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Category: london

September 28 2020

Hala Turkish, Grand Parade, London

Food, LEVENT, london, MEZZE, travel alfiefoodwala, arabic, BBQ, chicken tikka, comfort food, grill, LEVENT, london, rustic 0

Hala
29 Grand Parade, Harringay,
London
N4 1LG

Hey, Foodwala’s boys and girls…hope you are all safe and well.

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oasis

noun

/əʊˈeɪ.sɪs/ US

/oʊˈeɪ.sɪs/

plural oases

[ C ]

a place in a desert where there is water and therefore plants and trees and sometimes a village or town

Delta Images/Image Source/GettyImages

[ S ]

a calm, pleasant place in the middle of somewhere busy and unpleasant:

Her office was an oasis ofpeace and sanity amid the surrounding chaos.

As you are well aware your Alfie Foodwala loves his kebabs and I am willing to travel to many darkest and deepest areas to seek out the best kebabs.

Once I was in Dubai and we got word that a very excellent Kebab shop was spotted in the deepest darkest area of Al Nahda, in the concrete jungle near the border of Sharjah.

As you know I could not resist, even if the trek to the kebab shop would involve a perilous journey crossing the mighty Dubai Creek and traversing the great airport road, fighting against Indian and Pakistani Taxi wallas on the Sheikh Zayed Road, and then plunging head-on into the Industrial wastelands near Sharjah.

We bade goodbye to our loved ones and, We Jumped into Goblee Foodwala’s brand new supercharged Jaguar SUV and started our journey into the unknown in search of the mythical Kebab Shop.

After crossing the mighty Dubai Creek and skillfully dodging the wild taxis on the Sheikh Zayed Road and traversing the Airport Road, we came to the bleak and desolate industrial wasteland.

We became more and more skeptical that a Kebab Shop could survive in such a hostile environment and every fibre of my rational self screamed to turn back, but NO I had to go on and discover this great Kebab Shop.

We drove deeper and deeper into Al Nahda, it got darker and darker, the lights of the Dubai Skyscrapers disappeared, and old newspapers and rubbish tossed about in the street like tumbleweed.

We could feel the cold, unblinking, staring eyes of the natives emaratis on us from behind the shutters, and as we were about to give up all hope and about to turn back we went around the corner and found an Oasis of light and a hive of activity … we had found the mythical kebab shop! Al Fareej, we stared in marvel and the waiters scurried to and fro carrying huge plates of Adana kebabs and romali roti.

The locals lounged on the carpets and enjoyed the kebabs over the much-animated conversation.

And what kebabs they were, we asked our waiter to bring the most popular kebabs, the sizzling kebabs came on the sword-like skewers and we tore off the meat with our paper-thin romali roti, we were in heaven.

Breaking out of the reverie and coming back to the deepest darkest Harringay, North London we stumbled upon Hala Turkish, it is the area known as Little Istanbul, the street is as if the grand bazaar of Istanbul had been taken out of Istanbul and plonked in the middle of North London.

We decided to pick Hala from countless other kebab shops on the Grand Parade, possibly because it was the busiest restaurant in the street.

As we entered the restaurant was a frenzy of activity, chic cosmopolitan affluent Turks sat side by side by traditionally dressed Kurds.

We kicked off the proceedings with some hot and cold mezze.

We got a selection of the following

Humus, Turkish Humus is more grainy than Hymus from Levant but was nice and tangy

Şakşuka, A Vegetable and Aubergine ragout served cold, lovely, and earthy

Sarma, Vive leaves stuffed with Burgar wheat, strangely delicious eaten with the house chili dip

Kısır, Bulgar and sour pomegranate juice salad

Ispanak Tarator, sauteed spinach folded with Turkish Yogurt, delicious

Yoğurtlu Patlıcan sauteed Aubergine tossed in Turkish Yogurt

The pan-fried Turkish beef sausage was delicious and spicy, perfect for cutting the creamy yogurt-based meze

The Chicken Shish was next up. slightly marinated cubes of Chicken breast cooked on an open ocakbasi grill, the chicken was slightly dry, it would have much more succulent if the thigh was used instead.

Delicious succulent cubed lamb leg, lightly seasoned and grilled without losing its natural juices, Andy Foodwala who is not a great fan of Lamb actually liked it.

The piece de la resistance, hand-ground lamb with onions, chili, and spices expertly cooked on the sword-like skewer, my favorite type of kebab, but would have been perfect if it was served on a Lavash flatbread and the delicious meaty juices were absorbed by the bread.

In Conclusion

The Mezze was fresh and flavorsome expertly prepared, could not fault

The Grilled mains were again delicious, the Adana Kebab would have been even more delicious if it was accompanied with some Lavash bread, but that is just a minor point, the Adana Kebab was not mined but chopped finely and was a perfect consistency.

The Service was perfunctory, neither excellent nor poor, it was just functional.

