Tag: alfiefoodwala

July 18 2025

Cocotte, South Kensington

Food, FRENCH, london, Provençal alfiefoodwala, BBQ, chicken, comfort food, gourmet, grill, healthy, mediterranean, rustic, soho 0

11 Harrington Rd,
South Kensington, London
SW7 3ES

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, please let me know if you know of a restaurant I should review.

Un bon repas adoucit l’esprit et régénère le corps.
A good meal softens the mind and regenerates the body.

There is something about a good meal that nourishes not just the body but also the soul.
(And have I mentioned how food always seems to taste better when someone else cooks it?)

As I stepped into Cocotte, my sense of memory of a Glasgow boy on Cecil Street kicked into overdrive

At Hillhead Primary, every lunchtime was a pilgrimage past this mysterious shop on Great Western Road.
In its window spun an endless carousel of golden rotisserie chickens, bronzed and glistening, like edible jewellery.
Firstly, I never had the money to buy one; secondly, it was probably not Halal, but that hypnotic rotation—it’s sizzle, it’s scent, still stayed with me. It was as if it beckoned me inside to taste the forbidden fruit. It was always just out of reach
Tahir Foodwala and my sister and I would stand by that window, doing our homework, yes, you read it right, we did our homework there, dreaming up sentences and dreaming of supper at the same time.
And now, decades later, on a bright London afternoon, that memory returned—lavender air, roasted thyme, lemon zest, and nostalgia thick as gravy. I was that wee boy again.

Chicken Tenders
£8
9 out of 10.

🐓 Chicken Tenders

Let me be honest—I have a weakness for tenders….It’s my guilty pleasure; these were exquisite.
Crispy and golden, with a batter so light and oil-free it could pass as baked.
Inside: chicken so moist it could sing a ballad.
Magnifique.

Chicken Soup
£10
7 out of 10

Chicken Soup

The soup came watery, almost brothy—but then I learned: this is French style.
No spoon. You slurp it straight from the bowl.
And in doing so, the spices gently coat the palate—subtle, warming, aromatic.
An unfamiliar ritual, but one I now respect.

Cocotte Caesar
£7
7 out of 10.

🥗 Chicken Caesar Salad

This was more French rustic minimalist than Los Angeles bold.
Romaine lettuce, Dijon mustard, parmesan.
Simple, hearty—but missing the umami punch of anchovies.
A Caesar without the punch.

Whole Rotisserie
£27
8 out of 10.

🔥 Whole Rotisserie Chicken

The main event. The fulfilment of a childhood craving.
A whole chicken, quartered, each piece glistening with herbs, lemon zest, and crispy skin.
The meat? Succulent beyond reason.
Dipped in Cocotte’s umami-rich gravy, it transcended the memory and became a moment.
I loved it.

In Conclusion

Cocotte delivered on all the fundamentals. The food was excellent—comforting, confident, and cooked with care. The South Kensington location added a touch of quiet glamour, and the space was reassuringly spotless. Service was professional, perhaps teetering on brusque at moments, but nothing to ruffle feathers. All in, Cocotte is a little slice of rustic France done right—herbs, heart, and history on a plate.

⭐ Star of the Meal

It’s a tie between the Chicken Tenders (a guilty pleasure refined) and the Rotisserie Chicken (a memory redeemed in thyme and smoke).

🔹 Honourable Mention

To Roost Chicken in Dubai and The Rotisserie in Nice, for setting the benchmark and whispering in Cocotte’s ear.

🕌 Halal & Alcohol Info

✔️ Chicken is halal
⚠️ Alcohol is served

💯 Impartial Guarantee

As always, Alfie Foodwala dines anonymously and pays for his meals.
No free dinners. No favours. Just food, honestly.

July 14 2025

Mera Lahore, Edinburgh

Food, pakistani food alfiefoodwala, chicken tikka, chicken tikka masala, comfort food, edinburgh, glasgow, rustic 0

Mera Lahore
26/27 Haddington Pl, Edinburgh EH7 4AF

Please remember to subscribe to the Alfie Foodwala Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram pages, tag, and please share with six people if you like this review. Drop me a message if you have constructive feedback.

If you would like to “Eat with Alfie Foodwala” please email me at alfiefoodwala@aol.com

Furthermore, please let me know if you know of a restaurant I should review.

جس لاہور نہیں ویکھیا او جمیا ہی نہیں
“He who hasn’t seen Lahore, hasn’t been born.”

I arrived with Mrs Foodwala and Noma at Coco’s Den, in the Lahore Fort, just as the sun began to slip behind the pastel ochre-hued rooftops of old walled Lahore. The air was thick with the scent of history, mystery and woodsmoke, and then, as if on cue from the set of Wes Anderson, the Maghrib azaan drifted from a nearby Badshai Mosque, lonely at first, then answered one by one in a haunting cascade of calls from the city’s minarets.

Time slowed. The rickshaws paused. Even the crows bowed their heads to God’s majesty and seemed to hold their breath. The last rays of sunlight clung to the tips of the domes and minarets like reluctant devotees, unwilling to let go. For a moment, it felt as if Lahore wasn’t a city, but a memory you were somehow still living inside.

That memory flickered again at Mera Lahore in Edinburgh.

