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Tag: BBQ

October 26 2021

3 FILS, DUBAI

emirates, Food alfiefoodwala, arabic, BBQ, burgers, emirates, glasgow, rustic, seafood 0

Wharf 02, Jumeirah Fishing Harbour – 1 Al Urouba St – Dubai – United Arab Emirates

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.

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

I once went to see the late great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in concert in Glasgow, as you can imagine Glasgow is pretty straight laced in terms of social conservatism, so the once old Nusrat started to sing his Qualis the atmosphere in the hall became electric, it was as if the audience was mesmerised by the poetic lyrics.

Mr Khan sang about how love is a greater intoxicant than alcohol… then something strange happened, an elderly “uncle” got up from his chair and with an aid of a stick shuffled to the front of the stage.

Firstly he took out a few notes from his pocket and reverently placed them in front of the Quali master as a token of his appreciation and then he started to gyrate, yes he started to dance, not in a disco or western dance but a dance of the mesmerised, he started to whirl like a Sufi dervish…one man, without fear of judgment or failure stood in front of the stage and started dancing. Then another “uncle” started to dance on his chair, and another and another until the hall was full of men whirling like dervishes in front of the master.

It was quite a sight to behold, and equally how a single act can kickstart a movement.

The point of the story is that the food scene of Dubai is dominated by behemoth 5-star hotels with its tightly controlled international restaurant scene, or restaurants opened under the banner of celebrity chefs who lend their name so restaurant owners can overcharge their customers and finally the franchised mall restaurants who bang out homogenized food.

However, there is a movement happening in Dubai – chefs and restaurateurs are breaking free from the safety of hotels, franchises and celebrity mentorships and are creating a movement – a portfolio of independent, quality destinations that resonate with Dubai’s community.

One of the trailblazers is Chef Akmal Anuar and his 3 Fils Emirati/Far Eastern restaurant, he turned his back on the safe 5-star residentship and ventured out alone into the tumbleweed wilderness of off the beaten track independent restaurant scene.

He is the first to admit that the risk in the early days nearly did not pay off and he struggled to get 4 paying customers a day, but he persevered and turn things around.

3 Fils has 20 cosy covers and the restaurant decor is what I can describe as fishing village industrial minimalist chic, with cosy brushed concrete walls and simple wooden benches.

The menu is a single card that doesn’t quite fit with the rest of the concept, It is cartoonish and illustrated, where the actual food is sophisticated and crafted. It is the only concept disconnect that I noticed.

I kicked off the proceedings with Scottish Scallops in Tiger Juice of Mandarin Soy juice and Sumac.

Scallops in Mandarin and Sumac Jus AED 52

The Scallops are notoriously difficult seafood to get right, any lapse in focus and the scallop is overcooked and becomes a rubbery mess, however, these scallops were in the Loch near Glasgow a few hours ago.

The scallops were oh so gently seared and placed in the “Tiger Juice” of mandarins, sumac and rice wine vinegar, and basically, it was absolutely divine, the buttery scallops lent themselves perfectly to then citrusy tangy juice, I loved it.

The Spiced Lamb Ribs…nearly made me cry…they were so delicious, the ribs were seasoned to perfection and then cooked until they were falling off the bone with the merest nudge of the fork, the fat of the ribs had a nutty buttery flavour and with the seasoning, it was definitely a symphony for the tastebuds.

The Shrimp Dragon rolls were next up, The Shrimp Tempura was accompanied by the Umami Korean gochujang sauce and pickled shallots, it was decent however the seaweed hair like garnish was disconcerting and should be asked not to be used, kind of spoilt the effort.

The Fish Sandwich was a special of the day, the buttery brioche bun was the right bun to use and the slab of perfectly fried whitefish in batter was cooked endpoint and topped with kimchi gave the right about of acidity to cut the fried fish and buttery bun.

In Conclusion

If you want my 2 fils worth on 3 Fils,

I think Chef Akmal should be very proud of what he has achieved. The space is casual with a touch of industrial fishing drama. The setting is fantastic, overlooking the fishing harbour. The staff are Filipino efficient and friendly, and the food is cool, inventive, unpretentious and accessible.

The Star of the Meal?

My star of the meal was definitely Spiced Lamb Ribs…superstar

The miss of the Meal?