However!, I found a Long ladies hair at the end of the meal. just saying.

The Star of the Meal?

The Adana Kebab was definitely the star

The miss of the Meal?

The hair!!

Honorable Mention

So how did Hala compare with its ocakbasi peers?

The Two best Turkish restaurants in London so far has been The Liman in the Angel and Mangal ocakbasi in Dalston.

Further afield the best I have visited has been Sur ocakbasi in Istanbul and the Incirlik ocakbasi in Adana.

While Hala was good for North London, but way behind its more traditional brethren.

Halal Rating

The Chicken, Beef, and Lamb is confirmed 100% Halal

NO Alcohol is served on the Premises

NO Pork is served on the Premises

100% impartial Guarantee

Alfie Foodwala visits all restaurants anonymously and pays for the bill like any other customer, Alfie Foodwala does not except free meals in return for meals

All reviews are the personal opinion of Alfie Foodwala based on his 30-year experience as a restauranteur.

July 20 2020

Burgeri, SoHo, London

Food, london, mayfair alfiefoodwala, burgers, comfort food, fast food, gourmet, soho 0

22 Great Marlborough St, Soho,
London
W1F 7HU

Hey Foodwala boys and girls, Alfie Foodwala is back from the COVID 19 hibernation and he is ready to explore the post coronavirus restaurant scene.

On my last visit to Lahore last year with Goblee Foodwala, after lunch with uncle Sarwar who incidentally is the Governer of Punjab, we went for a specialty coffee in Gulberg and we got talking to the barista, we ordered our usual double espresso’s and he remarked that we were definitely not burgers from Lahore, intrigued we asked him to explain, he said only people who ordered a double espresso was coffee lovers from the UK or Italy, the “burgers prefer the lactose and sugar-rich mochas and cappuccinos”

He bemoaned about the spoilt “Burger Kids” what who were his customers, we asked what was this burger kid label or burger he explained that the burger lives in a cocoon of Gulberg or DHA and is enamored by things outside of Pakistan – by the West,they are well-to-do Pakistanis who may have American or British-tinged accents after years spent studying in elite American or British schools in Lahore they feel they entitled and are often soft and arrogant

They were hostile to the Western-born Pakistanis, as the felt envious and insecure which in turn manifested in aggression and hostility.

This was a very interesting social commentary and he further remarked that the “burger” generation is now running the country and the “burger in chief” being the PM…Imran Khan.

So coming back to the present, I was on my first London trip after the lockdown and many restaurants were still closed, I walked the streets of Soho looking for somewhere to eat, I was absolutely famished and was ready to throw in the towel and go to the Mcdonalds on Oxford Street and have a couple of Fillet of Fish when I stumbled on Burgeri, which is a Qatari import aimed at the hoards of Gulfees from the Middle East and the Burgers from Pakistan and India.

It was a Wednesday afternoon and Burgeri was doing a roaring trade, even in the midst of pre/post lockdown.

I was ushered in by a young man wearing a PPE face shield and i promptly went up to the counter to order.

The menu was split int burgers and hot dogs, the burgers are Halal Aberdeen Angus or Halal Waghu, and all the connotations thereafter.

I went for the Angus Mushroom melt

The two Angus patties were a little bit on the dry side, I felt that the fat percentage should have been higher, the mushroom topping was adequate and the cheese was only partially melted, all in all,it was adequate, but I have had better. the brioche bun was soft and buttery. It lacked any Umami flavour

The Loaded “hot dog” was definitely not to my liking, however,that is more of a personal taste rather than a failing of Burgeri, the steamed sausage had the right amount of “bite” to it however the taste was very processed, again my personal taste, the redeeming feature was the sweet green salsa topping and the melted cheese. I would not be ordering another hot dog in a hurry.

In Conclusion.

Burgeri was a good effort at the Halal Gourmet Burger, however,I felt it fell a little short of its gourmet burger name.

but the prices are reasonable for Soho and the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly, definitely on to bring your significant other if you are courting.

Honorable Mention

In my opinion, Burgeri was above average and way behind the steller offerings of SALT in Dubai and the Wagyu sliders of Cona in Bradford. Burger King Singapore was definitely an also ran

Halal Rating

The Beef is certified HALAL,

Alcohol is not served at the restaurant

February 29 2020

Zelman Meats, London

Food, london, mayfair alfiefoodwala, BBQ, burgers, business, food, gourmet, grill, soho, steak 0

Hey, Foodwala’s…welcome to another tale of the trials and tribulations of Alfie Foodwala.

I have been busy judging amazing luxury hotels the length and breadth of Scotland for the Prestige Hotel Awards.

It has been a time of absolute wonder, the beauty of the west of Scotland is breathtaking, the mountains are majestic in their winter clothing, the lochs are serene in their elegance.

I have met passionate hoteliers and restauranteurs, who are creating magic with locally sourced ingredients.