This eatery describes itself as a homage to the beautiful city of Lahore…shall we see if it lives up to it?

Flat, fierce, and unapologetically proud of its NWFP origins. But here at Mera Lahore, the chapli kebab was seasoned with confidence, cooked with care, and blessedly moist. Loved it. Originally, the chapli kebab is over-seasoned to mask the questionable quality of the lamb or beef, not the case here.

Moist chicken in a well-seasoned batter. But the portion? Stingy. A pakora should arrive like a generous, well-endowed Lahori, not like a tight Karachi walla.

Sadly, the chaat brought nothing to the party. Over-reliant on potatoes, with chickpeas that felt like reluctant guests and just a whisper of store-bought chaat masala, just filler.

Lahori Butt Chicken Karahi
£14.95
4 out of 10

Like Frank Pentageli said in The Godfather.. Your father did business with Hyman Roth; he respected Hyman Roth… but he never *trusted* Hyman Roth!

The Butt Karahi bubbled like a street-side argument in Anarkali—oily, masala-fused, and theatrical. But the flavour? Flat. A generic bhoona pretending to be a Butt Karahi. None of the ginger-snap or tomato tang you’d expect. A missed opportunity. So disappointed

Butter chicken? ….really?…More like a chasni. Sweet, creamy, and criminally off-mark. A curry in borrowed robes. Trading Standards should be alerted.

Like dad used to say…fur coat and no Knickers!!….

The Mix Grill was visually regal, like something carried into a Mughal court. But the substance didn’t match the style. Dry lamb seekh, leathery tikka, chicken wings straight out of a freezer aisle. Only the chicken kebab and tikka showed a spark. and all marinated in a very generic masala and only the kebabs felt fresh rest was reheated….way off

In Conclusion

The Mera Lahore is dirty, the toilets are filthy, the dining area is filthy, and the staff put cutlery on the chairs!! I am not being mean and vindictive, but the hygiene is seriously lacking

The food has had a flavour bypass; however, the chapli kebab was delicious, so all is not lost.

The service was very hit and miss, the young lady was accommodating in our requests and polite and with a smile so top marks with that, however her coulegues was grumpy, unkept and to be honest a wee bit sarcasticic. so the young lady’s hard work was undone by the young mans shurliness.

Star of the Meal

That accolade goes to in my humble opinion, to the Chapli Kebab, tasty, moist and well seasoned, desi style.

Honourable Mention

Since Mera Lahore is a Lahori/Pakistani canteen. So it has an enviable niche position, which it does not leverage

In the Food stakes, we have Yadgar, in Govanhill and Kebab Mahal in Edinburgh offering Desi home-style cooking. Further afield, we have Tayabbs in London and even Butt Karahi in Lahore

Halal Rating

Lamb and Chicken is HALAL

No Alcohol is served

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.

May 12 2024

Ottoman Coffee House, Glasgow

finnieston, Food alfiefoodwala, arabic, BABA, chicken, chicken tikka, chicken tikka masala, comfort food, glasgow, mezze 0

Ottoman Coffee Shop
73 Berkeley St.,
Glasgow G3 7D

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, please let me know if you know of a restaurant I should review.

“.Yeniçeriler yemekleriyle ünlüdür. Belki bir tatmak istersin?… Suleiman the Magnificent

Janissaries are famous for their cooking. Perhaps you’d like a taste?

I was standing on the Eminonu Ferry on the shores of the Bosphorous, as I looked back on shore a Turkish Poem flashed into my head

“I looked at you from another hill, dear İstanbul! I know you like back of my hand, and love you dearly. Come, come and sit on my heart´s throne as long as I live , Just to love a district of yours is worth a whole life.”

As you can imagine Istanbul sits in a special place in my heart, I was visiting Istanbul with Ralfy Foodwala and we decided to go for a walk in the old winding streets of Sultanamhat, as we wondered the centuries old streets around the Topkapi palace and Four Seasons Hotel which incidentally was the infamous prison in Midnight Express in its previous life.

As we crossed the Hajia Sofia square we decided to stop for Apple Tea and Lokum, as we sat and watched the world go by , an old gentlemen dressed in a elegant double breasted suit unusually without a shirt yet a cravat, and a Lambskin Asterkhan hat , he was smoking his Nargile and singing quietly to himself.

Our curiosity got the better of us and we asked the old gentlemen.

“uncle what are you singing…it sounds so heartfelt and spiritual”

he stopped singing and looked at us , his eyes were blue and wet with age, he looked at us for what seemed a eternity and then spoke.

“you boys are from Pakistan, our brother country?”

he went on to add ….i was singing a famous Turkish Folk song, where Moghul Emporer Hamayun met with Solieman the magnificent in Golestan Persia, Sulieman had conquered all the land from Constantinople to Golestan and Hamayun had conquered all the land from Dehli to Golestan.

At their fateful meeting as a mark of respect the conquering heros brought gifts for each other, Solieman the Magnificant bought Lokom (turkish delight) as he knew Hamayun had a sweet tooth. Hamayun brought his tandoor and had his chef make the most magnificent grilled meats.

that was the genesis of the Mangal Ocakbasi in Turkish cooking and Mithai and Halwa in Pakistani cuisine.