I honestly cannot think of anything, but maybe the hairy seaweed garnish…

Honourable Mention

So how did 3 Fils do against its peers?

I am going to broaden my peers’ horizon on this occasion

Definitely on par with Cranshak and Catch in Glasgow

I loved it equally as Gamba

Halal Rating

The Chicken, Lamb served in the restaurant and HALAL

Alcohol is NOT served on the Premises

Pork is NOT 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 meals

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

October 27 2020

HOME X STA

Food alfiefoodwala, arabic, BBQ, catering, chicken tikka masala, emirates, glasgow, mezze, middleeastern 0

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.

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As you will have gathered, we are still under the second lockdown and all restaurants are closed unless they are doing takeaway service.

I love restaurants pure and simple, I love the theatre of restaurants, the sheer buzz of a well-run restaurant.

and I love food, all kinds of food, I have even driven up to Anstruther one lunchtime to try out the amazing fish and chips at the award-winning Anstruther Fish Bar.

I love the experience of food, be it sitting on the Sea Wall in Stonehaven eating Fish and Chips, or an Alley behind the Taj Palace Bombay eating kebabs at Bademiya.

The trilogy of restaurants, food and experience is what fires up my passion, It is what gets me up in the morning…As Mr Ali from the Shish Mahal so eloquently puts it

“you can’t put a price to passion”

So this week I pondered what other avenues of food I can try, I tried out the Supermarket Food last week so this week I decided to try food from an exclusive boutique caterer called Home X STA.

Even the same suggested something out of the ordinary and exclusive, so I called them up and a Moneypenny type voice answered, very cool calm and collected.

I explained what my requirements were and when I needed the home catering.

since caterers cannot come to my home, they packaged the dinner with precise heating and serving instructions.

The package arrived in a refrigerated courier at the time and date promised.

First Up was the curiously named Shrimp Dynamiter, succulent North Atlantic King Prawns, pan-fried and then tossed in a siracha Port Mahon dressing, It was actually very delicious 8 out of 10

The Balsamic Spiced Lamb Shanks was an excellent example of Balanced flavour, the Ayrshire Lamb was sous vide then dipped in a Black Pepper Balsamic Reduction, the Umami of the lamb went perfectly with the firey Talichery Black peppercorns and the sharp sweetness of the Balsamic. 9 out of 10

The certified Wild Scottish Sockeye Salmon is delicious just eaten with some lemon, as the flavour profile is so delicate, the Salmon was then sympathetically brushed with some Soy sauce and reduced sugar cane jus, this gave the salmon a subtle sweet and sour flavour note, again spot on 8 out of 10

This slider was a flavour bomba, the Wagyu was hand diced and then folded with some salt, pepper and shallots and then gently grilled when the Wagyu fat started to run it was then placed in a butter brioche bun topped with mild Asiago Cheese, as not to upset the flavour note of the Wagyu 8 out of 10

The Chicken Saccete, or in other words Baby Chicken Lollypops was marinated for 24 hours in spiced buttermilk and then dipped in ground Tonkatsu bread (Panco) and then cooked in extra virgin sunflower oil, the wings were amazingly crispy on the outside yet so soft and moist inside, very nice indeed. 8 out of 10

The Lebanese Fajita platter went down a storm, the harissa shawarmaesk chicken was moist and juicy and went perfectly with an assortment of meze filling, something very different and unusual but equally flavoursome. 8 out of 10

In Conclusion

In conclusion, The Food by HOME X STA was absolutely delicious, the flavours were put together with expertise and flair, no ingredient was allowed to overpower the “hero” element of the dish.

When ordering, the process was so simple and easy, all kinds od allergies and food intolerances were taken care of.

I would definitely recommend HOME X STA.

The Star of the Meal?

Hard to point out, but my arm was twisted I would go for the Salmon or the Shrimp.

The miss of the Meal?

For once I am lost for words in this category.

Honourable Mention

So how did HOME X STA compare with the stalwarts of the home catering industry, likes of Rhubarb Catering and Dirty Lobster in London or 1762 Catering Dubai, It certainly gave then a run for the money in terms of food, menu selection and technical ability.

Keep an eye out for future reviews from home caterers.