I was eating a Halal Angus steak, which a certain hotelier had made a 200 round trip to purchase from a renowned Glasgow butcher and I discovered that the cattle were bred in the farm 300 yards from the hotel.

I appreciate the hospitality shown by the hotelier who not only sourced the Halal steak but also made sure that it was local, thus not compromising their vision of locally sourced ingredients.

I encountered this dedication and vision in the summer of 1984, I was in the darkest deepest Toba Tek Singh and I was with my grandfather and we were visiting his friend who was the local feudal landowner and the Chief Minister of Punjab.

We met at his farmhouse and the Chief Ministerwala showed us around his expansive farm but he lamented that his cattle looked emaciated, their coats were dull and the pin bone protruded from their hindquarters.

The C Mwala asked my grandfather why his imported Australian Brangus cattle looked proud and majestic, their coats shining and their size put local cattle to shame

My grandfather explained that you have to love your beasts, the feed should be the best possible, the cattle must be allowed to dip in their own plunge pool twice a day in the summer.

In the winter nights, the cows must sleep in a heated barn, each cow must be brushed and massaged after their pool dip hence why their coats were shiny.

The beats were allowed to roam without hindrance and he never used barbed wire so that their coats would not be damaged or caused any pain.

This is exactly the same ethos used by the Russian Oligarch, turned cattle farmer turned steak restauranteur, Misha Zelman.

Misha Zelman opened Zelamn meats in Soho so that he can properly honour his beasts who he raised so that they can provide sustenance for rich Londoners, my grandfathers, and Mr. Zelman’s passion and determination put the Vegan argument on its head.

Zelman Meats is a quirky take on the traditional steakhouse and the steak has the pride in place, from the prominent dry-aging cabined to the glass-fronted kitchen so that the cattle are honored for their sacrifice.

Mokkee Foodwala, Freud Foodwala and I kicked off the proceedings with the Beef Carpaccio, This is the acid test for a steak restaurant, the raw beef is cut thin as silk and then dressed with virgin olive oil and parmesan cheese, the carpaccio is an unforgiving dish, the beef has to be the absolute best and the taste actually comes from the marbling.

This was absolutely delicious, the paper-thin beef was melt in the mouth, the crispy shallots, and balsamic gave an additional nuance.

The light and crispy Tiger Prawns hit the spot, but what really caught my eye was imaginatively named the “holy f**k” mayo, apparently its the Zelman blended house mayo and it was creamily tangy and hot, an excellent accompaniment with the prawns.

The Canadian Lobster Croquettes were morish and tasty, there was actual meaty lobster in them, rather than some substitute which is the case with other establishments, the lobster mayo nailed it!!, I could have a plate of lobster mayo and triple cooked chips all day long.

Rib Eye from Australia (left)
£28
Sirloin from Canada (right)
£28

The main event did not disappoint, both steaks were cooked medium rare to showcase the meat, the marbling on the Rib Eye was nutty and buttery, the meat itself was juicy.

The sirloin also was cooked medium-rare, the meat was tender and soft and absolutely melt in the mouth, with a gorgeous crust on it.

top marks

The steaks were accompanied by the absolutely decadent black truffle chips, the crispy chips were drizzled with rock salt and shaved truffle, what a delicious flavour combination

In Conclusion.

Top marks for Zelman, the starters and steak was simply delicious, the menu was innovative and highlighted each steak area, each dish was executed with care and finesse

The service was efficient and friendly.

Top marks for the effort

the meat sweats are worth it!!

Honorable Mention

In my opinion, Zelman Meats was above excellent, yet slightly behind the superstar steak restaurants likes of Seafire, Dubai but better than Nusr-Et Dubai

Halal Rating

The Australian and Canadian Beef is certified HALAL,

Alcohol is served at the restaurant

Pork is on the menu

January 17 2020

Hankies Brasserie @ The Montcalm Hotel, London

Food, Indian, indian food, london, mayfair, pakistani food alfiefoodwala, business, chicken tikka masala, glasgow, gourmet, london, MICHELIN, rustic 0

61 Upper Berkeley St, Marylebone, London W1H 7PP

Hey Foodwala’s… welcome to another episode of the trials and tribulations of Alfie Foodwala

Hankie

[ han-kee ]

noun

a gentlemen’s folded handkerchief

2. Hankie Roti also known as Rumali roti also called Manda is a thin flatbread originating from India and Pakistan, popular in Punjab Pakistan and India. It is eaten with tandoori dishes. The word rumal means handkerchief in many north Indian languages, and the name rumali roti means handkerchief bread. In Punjab

Sometimes you can get a most memorable meal in the unlikeliest of locations, I was with my grandfather in the deepest darkest Muridwala and my grandfather had just taken delivery of his latest Toyota Carolla.

The car had a slight defect and we decided to take the car to the closest Toyota dealership, which was in Faisalabad, on the way we picked up Uncle Taj, who had one of the biggest bus companies in Pakistan and was a complete petrolhead.