This week Shai Foodwala and i were in deepest darkest Finnieston and we found ourselves at the Ottoman Coffee Shop.

How would I describe the Ottoman Coffee Shop, Well its like a love child of a threesome between the little shop of curiosities and the Ottoman version of the hard rock cafe crossed with Starbucks.

On paper it should not work however what you get is a Bohemian Turkish Chaiwala.

First up was the Humus with nan, the Humus was rich and creamy, with the tahini and chick peas was finely balanced, The nan was freshly made and light yet fluffy. the Humus could have done with a little Citrusy tang to cut the creaminess, however thats a personal foible.

The Handi of the day was grandly announced by the waiter as the Tarka Dall, then he sheepeshly came back after a few minates and said the Dhall was sold out and the new handi of the day was Sagg Aloo.

I was a wee bit mystified how the Dhall could run out within a hour of opening, yet not of the customers were eating food, i suppose there are some mysteries out there which are not to be solved.

Anyhow the Sagg Aloo was a decent effort, the Sagg tasted homemade, rather than the commercial tinned spinich and smooth due to the butter tarka, the potatoes were nice and pillowy. a nice dish.

This was not, a Biryani, this is clearly a Trading Standards reporting reportable offence…I jest… however since we have established this is not biryani, we can get on with what it is, it was clearly lamb curry mixed with rice, however the concoction was tasty, the lamb was soft and tender and the rice, although not basmati was decent attempt.

There was a Shawarma Grill in the kitchen but who is to know what happened between the grill and the table.

Possibly the Shawarma is not a popular item at the Ottoman Coffee House so it is reheated with some sweet and sour sauce from the local Tesco Express.

Another mystery!

Last out was the Chicken Kebab, the upside was that the portion was generous and the chicken was subtly seasoned.

i felt the chicken was wee bit dry, and was reheated in a microwave.

In Conclusion

The Ottoman Coffee House, is a welcoming, homely bohamian space which is always an advantage.

the food is simple and mostly tasty, however it is let down by the Shawarma , although it is nothing major, mostly the food has homemade vibes.

The service was confident and friendly, the young man was accommodating in our requests and knew the menu which always helps. one bugbear is my personal irritation where the waiting staff dont write down the order.

Star of the Meal

That accolade goes to in my humble opinion to the Sags Aloo, tasty homemade and well seasoned, desi style.

Honourable Mention

Since Ottoman Coffee House is a Hybrid desi coffee shop/ pakistani canteen. so it has a enviable niche position.

In the Food stakes we have Yadgar, in Govanhill and Kebab Mahal in Edinburgh offering Desi home style cooking.

In the desi coffee and chai offering we can loosely mention Chaiwala and its many mutant offsprings but Ottoman has a more Bohemian following.

Halal Rating

Lamb and Chicken is HALAL

No Alcohol is served

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.

April 28 2024

CZN Burak Gurme, Bradford

Food, LEVENT, MEZZE alfiefoodwala, arabic, BBQ, chicken tikka masala, grill, LEVENT, mediterranean 0

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, please let me know if you know of a restaurant I should review.

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; 
Second, by imitation, which is easiest; 
and third by experience, which is the bitterest."

(Confucius )

It was the long hot summer of 86, and the school was out, the days were endless.

The soundtrack to the summer was Kenny Loggins “Danger Zone” and the summer blockbusters were Top Gun.

It was a summer of discovery, in more mays than one.

One morning my dad decided to take us to Alton Towers, the thing was our dad was a super driven, focused and a work addict and we used to crave some time with dad.

So when dad said we were going on a road trip we were beyond excited.

We decided to leave the Ice white Jaguar behind that day and take my chachas sports car.

The Alton towers trip was amazing, however what was even more amazing was the stop over for dinner in Manchester,

We had dinner in Wilmslow Road, and back then it was a very exotic place stuck in a time-warp part Mirpur and part Lancashire mill town.

It was all very different from the Kurdish Benidorm it is now.

As we drove into Wilmslow Road my dad showed me the first restaurant,The upmarket restaurnt’s exterior was embeleshed in white mosaic and it had suited waiters serving.

But as we drove down Wilmslow Road my dad pointed out that the first restaurant was the genesis, and the others copied the first restaurant, so whereas the owner of the first restaurant had the vision and taste for a truly great restaurant, the subsequent restaurants were a poor imitation of the first, as they did not have the same ethos, ethic , vision or motivation.

This week I was in Mirpurshire, Also known as Bradfordstan.

It was a place where brown munday roam the wide plains of the Yorkshire dales in there souped up Golfs , wearing the latest sportswear chic outfits and the obligatory cross body bags and addressing there peers with salutory “yaara” and “coosee”… pepered with “kusmay”

I decided to try out the new boy in the Bradford food scene, a weird import from Dubai via Istanbul… SZN Burak.

CZN Burak is named after the chef Burak Ozdemir, whos is famous for…being the poor mans Nuseret Gōkçe or Nusr Et.

i could not find any other redeeming thing that stood out to make this more interesting. SZN Burak is unashamedly a imitation designed to get back water yokels in Bradfords and such to bask in the glow of a “glamorous” Dubai import.