Halal Rating

The Lamb is Halal

The Chicken is Halal

No alchaol is used

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.

October 13 2020

Meze Meze, Glasgow

finnieston, Food alfiefoodwala, arabic, BBQ, chicken tikka, comfort food, glasgow, gourmet, grill, mediterranean, middleeastern, rustic 0

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.

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I hate the word “Foodie” It’s a word that has taken on cliquey connotations, and now “Foodies” have become arrogant and self-congratulatory.

I am definitely not a foodie, I just love food and restaurants.

Someone else who was a food lover was my grandfather, he adored all kinds of food from the most basic and humble pakora to the most complex Haleem, cooked in the Persian way where the grain starch is changed on a molecular level to fuse with the wild goat meat protein after being cooked and hand-ground over 12 hours.

Once I was visiting my grandfather on his plantation, in the deepest darkest Toba Tek Singh and I felt homesick so my grandfather asked me what would I like to eat, I absent-mindedly said chips, anybody else would have taken the frozen chips from the freezer, not my grandfather, he did not know how to make basic chips, he only made the most amazing and delicious chips.

First, he called his friend who owned the biggest Potato Cold Store in Pakistan and requested that he send someone with a sack of Maris Piper potato’s from the fields next to the flood plains of the Ravi river (apparently the soil has the best nutrients)

Then he called his moonshee (foreman) and told him to open up storage godown 23 (warehouse 23) and Extract oil from Palm Kernals harvested in summer 1984.

Then he called his friend the Chief Minister of Punjab who had just left Islamabad on the pay to visit my grandfather if he could stop on his way to at Khewra Salt Mines ( salt has been harvested in Khewra since biblical times and is the best salt in the world) and pick up some flaked Khewra Rock Salt.

He then personally supervised the preparation and thrice frying the chips to make the most delicious chips I had ever eaten, they were golden and crispy on the outside and moist and fluffy in the inside.

My point being, this is the level my grandfather took to make a humble plate of chips, would he call himself a foodie, definitely not!!

Miah Foodwala and I visited Meze Meze, they call themselves a Turkish and Persian Ocakbaşi, That definitely piqued my curiosity, that is like describing a French and Russian restaurant, they are completely different kinds of food.

We entered the rustic yet welcoming diner, there was a nice buzz about the restaurant and the staff was nice and friendly. After getting the COVID 19 track and trace formalities over with we sat down, absolutely famished.

We ordered a collection of hot and cold meze, the Chicken Wings were absolutely divine, smokey and chargrilled on the outside and soft and moist inside, a nice start.

The Hummus was again a great effort, a nice grainy texture, and just enough virgin olive oil not to make it oily or greasy.

The mixed doner was made the authentic way, not your usual late-night takeaway fat fest.

The thin layers of lamb and chicken were spit-roasted so that the burnt ends were perfectly caramelized without drying it out, perfect for being scooped up in the warm bread along with hummus and enjoyed.

Next up was the Lamb Iskender, chunks of roasted lamb on buttered Turkish bread and then topped with spicy Tomato Iskender sauce, thick creamy Turkish yogurt, and then drizzled with hot Anatolian butter.

The Iskender Kebab was phenomenal, the lamb was so soft and tender, it virtually melted in my mouth, It would be pedantic of me if i was to point out that an authentic Iskender kebab is made of slivers of lamb rather than chunks of lamb.

Unfortunately, at this point the meal took a turn down, The Kobideh Kebab was dry and flimsy, not the usual meaty and succulent Kobideh Kebab.

The Adana Kebab was slightly better than the Kobideh, The texture of the kebab was more of a minced kebab rather than a finely chopped lamb and tail fat kebab, In my opinion, the kebabs were under seasoned.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, Meze Meze was quite adequate, the Meze was fresh, well-executed and delicious, however, the main course kebabs were still tasty but not carried out with the flair or panache is expected.

the staff was friendly and efficient and the restaurant had a nice chilled atmosphere.

The Star of the Meal?

The iskender Kebab and the Chicken Wings too the gong in my opinion.

The miss of the Meal?

I would probably say the Kobideh Kebab, but there was not much in it.

Honorable Mention

So how did Meze Meze do against its peers?