We arrived at the dealership and in his inimitable way uncle Taj marched up to the dealer principles office, past a protesting secretary and office boys and barged into his office, the startled man looked up and was going to complain when Uncle Taj throws the keys at him and harangues him for selling him such a terrible product.

The manager scurried to his service department and told the engineers to stop all work and give my grandfather’s car priority.

But with the engineers and other staff, he was kind and courteous

He explained that to get the true measure of a person look at the way he treats the waiting staff and other services people.

The staff, in turn, appreciated the way Uncle Taj stood up to the hated dealer principle and invited us to eat lunch at the staff canteen.

As we stepped into the staff canteen we were treated to a cacophony of scraping chairs and animated conversation and the aroma of spices.

The chef brought over some chicken curry and romali roti, honestly, it was one of the best meals I have had, the chicken was lovely and tender and the accompanying broth was thin yet incredibly flavorsome. we dipped the fresh hot romali roti into the gravy and it was sublime.

The chef would keep an eye on our plates and topped up the hot shorba when it was going low and the roti wala would come over with hot roti, the meal was absolutely delicious yet so simple.

The romali roti can only be made by a true artisan and has to be whirled over his head to make it so thin it is like a silk handkerchief.

The Hankies restaurant is situated in the exclusive Montcalm Hotel in Marylebone Village, it was an elegant room with dark woods and leather giving a clubby feel.

The pleasant waitress first brought over the amuse-bouche, which was an intensely flavoursome vegetable soup, it had an incredible depth of flavour for something so small.

The Mantu Chat was first up, steamed chicken momo’s or as Hankies grandly called it chicken ravioli in a chili oil yogurt dressing and topped with lentil salsa.

this was a very unusual and innovative chat, the momo was soft and flavoursome and the chili yogurt was equally smooth and subtle, the lentils in the salsa was on the raw side of Al Dente, but altogether it was pleasant.

The Chili lamb chops are the signature elements of the Hankies Menu as well as the Romali Roti, The lamb chops were marinaded in ajwain and chili, although the marinading was spot on the flavour was not a million miles from the lamb chops from a standard curry shop.

The chop itself was fatty in some bits to a point that it was difficult to bite through.

The main event was the Handi Gosht with Romali Roti, the lamb was cooked in a clay pot (handi), the lamb was cooked to perfection, the lamb was soft and tender and the spices were cooked through without overpowering the lamb.

The thick rich gravy was on the right side of spiciness and was sublime, scooped up with the romali roti it was delicious, the lamb was tender enough for the delicate romali roti to pull apart.

In Conclusion.

The food at Hankies was definitely above average, the menu was innovative without showing, yet the signature lamb chops were average in my humble opinion.

The service was efficient and friendly.

Honorable Mention

In my opinion, Hankies was above average, yet behind the superstar, restaurants likes of Gymkhana and Indian Accent in London and Opheem in Birmingham

Halal Rating

The Lamb and Chicken are both verbally certified HALAL, the Goat is not halal

Alcohol is served at the restaurant

No Pork is on the menu

October 14 2019

Fatt Pundit, London

Food, Indian, london chicken tikka masala, gourmet, MICHELIN, rustic 0

Hey, Foodwala’s… another tale of the trials and escapades of Alfie Foodwala and on this occasion Shai Foodwala.

The other day I was perusing the local bookwala, and I stumbled upon a book called the Art of Flavour by Danial Paterson, I was much intrigued with this tome so I took it off the shelf, dusted it down and expectantly opened it up, the blurb in the ketab said…

“science of cooking from an olfactory and culinary perspective”

It got me thing… particularly about the past… (cue the wavey blurry thing on TV to show the past), I was on my grandfather’s plantation in the deepest darkest Punjab and we were having lunch under the trees and enjoying the gentle breeze.

I asked my grandfather why a particular food was sweet and why another food was savory, My grandfather was a very patient man and eventually, he said let’s go for a wee drive.

We got into his ancient Land Rover and we set off into the plantation, we first arrived at the mango plantation, it was harvest time and we got out and went to the first mango tree and took off the large plump perfectly ripe Sindrie mango, he cut a slice and we silently eat it, it was the sweetest mango I had tasted , my grandfather explained the different nuances in the sweetness.

Next up was the lemon grove, we did the same thing and again my grandfather explained the sour flavor, I was enthralled by his knowledge and the way he explained.

Further, into the plantation, we came across Oranges which were 12 weeks from harvest and still green, my grandfather cut a tiny slice and told me to gently lick the orange flesh with the tip of my tongue, it was the bitterest thing I have ever tasted, even more than when you accidentally bite into a paracetamol tablet!!

My young tongue was smarting from the bitterness so with a gentle chuckle he took out some salted peanuts and gave me them to offset the bitterness.

