you enjoy the value you get from this weekly read — and can afford to upgrade — it would be so appreciated. Paid subscribers have access to the entire archive of 75+ issues, with hundreds of frank restaurant reviews, dozens of interviews and food and culture stories at your fingertips that you won’t read about anywhere else. After all, no other title writes in depth about the swathe of East London from Stratford and Forest Gate to Leyton, Leytonstone and Walthamstow.
Other ways to support include hitting the heart button (for the all-important Substack algorithms), or sharing with friends for up to six months’ credit.
In this week’s issue for paid subscribers:
Mainyard Creative Quarter: exclusive images and what to expect at Leyton High Road’s new indoor market hall which launches this summer and will boast 40+ vendors.
NOx Smokehouse reviewed: what’s best, what sides to order, where to sit and first-look thoughts.
Everything you need to know about the limited-time Farha x Chunk Collab (this will fly).
A weekend crawl round Blackhorse Road’s new arrivals: Acme Tacos reviewed, Hackney Church Brewery and the new wine taproom that’s surely the industrial estate’s best-kept secret.
Exclusive round-up of this weekend’s food & drink shenanigans, gossip, news, forthcoming pop-ups, one-offs and foodie happenings.