The Patogh in London definitely did a better Kobideh kebab, Paradise on Great Western Road also does a decent Kobideh

For the Turkish half of the meal, the Gokyuzo and Hala on Grand Parade do a mean Adana, closer to home, the Eda in Glasgow have a nice Adana nd Iskender Kebabs.

Halal Rating

The Chicken, Beef, and Lamb is 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 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.

October 5 2020

Shawarma King, Glasgow

Food, LEVENT, MEZZE alfiefoodwala, arabic, BBQ, chicken, comfort food, emirates, fast food, glasgow, gourmet, grill, mediterranean, merchantcity, middleeastern, rustic 0

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.

Not so long ago I had to go to Beirut on Business, everyone I spoke to told me stories of how dangerous Beirut was, the civil war, the bombings, the kidnappings, and the list went on.

So the day came for my trip and I was anxious, to say the least, as I boarded my Emirates flight from Dubai, the Business Class section was empty, this felt even more ominous.

We landed in Rafiq Hariri International Airport I saw an SUV with armed guards, this did not bode well.

While I was collecting my luggage the electricity cut out and for a few minutes, we stood in pitch darkness waiting for the old decrepit generators to kick in.

The airport staff looked really shifty, they sat drinking tea and observed us coldly, honestly, it was like the most cliched Hollywood Middle Eastern movie.

When I cleared customs I was in the arrivals lounge and a guy approached me in tight ripped jeans and a T-shirt that struggled to hold his ample belly and asked if I needed a taxi, the word taxi was used in its loosest term, old battered Mercedes cars from the 1970s were de rigour, and then the drivers started to fight amongst themselves as who would take the fare.

This got me more and more anxious, I chose the least bashed up a taxi with the oldest driver, if I had to make a run for it at least I could outrun an old guy rather a than a young fit driver.

The airport road was lined by shanty towns, makeshift housing with bullet holes and scars from the years-old civil war, the brickwork was scorched with fire and I started to regret the whole endeavor.

We entered a road tunnel with every other tube light shot out and there was literally no light at the end of the tunnel

But when we exited the tunnel, it was as if we had been teleported back to Dubai, there were smart new buildings everywhere, the roads were spotless and the verges were immaculate.

The driver dropped me off at an area called Mar Micheal, the shops were like Bond Street, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Lora Piana, Armani etc

I was staying a the Four Seasons at Zeituna Bay and that was like a page out of Archtuicetural Digest. There were hips bars and boutiques everywhere and the local Lebanese were dressed as if they were fashion photoshoot.

The point to my story was If I had taken Beirut at my initial impression, I would have turned back and missed this amazing cosmopolitan and fun city.

This is exactly what Shawarma King is like, it is located outside the old Barras Market under an old railway bridge, in a hole in the wall, its easy to drive past it.

I went there with Mokee and Shai Foodwala’s, I was not expecting great things but I moved past me misgivings.

There are only two old tables and chairs so we ordered and we fashioned a table by putting a table cloth on the boot of my car

First up we went for the Falafal and Hummus, this was served with hot Lavash bread fresh from the tandoor like oven, The falafals were crispy on the outside and pillow soft in the inside, and the Hummus was lovely and creamy and with just enough viscosoty to make it delicious.

The Turkish Kebab was a hybrid Adana kebab, it was smokey and spicy, absulutely delicious with the fresh bread

and onions sprinkled with harissa, such delisiousness from humbleness

We decided to go off menu and ask for Hummus with burnt ends shawarma, what a combination, the burnt ends of lamb Shawarma were juicy and intence and combined with the creamy hummus it was a master stroke

The Chicken Shawarma was what i can only descibe as delicious, the chicken was well seasoned and parts were nice and crispy and parts were soft and juicy, served on the nan like bread and what a combination, the juices of the chicken soaked into the bread and what a flavour bomb!!

We decided to take the lamb Shawarma with rice, and yet again it did not disapoint, the lamb Shawarma was burnt and crispy in parts and soft in others, again absulutely deloicious.

In Conclusion

The Shawarma King was delicious, each elemant was fresh and made with true passion.

The Shawarma was simple yet delicious , the Turkish/Adana Kebab was spot on the Kebab was not mined but chopped finely and was a perfect consistency.

