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“the lion is most handsome when looking for food” ( RUMI)
paraphrase…someone or something is most appealing or attractive when they are pursuing their raison d’etre (their reason of being)
Hey Guys, Ramadan Kareem everyone,
This year I was invited by Omar Ali from @gastronomiqueDXB for a trip like no other, a trip to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.
What made this trip unique was that Omar GastronomiqueDXB curated the restaurants to synchronise with the trip thus making a trully amazing and wonderfull trip.
The trip started from Pakistan moving to Saudi Arabia , spacifically Madinah, Mecca and Jeddah for Umrah, then Abu Dhabi and Dubai and finishing in Qatar.
This review will list the most memorable dish from each curated restaurant.
So without further ado lets get started
Butt Karahi…Lahore Pakistan PKR 3000 ( £8.54) 9 out of 10
Our Trip started from Butt Karahi in the walled city of Lahore, They claim to have invented the Karahi. The restaurant started from a single cart in McLoud Road Lahore, in 1923 and has never closed for a single day since then, the funny thing is now there are seven Butt Karahis on the same road, they are all independently owned by the descendants of Boota Butt who first started Butt Karahi in 1923.
As there is no concept of intellectual property or franchising in Pakistan, any member of the Butt clan who worked in Butt Karahi would go on to start his own chapter of Butt Karahi.
We visited the Genesis Butt Karahi, as verified by the molvee of the mosque next door.
The Karahi was a revelation, the lamb is cooked only using butter and spices, and the lamb is so tender it falls off the bone.
Veg Samosa..Soond walla Samosa PKR 200 each (57p) 8 out of 10
Not all the places we ate in were fine dining, these samosas were made by a humble street cart close to our Fruit Orchards in Punjab, the samosas were fresh on the spot and believe me they hit the spot, delicately spiced potato filling in a crispy filo case…so simple yet absolutely delicious.
Spicy Chicken Mandi…Mandi World…Jeddah,Saudi Arabia SAR 85 ( £18) 8.9out of 10
My love of food started from the simple concept of chicken and rice, this combination exisits the world over, biryani in the sub continant, Singapore Chicken and rice, Italian Pollo Risotto, Gumbo in the American deep south and Mandi in southern Arabia.
The Mandi from Mandi world Jeddah was simple, fragrent and oh so delicious
Our next leg of the trip was to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, I visited Madinah and Mecca however it was the most busiest time of the year outside the Hajj so we enjoyed some Saudi street vendors
I tried the Ajwa Ice Cream in Madinah, The Ice Cream is made from Ajwa dates which were the favourite dates of the Prophet Mohammed(pbuh), and camel milk, it was served in a soft serve style, the Ajwa Ice Cream has a very subtle tasting notes of toffee, molasses, coffee and brown butter… absolutely delicious after Isha in Madinah.
Lamb Chops…Crossing Restaurant, H Hotel, Dubai AED 50 (£10) 9 out of 10
Next up we reached the Dubai leg of our Grand Tour, and we were invited by three of the most prominent food influencers in the UAE.
Hani AlMaliki aka @bedouinfoodie , Reza Namazi @ravenousxerxes and Jamal Al husseini @phinickyeater , the lunch was personally curated by the Michelin Star Chef Jitin Joshi @chefjitinjoshi.
This was truly a spectacular treat, the conversation was enlightening and eating with knowledgeable peers was truly amazing and humbling.
Furthermore, Chef Joshi’s passion speaks volumes through his food, the highlight of a truly memorable meal was the double rib lamb cutlets the marination was subtle yet complex, and the lamb was tender with a wonderful nutty fat from the loin.
I am overdoing with the Superlative adjectives but how else can one describe something so good?
BBQ Platter…Big T BBQ AED 250 (£53) 8 out of 10
Next Iftar Omar took me to an authentic Texas BBQ in the middle of Dubai…go figure, It was designed like a Texas Redneck BBQ right down to the Taxas size portions.
Actually, Big T BBQ is a labour of love for the owner Fadel Faour, he fell in love with the 1000-gallon smoker whilst studying at Longhorn University and could not wait to recreate the experience in Dubai.
The BBQ consists of seasoned smoked meats—specifically beef brisket, beef ribs, pastrami and Texas German Beef sausage.