Eventually, we reached the outbuilding on the periphery of the vast estate and some of the labourers were having their lunch, my grandfather sat down at the table with his men and joined in, they were eating a humble meal of Palak Paneer with chapati, at the table my grandfather explained that the savoury taste was actually called Umami.

On that day I learned about flavour profiles just by hanging with my grandfather and spending the day on the farm and eating the most delicious, organic and natural produce.

This week we went to Fatt Pundit in Soho, who boasted the fusion of East Indian and Chinese flavours

Here we go, first up was the Crackling spinach chat, I tried this for the first time and it was delicious fresh spinach leaves, flash cooked in oil and then topped with yogurt, chat masala and pomegranate, the result was a feather-light chat with an amazing flavour profile.

To be honest I have not come across crackling spinach before so I was very pleasantly surprised.

You learn something new every day.

The chicken momo was lovely and moist and when you bit down the momo exploded with a delicious rush of chicken and its juice,

Since the Kid Goat Momo was not halal, I was reliably by Shai Foodwala that it too was sensitive, moist and delicious.

The momos were the exact opposite of the momo I tasted in Soho Wala last week.

This victorian looking contraption is where the momos are steamed.

The Chicken Kolkata was chicken shredded with copious amounts of fiery chili and garlic, the resulting flavors was amazing not too hot but hot enough, the garlic notes were prominent without leaving a bitterness.

Chinese style stir-fried King Prawns with Szechuan masalas. Again the King Prawns were cooked en point and the fiery Szechuan spices gave a nice kick, all in all wonderful.

Since West Bengal is allowed to consume beef this dish is a rarity in India, however, the beef was stirfried in cashews and chillis giving some serious Kung Po vibes, again could not fault it.

We washed all the fiery masalas down with this delicious Guava Sour Mocktail, whereas Shai Foodwala had the full-fat alcoholic version.

In Conclusion

I loved the Fatt Pundit, the food was true and fiery, the Momos were moist and the curry was flavorsome.

It definitely reminded me of the Chinese we used to have in Faislabad when we were growing up.

The service was cheerful, knowlagable and efficient.

The only downside was that it was “tapas” style sharing dishes but it was very expensive, we left with a £100 hole in the wallet.

Halal Rating

Fatt Pundit serves alcohol.

Chicken and Lamb were certified Halal by the management.

Kid Goat is not halal

October 4 2019

Soho Wala, Soho London

Indian, london, pakistani food alfiefoodwala, chicken tikka masala, food, rustic, soho 0

21 Great Marlborough St, Soho,
London
W1F 7HL

Hey, Foodwala’s… Welcome to another trial and escapade of your truly, Alfie Foodwala

I was back in the big smoke of London once again with Larry Foodwala, we share many things in common, we are both restauranteurs, we love food and we love watches.

While we toured the watch houses of New Bond Street, admiring all beautiful baubles behind the armored window’s a similar window shopping story came to mind.

Cast your mind back to the bleak midwinter of 1969 and my grandfather decided it was cheaper to drive overland from Pakistan to Glasgow, so he trussed up his 1965 Mark 1 Ford Transit and set off for Glasgow with my Chacha Nasim Foodwala and Larry’s dad Anwar Foodwala, when they reached Istanbul the van broke down with a broken axle and had to be repaired, the repairs took all their spare cash and took 3 weeks to fix, as parts had to be brought in from England.

While Nasim and Anwar had plenty of time to explore they did not have money to eat more than one meal a day so they passed the time by touring the eating houses of Istiklal Caddesi peering into the steamed-up window and salivating at all the delicious street food until they were shooed away by irate owners.

It was ironic that 50 years later Larry and I were doing the same thing but instead of looking hungrily at piles of the delicious hot steamy mounds of food we were doing the same but with Rolex’s and Pateks and this time we could purchase as well as just salivate on the other side of the glass.

All this window shopping made us rather peckish and as an homage to my chacha and uncle, we decided to go to Soho Wala, who are purveyors of street food from the streets of Lahore and Bombay.

We kicked off the proceedings with steamed Chicken Momo’s, these are Nepalese steamed dumplings, stuffed with chicken and steamed in a flour shell, the momo was served in a steaming bamboo pot, however, these momos were premade and were dry and a little bit stodgy. not an auspicious start.

The Gulafi Kebab has its origins in the mountains of Anatolia and the recipe was given the Mogul Jahangir by the Turkish ruler as a peace offering, ideally the Gulafi kebab is tempered with finely chopped onions and bell peppers and the moisture then make the lamb kebab melt in the mouth, these kebabs were dry and tough, again i suspect they were premade and heated up.

The Rajasthani Lamb Laal Maas is supposed to be a deep, complex rich lamb stew, exuding fragrance and slow-cooked flavour, however, this tasted like a simple lamb curry served in curry shops the world over, so far 3 misses, things don’t look good for Soho Wala.

Next up was the delicious Keema Pao, this is a staple of the Bombay street food scene, The keema as spiced just right and the buttered brioche buns were moist, soft and delicious.

things were looking up!!