First up was the Grilled Haloumi, which was rubbery, squeaky and ice cold, The Sajouk was luke warm and i was going to give the dish a 2 but in all fairness the Sajouk had a nice spice kick to it so it was redeemed.

Signature Meze Platter
£19.50
6 out of 10

The Mezze Platter was presented nicely, however it was grossly overpriced, the five small dips outstripped central London in its pricing.

The Humous was passable, there was not lemony kick nor the smooth olive oil that makes the humous silky.

The Mouhamara tasted commercial, there was no nuttiness not the tart sweetness of the pomegranate molasses, it was just a red pepper paste.

The Baba Ghanough tasted of chopped raw aubergine, i could not feel the roasted smokiness.

The crispy toasted pitta was a good shout

The last up was the mixed grill, The mix grill was again passable, I suspect the food was pregrilled and kept warm in Rational Ovans.

The Adana Kebab was tander, moist and had a nice spicy neuance, however the size was a wee bit stingy, especially to a Scotsman like me.

The tavuk şiş or Shish Tauok was cubes of under-seasoned chicken breast , admittedly it was tender but still under seasoned and luke warm.

The Kuzu șiş, or lamb kebab was unusual, now it could be I am wrong but the lamb tasted a bit funky, a bit off.

could it have been sitting for too long in the moist heat but it definitely tasted funky to me.

The redeeming item of the mixed grill was the solitary Lamb chop, nicely frenched and lightly marinated.

In Conclusion

SZN Bradford was style and marketing over substance

the food food was mass produced and commercial, the food was an afterthought to the decor and branding. Basicaly it was for a less sophisticated market, hence why it opened in Bradford first rather than London.

The service was attentive and unobtrusive. I was looked after by Dallas who was friendly and cooly efficient even with a restaurant full of baying Mirpuris.

The Decor was Turkish minimalist chic.

Lastly , the gents washrooms were dirty and messy, does that reflect on the cleanliness of the Kitchen?

Star of the Meal

I would tentatively go for the wee Adana Kebab, nicely seasoned and texture,

Honourably Mentioned.

So how does SZN Burak compare with its peers, but how do we compare, if it was like for like manufactured turk food band then Nusr Et wins hands down for the sheer showmanship, but for the quality of food then that goes to Günaydin.

Secondly, if we were to compare SZN Burak with just the quality of the food then we dont have to look far…EDA in Glasgow, serves a way better product.

Further away in Edinburgh, Shish also maintains the food stakes (no pun intended) over SZN.

Casting the net wider still we have the powerhouse Turkish restaurants of Gökyüzü, Antipililer and Gokyuzu on the Grand Parade North London, the blow CZN out of the water unfortunately.

Halal Rating.

The Chicken and Lamb are halal

No Alcohol is served.

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.

April 8 2024

Grand Tour…Pakistan, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Qatar Ramadan 2024

emirates, Food, LEVENT, ORIENTAL, pakistani food, Tapas Indian, travel alfiefoodwala, arabic, BBQ, chicken, chicken tikka, chicken tikka masala, emirates, INDIAN FOOD, italianfood, LEVENT, mediterranean, middleeastern, PASTA, rustic 0

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, please let me know if you know of a restaurant I should review.

“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.

February 11 2024

Pahli Hill, Bandra Bhai, London

Food, indian food, london, mayfair alfiefoodwala, business, chicken tikka, chicken tikka masala, INDIAN FOOD, london, MICHELIN 0

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, please let me know if you know of a restaurant I should review.

"hajaaron khokhale shabdon se behatar vah ek shabd hai jo shaanti laata hai."

(Buddha )

“Better than a thousand hollow words… is one word that brings peace.”–

It was the long hot summer of 1987, I was once again on my grandfather’s plantation in Toba Tek Singh, the days were long and hot,,, the perfect mango growing season.

Each morning I would go for a walk with my grandfather to inspect the mango trees.

The Mango orchard was in the honoured position in the marabas (fields) beside the farmhouse.

The mango trees were lined up in a regimental fashion like sepoys in the parade ground, we would walk past each tree and my dadoo would point out just by his expert eye the prime mangoes at the best time of picking.

His munshi (foreman) would follow behind us with a long hockey stick device that plucked the golden mango without bruising or bumping them.

The mango was then washed in a bath of iced rosewater and then wrapped in muslin from my grandfather’s cotton plantation and mill and placed in a polished velvet-lined Thuya wood box, with the plantation name and date embossed in gold.

Each time I asked my grandfather who the box was for, he would mischievously wink and say it’s for peace.

So a couple of days later I was watching the news that tensions between, Pakistan and India had reached a crescendo and there was talk of hostilities.

That is when President Zia ul Haq did a googly and flew to Bombay, in the pretence of attending the India-Pakistan test match and met Rajiv Gandhi with a peace offering, thus earning the monicker…“cricket diplomacy of Pahli Hill”

Wait a moment…That polished Thuya box looked familiar.

This week we were in the deepest darkest Fitzrovia and came across this imaginatively named Bombay speakeasy/ restaurant called Pahli Hill and Bandra Bhai.

Mokee Foodwala and I were intrigued , so we decided to explore further.

The decor of the restaurant was tasteful Bollywood/Irani chic, with loads of dark polished wood and brass and Connolly leather banquette seating.