OMG, the Texas German Beef link Sausage was a manna from heaven, the sausage was seasoned spectacularly, along with the smokey taste of the Ghaf tree gave a delicious umami earthy taste… loved it!!
kebab Hamoudi…Bait Maryam Dubai AED 85 (£16) 8 out of 10
Walking into Bait Maryam is like walking into the kitchen of your Jordanian Aunt, Sallam Dakak is a self teach two Michelin Star chef cooking her mum Maryam rustic delicacies, but don’t mistake rustic as peasant food, the food is simple yet fantastic, all the more elevated by the fresh ingredients available in Dubai.
The Kebab Hamoudi is an ode to Maryam’s grandson, the lamb kebab is sheathed in romali roti and rested on a bed of Maryams amazing spicy Tomato shorba and smoked Aubergine Babaganough. the pine nuts give a buttery nuance to cut the richness.
Mix Kebab… khoori Iranian dubai Aed 85 (£18.33) 9 out of 10
If a picture could speak 1000 words… well this speaks a while 1001 stories… Khoori is honest to goodness, salt of the earth Iranian kabab jaga…no pretensions, no faff just salt of the earth kebabs and fresh pebble bread.
It was love at first bite.
Sujook…Al Beiruti Dubai AED 59 (12.73) 8.5 out of 10Lebenon is a melting pot of amazing culinary influences, a case in point is the humble Sujook, Lebanese Sausage in Al Beiruti Dubai, the sausage is initially spoked and then tossed in burnt butter, pomegranate molasses and pine nuts, the sweet tangy sensation cuts through the spiced umami richness of the sausage.
Ceaser Salad…AED 82 (£17.70 Jones the Grocer Abu Dhabi 7 out 0r 10
Sometimes you need to give your system a wee time out…for those occasions, a Caesar Salad hits the spot…tossed with beef bacon a Caesar salad is an underrated timeless classic
Kebab Guldusta…Ashas Doha QR120 (£27) 7.5 out of 100
Ashas is a restaurant chain founded by the Bollywood playback singer, Asha Bhosle who is the sister of Lata “The Nightingale” Mangeshkar.
She is CDO (Chief Decor Officer) and CCO (Chief Cusine Officer), and she contributes to the menu.
She is a great fan of the Moghul school of cooking hence why healthy grilled and tandoori dishes are prominant.
The Kebab Guldusta is made up of malai tikka, murgh tikka and seekh kebab, all were marinated on point and grilled. simple yet delicious.
Tiramisu Biscuit…Koncrete Coffee Dubai AED 30 (£6.45) 7.5 out of 10
As a coffee aficionado, Omar also curated some of the best artisan coffee roasters in Dubai, firstly there is Koncrete Coffee, Coffee is imported from the BArn in Berlin, but it is also a social enterprise founded by progressive young emirates and art gallery.
Espresso Lab, Dubai Design District AED 35 (£7.50) 9 out of 10
The simple pleasure of great coffee and a cigar and amiable company after a great meal is exactly what we enjoyed at Espresso Lab in the Dubai Design District.
Espresso Lab is a coffee roaster founded by a visionary and passionate Emirati, Ibrahim Al Mallouhi, the extent of his passion is evident as he has trailblazed the concept
“seed to cup” where he has bought plantations in Columbia, Ethiopia and Sumatra so he can make sure the coffee supply line is unbroken from the seed to the cup.
In Conclusion
Omar did an amazing job in curating such amazing restaurants, his knowledge of the Dubai restaurant business is unparalleled.
Omar curated artisan eateries rather than falling for the Dubai bling usual suspects.
The trip was not only a revelation in a culinary sense but spiritually and emotionally too.
I met some truly inspirational individuals whose passion shone through yet there was a notable absence of the foodie arrogance.
I humbly thank everyone who made my trip memorable
Halal Rating
All the restaurants visited were alcohol-free and Halal
Alfie Foodwala visits all restaurants anonymously and pays for the bill like any other customer, Alfie Foodwala does not accept free meals in return for reviews.
Hey, Foodwala boys and girls… I hope you are all safe and well
Please remember to subscribe to the Alfie Foodwala Facebook, TIK TOK, and Instagram pages, tag, and please share with six people if you like this review, message me if you have constructive feedback.
If you would like to “Eat with Alfie Foodwala” please email me at alfiefoodwala@aol.com
Furthermore, if you know of a restaurant I should review please let me know.