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

We fashioned the boot of the Mercedes as a table and Glasgow evening was perfect, the chill was just decending and standing and eating the delicious Shawarma as amazing.

The Star of the Meal?

TheTurkish/Adana Kebab and the chicken and lamb shawarma were definately stars

The miss of the Meal?

I would be pedantic if i was to choose.

Honorable Mention

So how did Shawarma peers?

It definately held its own against Allo Beirut in Dubai, Pita Shawarma in Baku Azerbijan and SUD in Mar Micheal Beirut

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.

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.

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.

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.

September 21 2020

Bufalo Grill, Glasgow

finnieston, Food, Steak alfiefoodwala, BBQ, burgers, chicken, comfort food, deep south, fried chicken, grill, pizza, rustic 0

515 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow
G3 7PQ
thebufalogrill.co.uk

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.

I love American Deep South Country music, much to the consternation of Benzy foodwalee and the wee nippers Foodwala’s

I love the life experience sadness of Johnny Cash and the lost love yearning of Lady Antebellum, the upbeat positivity of Shania Twain and Keith Urban with his modern-day ballads.

Then we have Florida-Georgia Line which appeals to the Millennials.

My all-time favorite is Tim McGraw and I love the song Humble and Kind.

The lyrics that get me every time go like…

“Hold the door, say “please”, say “thank you”
Don’t steal, don’t cheat, and don’t lie
I know you got mountains to climb
But always stay humble and kind
When the dreams you’re dreamin’ come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride
But always stay humble and kind”

“Don’t expect a free ride from no one
Don’t hold a grudge or a chip and here’s why
Bitterness keeps you from flyin’
Always stay humble and kind”

That there is just the most thought-provoking and positive poignant sentiments, all the more relevant in today’s pandemic ravaged times.

We are in times of great change and flux, we have an opportunity to reset our behaviour and look out for each other and be the best versions of ourselves.

We can learn to “not sweat the small things” and be kind to each other.

Furthermore, we can move away from the evil that is Tripadvisor and its vindictive review system, and be kind to the hard-working waiting staff who are serving you.

Kindness and Empathy with the waiting staff is the ability to understand someone else’s situation, experience, feelings, and behaviors, and it’s the foundation of this concern. If you want to be generous towards or give feedback to someone, first you need to understand where they are and what they’re dealing with—the good and the bad. If you are not happy with the food or the service, please mention to them rather than being passive-aggressive and posting a 1 star on TripAdvisor.

There is a very wise saying

“If you want to know what a person is really like, check how they treat the waiter/waitress”

The way people treat restaurant staff is, I think, a kind of poker tell, revealing a person’s character in as long as it takes to say: “I’ll will have the Chicken Tikka Masala.” A man (or woman) who is actively unpleasant to waiters is best avoided. Ditto those who patronise them. Just as bad, though, are people who treat waiters as though they’re invisible. This is not, as these cretins seem to think, a sign of metropolitan sophistication. Do this, and you might as well be wearing a T-shirt that says: “I’m an over-privileged baboon: cold, rude and rather stupid.”

Moving swiftly on, This week we are in the wild west of Glasgow and we visited Bufalo Grill, It styles itself as a TexMex restaurant, but the interior is more IndoPak than TexMex.

We started off with the Bang Bang Prawns, It was the Bufalo Grill version of PF Changs Dynamite Prawns.

I think my expectations got ahead of me, I was expecting the PF Changs battered King Prawns smothered in creamy tangy rosemary sauce.

These prawns were quite underwhelming, the sauce was lackluster, I should learn to manage my expectations.

This was very disappointing, the store-bought Houmous and pitta bread and drizzled with Peri-Peri sauce from the cash and carry, a definite miss.

The Chicken Nachos were adequately passible, the tortilla chips were crispy, and the shredded chicken was in a sauce, however, it was missing the guacamole and the sour cream and the cheese was again the tasteless cash and carry version.

Next up were the Steaks, the grandly names Bufalo Special steak was the house sirloin smothered with spices and Molton cash and carry cheese, the steak itself was tender, but the cheese and spices were a wee bit overkill.

The Sides were mediocre, the fries were far from chunky and the sauteed vegetables were akin to a vegetable curry.