Since we were famished we ordered.

The crispy Khakhra were…phenomenal!!!!Khakra is a thin cracker, like poppadom Gujer cousin, common in Gujrat western India, It is made from mung bean and oil.

This Khakra was a wee bit different as it was slathered with spicy mustard and bird eye achar…seriously spicy yet seriously addictive and delish.

Up next were this delicious, morish palak, Cicoria and Rosevale aloo tikki, accompanied by a sweet and sour tamarind chutney.

the tikkis were moist and light, delicately spiced and balanced, like eating clouds of spinach potato tikis.

The Lamb Biryani was delightful, with just enough spice to keep the next bite interesting, and the cornish lamb melted in the mouth.

Delicious, why was it, not 10/10… the £34 price tag was a wee bit rich for this scottush lad.

PAHLI HILL TANDOORI CHICKEN TIKKA
£21
8/10

The Chicken Tikka was expertly marinated using the light of touch of a master, and the breasts and thighs were moist with no crunchiness of saline-injected chicken. chicken tikka can be the easiest tandoori dish to make or the hardest, it all depends on the master.

The cucumber kimchi accompaniment was tasty and imaginative.

The Dal was a revelation!!! the second coming even…it was absolutely delicious, lightly spiced with roasted shallots, it was the closest to my mum’s masoor ki dal…knowing what I know now I would have been happy to just have the dal with the latcha paratha and some steamed rich. I would go back to Pahli Hill just for the dal.

In Conclusion

The Pahli Hill food game is on point. lacking pretentiousness

the food is simple yet elegant and expertly made with quality ingredients, when your team is this good you don’t need gimmicks and sleight of hand.

The service was attentive and unobtrusive.

The Star of the Meal?

The Star of the Meal was definitely the Tadka Dall…. did I mention that it was delicious?

Honourable Mention

Pahli Hill is definitely Michelin standard, they would race in the same thoroughbred with Gymkhana, Jamavar and Veeraswamys.

This is the Champions League of Indian cooking, and London is a different country. Opheem in Birmingham is also in the running.

These restaurants are a busman’s holiday for me.

Halal Rating.

The Chicken and Lamb are halal

however, Pork is served but segregated

Alcohol is served.

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.

January 7 2024

Africana Kitchen, Glasgow

Food alfiefoodwala, BBQ, burgers, chicken, chicken tikka masala, comfort food, glasgow, mezze 0

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.

“Umuthi ugotshwa usemanzi” (Zulu Saying)

“a tree is bent while it is still wet”– Some wise Zulu Dude

I love traveling, learning, and eating

Not too long ago, I went to visit Omar Foodwala in Dubai, he is an eccentric and excitable chap always going off leftfield.

One Friday morning Omar grandly proclaims to me over breakfast.

“Alfie I am going to take you on an adventure”

I did not know what to make of this, so I decided to humour him.

Off he merrily skipped to the garage where his trusted Steed the Jag was parked.

We drove out of the shiny skyscrapers of Downtown Dubai and headed into the desert, on and on we drove into the empty quarter, the towers of Dubai receding in the background like some hairline.

“Goblees where are we going”

wait and see was his cryptic repose, we drove deeper and deeper into the wilderness,

We stopped at some bedouin shacks to get some water, the last place you wanted to be stranded in the desert without water was in the empty quarter

eventually, In the distance, I could see a brightly lamp lit building, Omar brightly announced that we were here, here where I enquired sleepingly.

“Passion is the genesis of genius.” he kept repeating like a mantra

What are you on about?

all will be revealed Omar kept saying

We pulled up to a Chicken restaurant called Hashmis, Omar grandly announced that we have finally arrived and he was going to introduce me to the guy who invented the Peri Peri Chicken!!

WHAT HOW WHERE WHEN WHO!!!!!

simultaneously raced in my mind

I was a wee bit skeptical as you can imagine, so we walked into a diner with an identity crisis, it was an Indian diner with African vibes, loud African music was playing and the place had some different chill-out vibes.

The walls were pasted with newspaper clippings from African publications about Peri Peri Chicken and how an enterprising Gujarati fella had adapted Indian spices with an old African recipe to create a taste sensation, that was taking the rich young kids of Kenya and Tanzania by storm.

Before we could sit Omar dragged me to the kitchen and stormed inside, he asked a surprised chef where Uncle Hashmi was, and the chef pointed to the back with his skewer.

We see an elderly gentleman wearing denim dungarees and a chef coat sitting on a crate and marinading chicken like some mad scientist, he had many jars and bottles of different colours.

Omar walks up and whispers to me in reverence

“Alfie this is the guy who invented the Peri Peri chicken”

To be continued…

This week we were in the deepest darkest Sauchihall Street and came across this imaginatively named African/Peri Peri restaurant called Africana Kitchen

My curiosity got the better of me again and we decided the explore the restaurant.

The restaurant decor had chilled African vibes, nice and fresh and it had nice African chill-out music to enhance the atmosphere, a bit like an upmarket nandos.

We kicked off the proceedings with Hummus and bread, the hummus had a generic taste like it was store-bought from the Tesco next door, it was pleasant and middle of the road.

The bread was fresh and hot so redeemed the Hummus somewhat.