Fire that“s closest kept burns most of all. -William Shakespeare
The 80s was an excellent decade, I am not being nostalgic but it was the decade that is most fondly remembered by everyone, I remember the summer of 1986, the world cup was held in Mexico and won by the footballing Aristocats of Argentina and Boris Becker won Wimbledon at the age of 17.
What I remember the most was when we visited my grandparents in the deepest darkest Punjab, Our trips to Pakistan were always adventurous and magical.
It was that coming-of-age summer I also discovered my love and passion for food, and it was in a big way influenced by my grandfather.
My grandfather was a larger-than-life character, I still remember his brilliant white Dhoti and Kurta he used to wear, the cotton cloth ironically brought from Holland and Sherry mill in Peebles, even though he had the biggest Cotton plantation in Punjab.
The summer days were long and hot, but when the heat broke around 5 pm he would get his staff to build a fire pit under the Peeple tree and when the embers glowed black hot he would then direct the staff to bring out the marinated game and meats and proceed to barbeque.
My favourite was the fire pit roasted lamb and chicken, the meat glistened in its juices as it cooked on the fire, every few minutes he would but off some burnt ends and hand it over to me to try, amazingly the taste would subtly change every few minutes at the fire worked its magic.
My grandfather would explain to me why the changes in taste happened which absolutely raptured me.
11 Woodfire
My wee brother, Goblees Foodwala, reminds me of my grandfather, he has the same physique and the same love for food, so when he heard about my story of the fire pit and my grandfather he took me to the Michelin stared 11 Woodfire.
See Omar has the same joie de vivre as my grandfather, my grandfather could have bought cotton from the local bazaar but instead, he imported it from Holland and Sherry, similarly, Goblees could have taken me to the local Nandos but his style was more Michelin stared 11 Woodfire.
As we entered we were greeted by the faint aroma of Hickory, Oak and Maple wood smoke, it was such a gentle and subtle way to introduce what was coming soon.
The interior of the restaurant was Jumeirah Jane meets Blacksmith chic, It was relaxed elegant industrial chic, with none of the stuffiness associated with the usual Michelin restaurants.
Sourdough & House Dips – Harissa, Green Olive Tapenade AED 43 £10
First up we opted for the Fire baked sourdough accompanied with harissa green dip and Olive Tapenade. The green dip was an excellent accompaniment to the fresh warm bread, buttery and fresh, the Olive Tapenade was equally delicious.
Chicken Wings – Soy, Chipotle AED 45 £10 8/10
The Chicken wings were usual as it was different, the marinade was sticky and sweet yet hot and spicy, The only way to eat them was to manhandle them, so very un Michelin.
The Meat kebab was absolutely delicious in its umami deliciousness, the tailbone fat was expertly mixed with lean beef keema, which gave a buttery nutty kebab, the smokiness of a kebab for all the senses.
The lamb Chops were the pièce de résistance, expertly marinaded was not to overshadow the hero of the dish, the lamb was tender to the extent of butteriness, with just enough fat to wingman the lamb, class!!
Yes, that’s right a burger, what is this sorcery you cry, a burger in a Michelin restaurant and yes the brioche but was light and spongy with a Wagyu burger which insanely actually lets itself into a burger due to its marbling.
crème brûlée
The crème brûlée ticked the egg custardy box, smooth and creamy with the ubiquitous burnt sugar topping…addictive
“bone marrow” dessert
This was Chef Akmal Anur’s playful personality, a chocolate and banana dessert made to look like bone marrow, Omar loved it but not to my taste
In Conclusion
11 Woodfire is basically fantastic, the true craftmanship is taming the wildfire to produce such nuanced and exquisite dishes. Chef Anur is down to earth with his complexity, a true master who does not flex due to insecurity. The focus is on playful taste and flavours rather than being modern for the sake of Michelin.
The Service was friendly and to the point, not overbearing and stuffy, however, the staff could have more knowledge of the dishes and allergins.
The Star of the Meal?
The Lamb Chops and the Wagyu burger in my opinion the star of the show.
The miss of the Meal?
This is like asking which of my 3 children’s my favourite, I usually say in jest I hate them all equally (by the way I love them all equally) I would say the bone marrow dessert, i am not a fan of banana and chocolate pairing, it was just convoluted.
Honourable Mention
The 11 Woodfire is a trailblazer in the cutthroat modern wood fire restaurant scene in Dubai, I would say it is better than 3Fils, or Orfali Bros, It just did its thing in an honest and delicious manner
Halal Rating
The Chicken, Beef, Game and Lamb are confirmed 100% Halal.