I asked for my T Bone steak to be medium-rare, charred on the outside and pink inside, and I got exactly that, which was top marks for the steak chef, the steak itself was rather greasy and grossly rather than marbled with buttery fat after all a delicious steak gets its taste from the fat marbling rather than the lean meat.

The peppercorn sauce was bland, I was expecting a creamy sauce with cracked Telichery black peppercorns, rather than ground black pepper. again I was expecting too much.

In Conclusion.

The starters at Bufalo Grill were mediocre at best, possibly there were too many items on the menu afterall you can’t be all things to all men

The steaks were average, however I suspect the clientele of Bufalo Grill are not steak connoisseurs so they don’t demand a better quality of Beef

The service was again adequate, not friendly nor was it frosty it was fine, except for a single passive aggressive occasion where the waiter brought the vegetables instead of the mash and proceeded to correct us, and we were charged £2.25 for the privilege.

The Star of the Meal?

At a stretch….passible the Bufalo Special Steak

The miss of the Meal?

Definitely the Houmous, and closely followed by the Bang Bang Prawns

Honorable Mention

So how did Bufalo Grill compare with its Halal Steakhouse peers?

If we were to compare Bufalo Grill with Cona Bradford and Zelman Meats London then it will be comparing the Champions League with Scottish Football, yes they kick a ball about but that is where the similarity ends.

I would say Steak Inn on Victoria Road has a better product than the Bufalo Grill and the staff is more friendly.

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 Guarentee

Alfie Foodwala visits all restaurants anonamously 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 experiance as a restauraneur.

September 7 2020

Mrs Falafal, Glasgow

emirates, Food, LEVENT alfiefoodwala, arabic, BBQ, emirates, fast food, glasgow, grill, LEVENT, mediterranean, rustic 0

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 share if you like this review.

Have you ever listened to a song and have been transported back to a specific time and place?

you can remember it like yesterday?,

you can remember the sights and smells?

the feelings?

I am not one to reminisce or wallow in nostalgia but the feeling was so strong and poignant.

The song in question is the Desert Rose by Sting and particularly the bit where he sings with a background of hauntingly entrancing Arab Ululating. and the lyrics

This desert rose
Each of her veils, a secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this

And he sings the song while sitting in a Jaguar S Type, which coincidently what my brothers and I were driving at the time as well.

I was listening to Desert Rose, in my newly Delivered Mercedes and was reminiscing,

I all of a sudden felt like some of the cuisine of the Desert, so like a mirage of an Oasis,

I stumbled upon Mrs Falafal, a street food stand next to the Sainsburys petrol pump on Woodlands Road.

My curiosity was piqued so I decided to have a wee try

I kicked off the proceedings with some Robata Grilled Haloumi on a bed of Tabouleh, Humous and Baba Ganoush.

The Haloumi was soft and buttery with a delicious char on the outside, If the Haloumi is not cooked properly it can taste rubbery and devoid of flavour, this, however, was delicious and had a lovely salty zing to it.

I was not overly thrilled by the Tabouleh, but that is a not a shortcoming of Mrs Falafal Tabouleh but my own preference, however, the houmas was smooth and zesty and topped with pine nuts(a nice touch)

and the Baba Ganoush had an earthy lemony Aubergine meatness.

Next up was the Mrs Falafal signature Falafel bowl, the freshly made falafel was quite simply a revelation, they were pillowy soft herby centre with a delicious crispy crust, they were expertly made so they were not greasy nor were they stodgy… Top marks

The Falafel too were accompanied with some Humus, Tabouleh, Baba Ganoush and some salad, I would give the salad a miss if I as to order the bowls again.

The Lamb Kofta wrap was equally delicious, the koftas were cooked on the Robata grill and placed in the flatbread with some house chilli sauce and Iceberg lettuce and Buffalo tomatoes, The lamb Kofta was nicely spiced and with a bbq smokiness made a great addition to the wrap…definitely my star of the meal.

The Star of the Meal?

Definitely the Lamb Kofta Wrap, and closely followed with the Falafel.

The miss of the Meal?

The Tabouleh Salad and the bland house salad.

In Conclusion.

Mrs Falafal hit the right spot with fresh delicious Falafel and freshly made Lamb Kofta, The food was cooked in a cramp food cart with limited equipment and ingredients, by Syrian refugees who did not have chef training, but it definitely gave some restaurants a run for the Dirham.

the service was cheerful and informative, with a proper Arabic welcome and cheeriness.