Island Fish and Chips
£15.95 **5 out of 10**

The Island Fish and Chips looked prehistoric and was served on what looked like a wooden canoe, possibly that native to some parts of Africa who knows.

The crust of the fish was the same buttermilk crust of the fried chicken, it was hard and thick and doughy.

after crashing past the crust the fish was an afterthought, we could hardly taste the fish.

Style after substance.

The Jambalaya was like a biryani I have had in many average Indian restaurants, the same copy and paste spices, the same textures and ingredients, I was expecting, Creole and Cajun-inspired rice pot recipe that’s bursting with spicy African chicken, sweet peppers, and tomatoes.

What we received was chicken biryani.

Bunny chow, often referred to simply as a bunny, is an Indian South African fast food dish consisting of a hollowed-out loaf of white bread filled with curry and a serving of salad on the side. It originated among Indian South Africans of Durban.

What we received must have gotten lost in translation, it was some bland vegetables and a flatbread with an unidentifiable protein accompaniment.

In Conclusion

I do not want to be unkind, the decor, staff, and vibes were on point.

However, the food lets the side down, if you are visiting for the Instagram vibes and the food is secondary then this is the place for you.

If however, you are going for an African adventure full of authentic punchy falavours then maybe give this a miss.

The food is the lowest denominator franchise-friendly, pre-prep factory food, done up to look good on Instagram and influencer feeds.

The Star of the Meal?

The Star of the Meal jury is still out.

Honorable Mention

Africana Kitchen will hold its own purely as food is secondary to the vibes at the moment in the influencer universe.

However, if we were to toe-toe with other Peri Peri restaurants like Casa de Frango in London and dare to say Hashmis in Dubai it would be describing the Sarenghetti to Blair Drummond Safari Park.

I wish Africana all the best and it finds a loyal following, A lot has been invested in the restaurant and I would never dismiss this labour of love.

Just the food is colour by numbers.

Halal Rating

The Lamb and Chicken are halal.

NO Alcohol are 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.

December 25 2023

Shish, Edinburgh

Food, LEVENT, MEZZE alfiefoodwala, arabic, BBQ, chicken, edinburgh, gourmet, LEVENT, mediterranean, middleeastern 0

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.

Bağa bak üzüm olsun, yemeye yüzün olsun (Turkish Proverb)

“Take care of the vineyard, so the vineyard takes care of you

– Some wise Turkish Fella

I was 7 years old when I had a seminal culinary epiphany, It was the long hot summer of ’79 when we closed the restaurant for a major refurbishment, the whole restaurant was stripped back to the brick walls.

It was then when there was great excitement and a flurry of activity, a huge transporter lorry arrived. On the back of the lorry were 2 large wooden crates, I wondered what could possibly be in those Jurassic-looking crates, Curious I had a look around.

The crates were marked in a different language, I was intrigued, to say the least, I tried to peer between the wooden slats but could not see anything. After a while I got frustrated and hungry and went in search of something to eat, my larger-than-life chacha was quite a raconteur and was in the kitchen shell with some workmen, he was telling some story and the guys were beside themselves with laughter.

I asked my chacha what was in the wooden crates, even in the middle of his story he took time to explain that the crates were tandoors and pointed at the workmen, and these gentlemen were going to install them.

So I watched them peeling back the wooden planks and installing the tandoors on a base of concrete and old whiskey bottles.

After they installed the tandoor they put coal in and lit them, while the coal was burning red hot the tandoori artisan cured the inside of the new tandoor with a mixture of pureed spinach, yoghurt and sugar. Apparently, when the intense heat hit the sugar there was a reaction and the carbon in the sugar practically became glass thus creating a ceramic coating to protect the inside of the tandoors for years of hard use.

Then the tandoor chef cooked a few skewers of Chicken in the tandoors, and my chacha gave me some to try it was indeed an epiphany, I was gobsmacked at how delicious the marinaded chicken was, the smokiness, the juicy tenderness, the nuanced spiciness.

The Tandoor had me at hello.

This week we were in Edinburgh and came across this intriguingly named Turkish restaurant called Shish.

My curiosity got the better of me again and we decided the explore the restaurant.

The restaurant decor was smart and Instgram friendly, definitely Antalya Bling

We kicked off the proceedings with some Hummus and Muhammara.

The Hummus was delicious, smooth and creamy, maybe it could wee bit too smooth and could have had a little bit more bite to it, but that was a personal choice.

The Muhammara paste was made with walnuts, tomatoes and red peppers, however, it was too dry for my liking, it could have been done with more olive oil and tomatoes.

Next up was the Mix Grill Khazana…Chicken Shish, lamb Shish, lamb ribs, grilled chicken thigh, butcher koftä, Adana kebab, chicken wings, lamb cutlets’’

The mixed grill was presented on this regal platter and it looked spectacular, however it lacked substance, just like Edinburgh it was

“Fur coat and nae knickers”

The lamb ribs were a little emaciated, it was like nibbling on tree bark, and the Chicken Shish were nicely seasoned and moist.

The chicken thigh was again nicely seasoned, the lamb chops were thin and dry and under-seasoned. The Koftä was under-seasoned and a little dense.