Alcohol 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 accept free meals in return for reviews.
Hey Foodwala boys and girls… hope you are all safe and well
Please remember to subscribe to the Alfie Foodwala Facebook and Instagram pages, tag, and please share with six people if you like this review, message me if you have constructive feedback.
If you would like to “Eat with Alfie Foodwala” please email me at alfiefoodwala@aol.com
Furthermore, if you know of a restaurant that I should review please let me know.
“The party of the century”
As you might know, Eid has just passed and as usual, we all over-indulged after the blessed month of Ramadhan, We spend time with loved ones and enjoyed a huge range of delicious dishes.
We all love a party, we spend time with friends and family, eat good food and generally, a great time is to be had.
But where was the greatest party of all time, was it thrown by a Roman emperor? or King Solomon? or was it Queen Cleopatra at her inauguration?
Well actually the answer is quite surprising, The party of the century was actually thrown by the Shah of Iran to celebrate 2500 years of the Persian empire, a new city was constructed in the Persian desert, everything was constructed by French artisans and even the food was flown in from France, however, oddly enough no Iranian person was invited and the Shah did not even invite his ministers.
Not surprisingly, that did not sit well with the Iranians, and the small matter that it cost a mere $250m meant that the Shah’s card was marked by Messers Khomani and co.
That brings us to Saffron by Paradise in the Kelvinbridge Quarter, It used to be a run-of-the-mill Iranian restaurant called Paradise and it had a weird waterfall in the windows with always made me pass water for some reason.
The restaurant was taken over by an enterprising Persian chap who reinvented it as a Persian bistro, he made it trendy by adding statues of Perian mythology and the Persian sun-god Mithra.
We walked in at Iftar time and were greeted by a lovely vibe and ambiance, and full of pretty young things.
Mokee Foodwala and I were absolutely famished so we dove right into the Persian Meze.
Red Pepper Hummus £4.95 Moosir £4.95
The Red Pepper Hummus was deliciously creamy with roasted red pepper folded into the tahini and Channa, delicious.
The yogurt Moosir dip was balanced with garlic and walnuts and the perfect viscosity for it to be scooped up with the piping hot nan.
Saib Zamini £3.95
The Persian Batata Harara was triple cooked so it was crispy on the outside and piping hot and fluffy inside, the sumac seasoning was on point without being overpowering.
Koubideh Kebab £14.95
The Koubideh Kabab was up next, Koubideh is made from ground lamb or beef or a mix of both. It simply translates to slammed kabab, because of how it was made traditionally in the past. The meat was placed on a large stone and got smashed with a wooden mallet
If I was honest it was good but definitely not the best, It was well seasoned but a wee bit dry and it was missing the trademark smokiness, possibly because it was made on a gas-fired robata, as opposed to a far more difficult to used coal robata.
Joojeh Kebab £15.95
Joojeh kabab is a quintessential Persian chicken kebab. Chicken pieces are smothered in a delicious saffron and olive oil paste and grilled on a robata, this simple dish separates the cooks from the chefs if the chicken cubes are cooked a few seconds longer and the diced chicken becomes rubbery, cook a few seconds too little then it is a health hazard.
In Conclusion
The Mezze was fresh and flavorsome expertly prepared, could not fault
The Grilled mains were again delicious, the Koubideh would have been even more delicious if it was prepared on a charcoal robata, but that is just a minor point, the Joojeh Kebab was slightly under-seasoned for my taste but was grilled on point.
The Service was perfunctory, neither excellent nor poor, it was just functional.
The Star of the Meal?
The Koubideh Kebab was definitely the star of the show
The miss of the Meal?
It would be unfair to say the Joojeh was the “miss”
Honorable Mention
So how did Saffron compare with its Persian peers?
The Two best Persian restaurants in London so far have been Patogh off Edgware Road and the sublime Berenjak in Soho.
Further afield the best I have visited has been Persopolis in Beijing! and the sublime Special Kebab in Dubai.
While Saffron was excellent for Kelvinbridge Quarter, Glasgow, but way behind its more cosmopolitan brethren.
Halal Rating
The Chicken, Beef, and Lamb are confirmed 100% Halal
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 accept free meals in return for reviews.