The chicken biryani was another hit, the chicken thigh pieces were soft and delicious and the biryani spices were deliciously balanced with the right amount of masalas, where no masala overpowered the other. overall the biryani was delicious and the pomegranate raita helped to add a coolness to the spices.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, Soho Wala was a hit and miss affair, the Kebab, momo’s and Laal Maas were definitely a miss however the Keema Pao and biryani wes a hit.

It could be possible the time of day we visited or Soho Wala is situated in a hotel and could be that the food coming from the central kitchen had a distance to travel and went cold and dry in the service process.

The service in Soho Wala was friendly, if not a little unsure.

Halal Rating

Soho Wala serves alcohol.

Chicken and Lamb were certified Halal by the management.

August 1 2019

GAMBA, Glasgow

finnieston, Food, london, mayfair, Provençal alfiefoodwala, emirates, fish, glasgow, gourmet, MICHELIN, oysters, salmon, seafood 0

Hey, Foodwala’s…Welcome to another tale of Alfie Foodwala

On this occasion, I was honored to be joined by a brother from another mother, or specifically Ralfie Foodwala, all the way from the metropolis of Dubai.

I have always loved what mother Acqua has provided us, be it Freshwater clams or Wild Alaskan Salmon or prawns from the depths of the Indian Ocean or Scallops from the wild West Coast of Scotland. I loved the diversity and the fragility of the delicate creatures.

I suspect I got the love of Seafood actually from Papa Foodwala, some of my earliest memories is waiting for my dad to pick me up and us going on our next culinary adventure, I can always remember dad impeccably dressed in his Yves St Laurent shirts and his Saville Row suits and we would fire up his Fuji White Jaguar XV12, which he changed annually!! and we would go to his favorite place, The Danish Food Centre on St Vincent Street.

When dad used to walk in it was like the scene from Goodfellas where he would walk through the restaurant and he knew everyone by name and if there was a line waiting to be seated dad, the manager would take dad in through the side entrance and magically an empty table would appear!

I was always mesmerised by this opera, but dad was always humble and down to earth, he would then take me up to the open seafood display and we would choose which fresh fish was going to be our lunch, the display always looked fresh and shiny, the aroma of the fish was like fresh sea air, none of the fishy smells associated with old fish.

It is the enjoyment of having lunch with dad and the love of the enchantment under the sea that brought me and Ralfie to Gamba

We kicked off the proceedings with six Holy Island, Northumberland Oysters, we gingerly topped the fresh quivering mollusks with tobasco and shallots and downed them all in one…. absolutely amazing the tangy salty jelly tasted of fresh pure ocean…deelish!!

Next up was the Seabass Tartre, fresh raw seabass flavoured by goats cheese and tomato and topped with a chilled tomato and basil sorbet, wow!!

what a combination of textures and flavours, the tomato sorbet added a chilled fresh element to the raw seabass, it was absolutely wonderful.

The slivers of Yellowfin Tuna was next up, Yellowfin tuna lends itself perfectly to the Sashimi style if you cook Yellowfin Tuna it becomes like cardboard, so it lets itself perfectly to be eaten raw, the Tuna was firm and flavorsome, the flavour was enhanced with a touch of wasabi and virgin soy sauce.

The Monkfish was firm light and firm and lobster tasting while the seared scallops were sweet and buttery and the accompanying soy jus was a perfect accompaniment.

The Delicious Freshwater Stone Bass fillet was light in texture and cooked to perfection, the accompanying King Prawns were seared and tossed into the greens, the citrus butter sauce was light and delicious.

In conclusion, The fruits of the sea are notoriously difficult to get right, the margin between cooking it just right and overcooking it is minuscule, it is something a chef with talent and nuance can pull off.

the Chef of Gamba has the talent, the journey of flavours and textures was magnificent, the choice of fish, which were away from the usual suspects was a masterstroke, the blend of temperatures was educational, to say the least.

The Service was equally good, friendly yet not overly familiar, elegant yet not stuffy

I loved Gamba, definitely Enchantment under the Sea.

June 15 2019

Swadish, Glasgow

Food, Indian, indian food, london alfiefoodwala, chicken tikka masala, gourmet, MICHELIN 0

Swadish
33 Ingram Street,
Merchant City,
Glasgow, G1 1HA

Hey Foodwala’s…its been a while since my last Foodwala post, what with Ramadhan and other business commitments but anyhow here I am in my full glory!

I was listening to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who incidentally also hails from my ancestral hometown of Faisalabad and I was absolutely struck by the mesmerising lyrics.

Please forgive my translating skills

“Ye jo Halka halka saroor hei… This gentle exhilaration I am feeling

yeh teri nazar ka kasoor hei… Is the fault of your glance

ke sharab peena sekadia”… it has intoxicated and besotted me

so what Nusrat foodwala is alluding to is that in a society where alcohol and female company is taboo he still feels the effects of intoxication purely from a single glace of a ladies eyes.