The Adana kebab was disappointing, the meat was dry as if the proportion of lamb meat to tail fat was not right.

In the platter was some stodgy bread and rice.

In Conclusion

There was a lot of talk about Shish on social media, possibly it believed the hype.

The restaurant decor is pleasant, Antalya Bling.

The food was decent but not as amazing as I was led to believe (not pointing fingers at my brother JoBro)

the constituant parts were presant but it just did not sizzle, like the chef had a night off.

The service was friendly if not a little insure.

The Star of the Meal?

The Star of the meal could have been the Lamb Chops if they were more substatial and had the cap of fat to keep them moist. but was possibly the Chicken and Lamb Shish, well marinaded, delicious and with excellent execution.

Honourable Mention

Shish are good but could have been exceptional, It has some amazing peers in the Turkish food scene in Glasgow, particularly like Roya and Eda or Gokyuzu in London, or Sirali in Dubai.

Halal Rating

The Lamb and Chicken are halal.

NO Alcohol are 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.

October 7 2023

Brigadiers, London

Food, london, mayfair alfiefoodwala, chicken tikka masala, gourmet, INDIAN FOOD, london, MICHELIN 0

1-5 Bloomberg Arcade, London EC4N 8ARHey Foodwala Boys and Girls… hope you are all 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.

“The dump outside a village tells tales about the villagers”(paraphrased)

“Paga valia da pind…roorya to pata lug jund da”

– Ali A. Aslam

It was a stifling hot and dusty summers afternoon in 1946, in the deepest darkest Punjab when out of the shimmering heat a caravan of Morris 8’s emerged alongside a truck carrying troops.

The cars carried Brigadier Smith Dun from the feared 14th Punjab Regiment and the local land administrator called the Zaildar and his underlings the Lumberdars.

Today was an important day, today was the day the Britishers were going to distribute the land that was not theirs to distribute. The male head of each family was called to the Panchayat and told to bring their best horse. The horse was then made to run for 5 minutes and where the horse stopped that was where the line was squared off and that would belong to that family.

On that fateful day, all the families got their tracts of land and much merriment was made, as the land would be the livelihood for many generations. One poor labourer who did not own a buffalo let alone a horse was left with nothing, while the other now Zamindars celebrated he looked on with despair until he could not take it any more and ran in front of the departing Brigadiers’ car, threatening to jump in front of the car and die.

Brigadier Dun asked why the Pagil dared to hold up the Kings” Brigadier and the labourer pleaded that he had five sons and no land…he was destitute, unusually Dun took pity and asked the Lumberdar if there was any land left, the Zaildars and Lumberdars consulted their plot book and eventually after some head scratching and beard scratching a tiny plot was found where the village threw away its rubbish, this was then given to the labourer.

The labourer then sold the plot to his neighbour and paid for passage for his oldest son to come to Glasgow to work…And from that, a multi-million-pound business empire was built.

This story was told by my dad saying luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

This week I was in the City of London and felt peckish, I was in the Bloomberg Building for some meetings so I ventured to the ground floor where Mr Bloomberg a huge foodie, had personally curated a group of restaurants.

The restaurant which caught my eye was Brigadiers, the sister restaurant of Gymkhana in Mayfair.

I tentatively ventured in, it was all rich wood panelling and burgundy Connolly leather, It recreated the Meat testosterone-filled officers’ mess halls in the British Raj. The position of the restaurant is ironic, as it is now in the 21st-century equivalent of a Meat-driven testosterone-filled International Bank in the City of London.

I kicked off the proceedings with an assortment of poppadoms and dips, the yellow yoghurt and tamarind dip was absolutely delicious.

The Afghani Kebab was unusual, the kebab has gone through the Pymallion paradox, The Afghani kebab is usually a crude meaty/fatty affair, however, the chefs at Brigadiers had made it all sophisticated and high class, and the skewer was steak meat and pieces of white fat interlaced with onion just to give it a delicious tasting note.

Tandoori Lamb Chops, Tandoori Onions £17

The Tandoori Lamb chops were Brigadier’s signature dish, plat de prédilection even, however, this is where the record screeches to a halt, the lamb chops were a little under-seasoned and overcooked, and the chops should have been slightly pink inside to enjoy the real meaty flavour. Wee a bit disappointed at the schoolboy error.

The Tawa prawn biryani was tasty, but not exceptional, maybe I did not manage my expectations or maybe the chefs were having a off day, but it was not executed as one would expect at Indian food at this level and price point.

I cannot figure out, if the Brigadier’s chefs were going for the Tahdig effect which is the crispy layer of rice at the base of the pan, which is super expert biryani cooking or was the rice burnt and clumpy due to the lack of proper mixing, this another schoolboy error.

A quick epilogue, this is the fanciest sinks I have come across in a restaurant.

In Conclusion

Brigadiers is a meat-fueled testosterone-charged Raj verse restaurant in exactly the right location.

The Restaurant is from the stable of JKS restaurants, who are the trailblazers of a lot of the hottest restaurants in London at the moment.

However, I personally felt the food was excellent but at the price point and expectations was a slight miss

The price point was however quite expensive, approx £77 per head, so my expectation was heightened.

The Service was friendly and to the point.

The Star of the Meal?