All reviews are the personal opinion of Alfie Foodwala based on his 30-year experience as a restauranteur
Hey, Foodwala’s boys and girls…hope you are all safe and well.
Alfie Foodwala is back after the prolonged hiatus that was the COVID lockdown
Please remember to subscribe to the Alfie Foodwala Facebook and Instagram pages, tag, and please share with six people if you like this review, message me if you have constructive feedback.
If you would like to “Eat with Alfie Foodwala” please email me at alfiefoodwala@aol.com
Furthermore is you know of a restaurant that I should review please let me know.
The whole world is a stage, and all the men and women merely actors. They have their exits and their entrances, and in his lifetime a man will play many parts, his life separated into seven acts. *William Shakespeare*
In Milan this is taken literally, The Milanese have perfected the street scene into art.
There is nothing better than having a nice stroll before dinner, especially in a city that is synonymous with style and elegance that is Milan.
One of my most favorite walks is taking an evening stroll from my favorite hotel, Armani Hotel and walking along Via Montenapoleone and watching the great and the good of Milanese society strutting the stuff with nonchalant elegance.
I love the juxtaposition of the gritty graffiti with the elegant storefronts, the Loro Piana store with the bags of refuse that the Italian council workers did not uplift because some people did not grease the right palm.
I love how the modest moped is riden with style and aplomb, anywhere in the world it’s a basic form of transport except in Italy, where the rider rides like its thoroughbred horse, it also doubles as a platform to watch pretty girls go by.
All this *theatre* is amazing to watch, as dusk falls the boutiques light up and the soft white light adds to the framing of the street *theatre* the beautiful people sit at the placement restaurants and eat expressively all vying the attention of a fellow Milanese while disdainfully looking down at anyone not wearing a Moncler quilted jacket or the white Armani denim worn everso on the ankle and the Tods sneakers.
On Sunday Glasgow’s Merchant City actually looked cosmopolitan like Milan due to the COVID restrictions all the restaurants had outdoor seating and the great and the good of Glasgow society had turned out, the weather was cooperating and if you had the correct filter you could have been sitting in Milan,
The Alfie Foodwala jeeajunt (family) love their Italian food so we decided to try out the Italian Caffe in Ingram Street, this is now the Italian Quarter, what with sic Italian restaurants in a few yards of each other.
Italian Caffe
We opted for the effortlessly elegant Italian Caffe
the restaurant was modern and minimalist with dark wood and leather perfect Italian style the experience was heightened even more as the staff was actually Italian.
Neapolitan Pizza
We kicked off the proceedings with some Neopolitan Pizza, the sugo and cheese topping was spot on, the zerozero flour base had the right amount of elasticity.
a promising start.
Penne Pasta
Bakree Foodwalee opted with the Pene Pasta, the Past was tossed with tomato sugo and olive oil with a wee touch of chili, simple and delicious.
Gambrino Risotto
The mark of a great restaurant is how the simplest of dishes are complex and how complex dishes are simple,
Rani Foodwalees risotto was buttery and firm, the rice were al dente and the King Prawns were plump and firm.
In Conclusion
The Italian Caffe had style, elegance, and substance, the food was honest to goodness North Italian simple.
The superior ingredients did the talking rather than complicated names and egotistical dishes.
Simple and delicious and attentive nonchalant Italian waiters.
The Star of the Meal?
The stars in my humble opinion were the Pizza and the Rissotto
The miss of the Meal?
Possible the roast potatoes, they could have been fresher.
Honorable Mention
So how did The Italian Caffe do against its peers?
The Padella in London definitely did a better pasta, La Lanterna on Great Western Road is a hard-to-beat class act.
Halal Rating
The Chicken, Beef, and Lamb is NOT Halal
Alcohol is served on the Premises
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.
Hey, Foodwala’s boys and girls…hope you are all safe and well.
Please remember to subscribe to the Alfie Foodwala Facebook and Instagram pages, tag, and please share with six people if you like this review, message me if you have constructive feedback.
If you would like to “Eat with Alfie Foodwala” please message me.
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.
The Kebab Ustad (master)
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.
Mezze for 2 £14.50
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
Sucuk £7.00
The pan-fried Turkish beef sausage was delicious and spicy, perfect for cutting the creamy yogurt-based meze
Chicken Shish £16.50
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.
Lamb Shish £16.50
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.
Adana Kebab £16.50
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.
mezze
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.