The point I am making is that when you are so intuned to your feelings the sheer nuance of what you love, will give you a euphoric rush, whether its a particular food, or a flavour or a caress of someone you love.

So my epic journey starts by traveling East…to the Merchant City and the newly opened Swadish restaurant which prides itself as modern, I was at a loss at this modern Indian cuisine when it had Chicken Tikka Masala and butter chicken on the menu, and Goulati kebabs, the recipe of which is over 700 years old.

Mokee Foodwala and I kicked off the proceedings with the Gelauti Kebab, the kebab was an eyewatering £10.

The Gelauti kebab was first created for a Sultan who due to old age lost his teeth but still had a love for Kebabs, so his chef created silky smooth kebabs by turning the lamb mince into a pate and then cooking it on a tandoor, thus creating kebabs of such smooth and silky texture that the aging sultan could enjoy it.

The Swadish version was not as smooth and silky as I would have expected, definitely not as smooth as the ones in Farzi Cafe, which I reviewed a few months back nor as amazing at Bademia in Mumbai.

Next up were goujons of haddock dipped in sesame and ajwain, I personally felt the choice of using Haddock left the ajwain overpowering the delicate fish, a more robustly flavoured fish should have been used, the Avacado salsa was a nice touch and was flavorsome.

The Lamb Shank Rogan Josh was the absolute star of the meal, the 8-hour lamb shank just fell off the bone and the freshly constructed Rogan Josh was absolutely rich, flavorsome and decadent.

This was definitely our favorite, we scooped up the delicious Jus with the Mozzarella, Gruyere Cheese and Truffle Butter Nan, altogether it was a flavour sensation for our tastebuds.

The Butter Chicken was gentle in its flavour with nuanced cardamom tasting notes running through it and the Soft Burrata cheese giving the sauce a gentle silkyness.

After the star attraction, the Butter Chicken felt like an afterthought or played second fiddle.

We finished off with some Strawberry Bhappa Doi, I was expecting steamed yogurt with a consistency of creme brulee and infused with cardamoms and saffron, but we got something entirely different, more like Greek Yogurt with Strawberry.

I definitely preferred the Bhappa Doi at Kutir in London and Bikenervala in Dubai.

In Conclusion, The chef patron clearly is very passionate, with the innovative ingredients and attention to detail.

However there are some things that did not make sense to me, the restaurant price point is clearly at London Michelin level however we received paper napkins where i would have expected starched Linen and the soft drinks were served in cans where I would expect a glass bottle at least.

The service was friendly and efficient.

The price point of Swadish is about 20% above the competition, admittedly the product is excellent but the Glasgow customer might find this hard to palette .

March 7 2019

Berenjak, London

Food, LEVENT, london KEBABS, soho 0

Hey, Foodwala’s… welcome to another tale of epic adventure and high drama

You must be thinking has Alfie Foodwala finally taken leave of his senses!!

Well bear with me and all will be revealed, as you may have gathered I love kebabs, not those Saturday night kebab shop abominations but the handcrafted masterpieces only found being made by artisan kebabwala’s

I love the kebabs from Turkey, Levant, Persia, and Pakistan I am obsessed with not only how the kebabs taste but the ingredients that go into the kebabs and also the history behind them kebabs.

One day I will dedicate a Youtube channel where I will travel the kebab world sampling the kebab specialty of the region and narrate the amazing history behind each kebab.

When I visit a kebab restaurant or stall I have a strange feeling of de ja vue, it’s like I am visiting my roots, so I decided to decide to investigate my ancestors and find out where my roots are actually from before Glasgow and Toba Tek Singh, Pakistan.

To my absolute astonishment, Alfie Foodwala lineage can we traced back to Alexander the Great, via Ayreeyah on the Turkish Syrian border and Persopolis in Persia, no wonder I love kebabs so much, as the places I have mentioned are the cradle of the kebab civilization.

So to celebrate this momentous occasion I decided to visit Berenjak in Soho, this Persian kebab restaurant is from the stable of the JKS restaurants, who own superstar London Eateries such as Gymkhana and Trishna but it is a labour of love of the head chef Kian Samyani, who incidentally is a fellow kebab obsessive.

The restaurant is designed as a Tehran Kebab Dhaba (whole in the wall) and the decor is equally designer distressed, some could say it’s pretentious but I actually like the eccentricity.

I kicked off the proceedings with some Mast O Esfena and hummus

Mast O Esfana £5
Hummus £5
Taftoon £1.50
Sangak £5

The Mast O Esfana is the Greek yogurt, spinach, and Saffron dip, it was certainly decadent, freshly chopped baby spinach and garlic were folded into the luxurious think creamy curd, it was delicious with the sourdough taftoon bread.