Top marks for effort and authenticity.

Honourable Mention

So how did Mrs Falafal compare with the best of Marouch, on Londons Edgeware Road, or Abd El Wahab, Achrafieh, Beirut or Allo Beirut Dubai?

It was definitely a good effort, for a street food stand it punched above its weight

Halal Rating

Everything is Halal

Alcahol is not served

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

September 3 2019

Turkyie, Glasgow

Food, LEVENT, MEZZE alfiefoodwala, arabic, BBQ, business, citycentre, comfort food, gourmet, grill, LEVENT, mediterranean, merchantcity, middleeastern, rustic 0

97/99 Candleriggs,
Merchant City,
Glasgow, G1 1NP

Hey Foodwalas… Welcome to another tale of Alfie Foodwala

One of my most favorite cities in the world is Istanbul…the place is absolutely captivating, I love sitting on the balcony of the Four Seasons hotel in Sultanahmet, which incidentally was a prison and watching the ships politely waiting to cross the Bosphorus and the majestic Blue Mosque on the right with six minarets framing the picture-perfect view of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn.

I also love the dark clouds who mournfully sit on top of the Bosperous like petulant gargoyles watching the ships slip effortlessly down the strait that divides Europe and Asia.

The gaze then falls on the enigma that is the Hagia Sofia, which charts the history of Istanbul from the godless Romans to the Christian crusaders and then to the Muslim Ottomans. in the distance is the Topkapi Palace where the Ottomans ruled their empire and equally contributed to the advancement of the trilogy of arts that is science, cuisine, and calligraphy.

The Old city of Istanbul feels like a time machine into the past and the feeling you get touching walls that are two thousand years old is truly humbling.

One the other hand I also love the juxstopition, across the Galata Bridge you abruptly enter the modern Istanbul, and Istanbul where Giorgio Armani boutiques rub shoulders with Lora Piana and Ferraris cruise the boulevards of Nisantasi and the fine young things sit in cafes and you could think you were in Paris or Milan.

The thing that connects the two opposing worlds together is the cuisine of Turkey, which amalgamates in Istanbul, the Kebabs of Adana and the seafood of Bodrum, the donnars of Anatolia with the fruit and nut Baklava of the Trabzonspor. They are all curated in the amazing restaurants of Istanbul, which was beautifully showcased by the great and late Anthony Bourdain.

This week the Foodwala jeeajunt sought out the newly opened Turkiye in the Merchant City.

We kicked off the proceedings with some hot mezze, The Lahmacun was delicious, thin-crust dough topped with seasoned ground lamb, the flavour was subtle yet noticeable.

The prawns in Halab sauce was equally good, fresh prawns were tossed in Halab sauce and sauteed with green peppers and mushrooms, the peppers were not too soft, just right and the sauce had a delicious ambiance about it, I would have happily eaten the prawns with some rice as the main course.

The Haloumi and pan-fried sojouk sausage was also a hit, the salty halloumi was cooked just right so it did not become rubbery while the spicy sojouk sausage countered the salty halloumi…yum

The Turkish Falafel was a little different from its Lebanese counterpart, apart from the sausage shape, the falafel mixture was more smooth, i preferred the Lebanese falafel with its crispy crust and the soft centre.

we loved the hot freshly baked balloon bread, i am sure it has a Turkish name but that is what we called it

The main event was next, The Adana Kebab, this is my favourite kebab the lamb mince was well proportioned with the white lamb fat so it was moist and juicy and also just enough spice as not to overpower the mince, unfortunately, they did not use tail fat in the mixture.

The Chicken cubes were lightly marinated and cooked over the mangal, the chicken could have been slightly more tender and moist, however, it could be just how the chicken fillet was cut.

The Salmon was delicious, it was firm yet flaky and was also lightly marinaded without overpowering and since it was cooked on the mangal it had a slight charcoal taste which was pleasant, the accompanying seafood jus was a nice touch and added another element to the Salmon

In Conclusion…

Turkiye was very pleasant and the food was fresh and well presented, the Adana kebab was well seasoned and cooked on a mangal which is absolutely mandatory.

we were looked after by Kamil and the service was excellent without being intrusive.