The Star of the meal could have been the Tandoori Lamb Chops but was possibly the Afghani Kebab, well marinaded, delicious and with excellent execution.

The miss of the Meal?

The Tandoori Lamb Chops were the miss of the meal, they were overcooked.

Honourable Mention

Brigadiers are good but could have been exceptional, It has some amazing peers in the Michelin Indian food scene, particularly like Gymkhana and Jamavar in London, or Opheem in Birmingham.

Halal Rating

The Lamb and Chicken are halal.

Pork and Alcohol are 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.

July 15 2023

Royâ, Glasgow

Food, LEVENT alfiefoodwala, arabic, chicken tikka masala, citycentre, glasgow, gourmet, LEVENT, mediterranean, rustic 0

Hey Foodwala Boys and Girls… hope you all 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.

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
– J.R.R. Tolkien

I was watching the news and the skirmish in Ukraine came up. now before you go glassy-eyed and lose interest, this is a story of hope and happiness…bear with me.

I was in Beirut a few years back and was walking back to my hotel, Four Seasons at Zeitouna Bay, after a particularly challenging meeting.

I walked from Pigeon Rocks and when I reached Hamra so I felt peckish, So I stumbled upon the Barber Schwarma restaurant, what set this joint apart from the many other shawarma restaurants in Rue du Picadilly was the line of people waiting to get served.

Any restaurant with a line of people must be worth checking out, so I joined the back of the line, I did not have to wait long and It was my turn, The elephant leg-sized shawarma glistened while being roasted on a vertical wood-fired spit and as the outer layer was caramelised and cooked the expert shawarma walla would slice off paper-thin layers of meat using a scimitar type knife and place them in fresh pitta and chuck in some onion and parsley and for the avant grade some chips, he would roll them up and present it the customer.

I ordered a lamb and chicken shawarma, I promptly received my order and settled down to eat.

I noticed a picture of Anthony Bourdain, curious I asked the portly gentlemen in chef’s whites sitting at the next table, why they had a picture of him, apparently he had visited the restaurant some years back when he filmed parts unknown.

The portly chef, I found out was the legendary Abu Waseem, one of the few master shawarma chefs left in Lebanon, the rest have been poached to work in UAE, Qatar and Saudi.

He explained that this is the only restaurant which never closed during the Lebanese civil war, The restaurant was on the no man’s strip of land on the edge of the three warring factions, so what the hungry soldiers used to do was send children to the restaurant to collect the Shawarma sandwiches. So they used to have Hizbollah children standing in line with Marionite Christain children and Druze kids all waiting to take shawarma back to the fighters, some say the friendships struck up in the Shawarma line eventually brought the end to the Civil War.

So the love of food does indeed transcend religion, culture and enmity and should give us hope in such turbulent times.

This week I was with my friend Shai Foodwala, who hails a few kilometres south of Beirut and on the other side of the southern border.

Roya describes itself as a contemporary Middle Eastern and Levant Kitchen.

We kicked off the proceedings with the Dipping platter, Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Mouhamara & garlic Labneh served with a freshly baked Persian ‘barbai’ bagel.

This was lovely and fresh and packed with flavour, although small in size the dips were excellent, the Barbai bagel was phenomenal, the crust was crispy while inside it was soft and pillowy.

Spinach Falafel 6.95 8/10
Shawarma Croquettes 6.95 4/10

Next up was the spinach falafels, the falafels were expertly made, with a deep crust and soft ground chickpea and the spinach centre was defiantly tasty, The falafels were topped with hummus and garlic mayo, a thumbs up from me.

The Shawarma Croquetes, were another matter, it was promised as, Lamb neck shawarma and fried onion-filled croquettes, with saffron and potato sauce. It sounds nice but when we tried it it was another story, the inside of the Croquettes had a slimy texture, and it was very off-putting If I could only “un-eat” it.

The Mixed Grill consisted of 2 skewers of Koubideh kebab, Joojeh chicken kebab, and kebab torsh.

The Koubideh Kebab was decent, but not the best I have heated, they were small and lacked the succulent fatty texture with saffron flavour notes, I have had better.

The Joojeh Chicken was succulent and well marinated, definitely above average Joojeh, usually, Joojeh is a bit too try, but this was good.

The Kebab Torsh was the star, the lamb was marinaded in pomegranate molasses and lemon and allowed to sit, after grilling you get this magical sweet yet umami-rich sourness. delish.

In Conclusion

Royàs heart is in the right place, it’s young and contemporary, yet not letting the form overtake the function. The ingredients and menu were innovative and fun, the presentation was eye-catching.

The price point was however quite expensive, approx £50 per head,

We enjoyed Royà

The Service was friendly and to the point.

The Star of the Meal?

The Star of the meal was the Kebab Torsh, well marinaded, delicious and excellent execution.

The miss of the Meal?

The Shawarma Croquettes were the miss of the meal, they tasted slimy and grey, did not like the cloying feeling in the mouth.

Honourable Mention

Royà is simply put good, It has some amazing peers in the Contemporary Middle Eastern/Persian scene, particularly like Berenjak in London and Orfali Bros in Dubai, It has a way to go before it reaches those hallowed heights.

Halal Rating

The Lamb and Chicken are 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.