The Hummus was interesting, the jury is still out if I liked it, the viscosity of the hummus was very smooth, I missed the graininess of hummus and it was topped with caramalised shallots giving a slightly sweet hue to the hummus, The sweetness was great to start of but became slightly tiresome as I tucked in. The hummus was eaten by the pebble baked Sangak bread.

If you are watching the carbs then give Berenjak a wide steer.

Next up I ordered the Goat Keema Koobedah but was informed the goat was not halal, only the chicken and the lamb was halal so I opted for the Lamb Chenjeh, which is also known as the Jewel of Persia!!

I know from experience lamb is incredibly difficult to grill, if the lamb is cut against the grain and not marinated properly the lamb become tough and chewy, on this occasion the lamb was marinaded well and when it was cooked over the coal grill the fat and the juices were not allowed to escape thus resulting in a deliciously moist and tender kebab with a caramalised crust on the outside.

The accompanying house rice was served with a dollop of goats milk butter and lent itself perfectly to the Chanjeh kebab.

In conclusion, the food was delicious, even with the slightly modern disneyesque slant to the proceedings, however, if I compared berenjak to the two old men of Patogh in Crawford Place then Patogh would come on top due to the sheer flavour of the kebabs.

The service was friendly and knowledgable and Andre was efficient.

February 28 2019

Kutir, London

Food, Indian, indian food, london MICHELIN 0

Hey, Foodwala’s…. welcome to another tale of the travels of Alfie Foodwala.

I had a profound thought the other day whilst I was driving to Kinloch Rannoch to judge the 5-star Dunalister hotel for the Prestige Hotel Awards… that’s right I also judge restaurants and hotels for various top awards companies in the UK.

I was driving down the same road that is featured in the James Bond Skyfall the stunning beauty of Glen Coe literally stopped me in my tracks or rather stopped the Mercedes I was driving in its tracks and I got out. I was absolutely over overwhelmed by the beauty and shared the moment by taking a photo and sending it to Goblee Foodwala in Dubai and Mokee Foodwala in Aberdeen.

Now you must be thinking what is the point of this story and how it can possibly relate to my latest restaurant escapade. Bear with me and all will be revealed.

So I was in the middle of this stunning valley and I thought to my self how did I come to this point, how did I get to go to the most amazing restaurants and hotels and meet the most wonderful people and eat the most amazing food.

And to put it simply, I read the book called The Secret, in the book it said visualise in your mind’s eye what you want, what you really really want and whether it’s your dream house or dream car or your dream job and the brain is so powerful it will lock in the picture, then subconsciously it will start influencing your decisions in your everyday life until you start to achieve what you started dreaming about.

In my case it was having an amazing family, driving a new Mercedes and traveling all of the world eating at the best restaurants and staying at the best hotels and my dreams are coming true.

i was reading the other day about the Michelin star Chef Rohit Ghai, he was the head chef in Jamavar and his dream was to open his own Michelin stared restaurant, his dream came true when he open Kutir.

Larry Foodwala and I decided to venture into deepest darkest Chelsea to check this restaurant out.

Kutir is located in a townhouse in a side street in Chelsea, its decorated in muted greens and with beautiful murals on the walls.

We kicked off the proceedings with some popadoms and dips

We felt that the poppadoms were slightly stale, which is very surprising for a Michelin star restaurant.

The dips and chutney were delicious particularly the pickled onion chutney.

The salmon was seasoned en pointe so that the natural creamy salmon flavour was still evident and the masalas were play homage to the hero of the dish. The mooli and creme freche raita was wonderful.

The Tandoori Supreme of baby chicken was again lightly seasoned, however, we felt it was a wee bit under seasoned and the breast meat was a little bit on the tough side, which again was unusual for a breast of baby chicken.

The ginger pickle lent itself nicely with the chicken and the bed of Puy lentils.

Sea Bass Kokum (bottom)
Chicken Tikka Masala (top)

The Seabass Kokum was delicious, the coconut cream infused Jus was so well balanced that the delicate flavour of the sea bass was enhanced.

The Chicken Tikka Masala, which was incidentally first created by Mr. Ali at the Shish

Mahal in Glasgow was a little raw in its execution, the chicken was cooked perfectly, however, the spices felt less nuanced as compared to the rest of the meal.

My stand out element to the meal was the Kaali Dal, it was creamy and buttery in its execution however the lentils still had a nice bite to it.

Bhappa Doi

The Bhappa Doi was brilliantly executed, the steamed yogurt fudge was creamy and flavorsome, the honeycomb lent itself very well with the Bhappa doi

I loved the homemade Pan Kulfi, the rose golkund and fennel was subtle as it was delicious, the pista kulfi was less of a hit, it was lacking in the tasting notes.

In Conclusion, London has some absolutely stellar Indian Restaurants, like Gymkhana and Indian Accent, however Kutir, as delicious as it was fell in my opinion short of the two i mentioned, however, it was on par with Kahani.

We are very well looked after our by our very knowledgable French Waiter, Quentin