The food is authentic as the other two tables in the restaurant were Turkish, a definite sign of a good establishment.

July 30 2018

Absurd Bird, Glasgow

Food alfiefoodwala, BBQ, burger, burgers, chicken, citycentre, comfort food, country and western, deep south, fried chicken, glasgow, KFC, rustic, wraps 0

Absurd Bird
3 Nelson Mandela Place
Glasgow

Hey, Foodwala’s… A funny thing happened to me on the way to foodwala prospecting the other day, I was in the Fodwala mobile and I was listening to the William Prince song Breathless, its an amazing soulful country and western song and I actually had the most darndest out of body feeling.

When Mr Prince mournfully sang the lyrics

” And I find myself in memories…Still alive just behind my eyes…Seems the more I go leaving home looking for…What I need’s been buried in my soul”

I had the most vivid feeling that I was driving in a Jalopy along the great grassy plains in West Texas with this song on the radio, and the dark pregnant clouds promising rain in the distance

I have not been to Texas yet but the feeling was so vivid that it literally left me breathless.

When I told Mokee Foodwala of this he sagely remarked that possibly in my previous life I was a cowboy from Texas.

All this Halcyon Texan Melancholy left me wanting some low down southern fried chicken and I just happened to spot Absurd Bird just opened in Nelson Mandela Place.

As the Foodwala family walked in it felt we had walked into a Honky Tonk Roadhouse somewhere near San Antonio, Texas.

Johnny Cash was belting out the Boy named Sue in the background and the queen of country Dolly Parton was immortalised on the walls.

The menu was definitely an ode to all that’s great south of the Mason Dixon Line

We kicked off the proceedings with the BBQ platter of Buffalo flavour chicken wings and chicken tenders, the chicken was moist, tender, messy, flavoursome and any other adjective you can associate with delicious fried chicken.

The coleslaw was creamy and crunchy and the onion rings were oniony sweet and crispy.

Next up were nine fried Chicken tenders slathered in a tobasco BBQ sauce and accompanied with blue cheese dip, mustard mayo and my favourite lemon and parmesan.

The tenders were amazingly… well tender and the tobacco BBQ was the right balance of heat and tangy and when dipped into the cool cheesy dips it made the taste buds sing the Travis Tritt song Its great to be alive!!

I was looking forward to my main event of the evening… the fried chicken

The chicken was marinated in buttermilk for 24 hours before dipped in the breadcrumb and cooked twice, the fried chicken had a gloriously golden crust on it, which was perfect for picking it apart with your fingers and dipping in the BBQ gravy, the chicken itself was so tender but it was practically flash cooked by super hot steam in the batter and the breast meat was soft, silky and tender.

Tep Zepi Foodwala opted for the messy fried chicken burger, it was a layer of fried chicken and pulled chicken with hot cheese, sandwiched in a buttery brioche bun, It was the messiest burger ever but when Tep Zepi got down to business he remarked it was delicious while devouring the burger.

Moksters Foodwala continued the burger train of thought and hungrily went for the Nashville hot Burger, the fried chicken was smothered in the Absurd Xtreme hot sauce and tempered by the harissa mayo, gherkins and fried onions.

Mokee mumbled something about it being so good while the hot sauce and mayo dripped down his chin.

Bakree and Rarri Foodwalee’s reluctantly chose the Chicken Ceaser wrap after their first choice of chicken sliders were not available, they felt the fillings were boring and heavy on the salad element and could have been better if the chicken was spicy to counter the sweetcorn Ceaser salad.

They were not impressed, unfortunately.

trio of crack pie, peanut butter cheesecake and ice cream biscuit sandwich

I decided to Mollify the Diva Foodwalee sisters with some sugar, we ordered the most amazing Crack Pie, it was the sweet pie with toffee and clotted cream, I now know where it got its name…so addictive!!!!

The other two desserts were not bad but nothing compared to the Crack Pie.

In conclusion, Absurd Bird did exactly what it said on the tin, the Deep south food was delicious, messy and flavoursome.

It best to visit Absurd with close friends or family because the food is very hand on and you don’t want to hold back out of politeness or protocol.

The service was efficient and friendly.