Tag: burgers

January 7 2024

Africana Kitchen, Glasgow

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

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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.

July 8 2023

Marigold Cafe, Glasgow

Food, indian food, Tapas Indian alfiefoodwala, burgers, chicken, chicken tikka masala, comfort food, glasgow, gourmet, INDIAN FOOD, kelvinbridge, KFC, mediterranean, rustic 0

Hey, Foodwala boys and girls… I hope you are all safe and well

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

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

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

“That person is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

I was walking down Great Western Road and passing the numerous bakeries and coffee shops and I stopped to ponder, when was the first time you actually eat for pleasure?

We always eat since we were fed by our mums but when did you actually independently make the decision that you were going to eat not because your mum had made it or to satiate hunger?

As I walked past Hillhead Primary School I got my answer, I remember when it must have been the summer of 1981 just before the summer holidays, I was with my friends Shaffiq and Amin, we were inseparable back then.

We were walking past the 727 chippie and the aroma of hot oil and vinegar stopped us in our tracks, we peered in the steamed-up windows and saw mounds of golden fried fish and chips, they looked so delicious, we are captivated, awestruck even.

We plucked the courage to go in, and the huge Italian gentlemen behind the counter loomed ominously over the counter and asked us what we wanted, we audibly gulped and pointed in unison at the golden fried fish.

The Italian Fish and Chipwalla bellowed

“That will be £1.50” and he laughed manically

we pooled our money and gingerly put the coins on the counter…the Italian giant counted the coins

“This ees only 30p?” he loomed menacingly

We were lost for words, we were rooted to the spot and cringing with fright.

Obviously when your 8 years old everything looks big and scary, so actually the Kind Italian gentlemen picked up 3 soft rolls and slathered some butter on each and put hot fluffy chips and liberally sprinkled salt and vinegar and handed one each to us and bade us farewell.

We stood outside the shop and tucked into our chip rolls…OMG, it was a revelation. I had never eaten something so delicious in my life, At that moment my love for food was born, I am a veteran

of many campaigns yet my love for food endures.

This week I was with Doctor Foodwala and we decided to visit the newly opened Marigold Cafe on Park Road, I remember back In the day it was the Bar Bola.

**MFC £8…7out10**
**Pulled Lamb Samosa £7… 7.5out 10**
**Prawn Biryani Bon Bons £7.50 …8out10**

The Marigold Cafe serves Chic contemporary Indian Tapas.

We kicked off the proceedings with the trio of MFC (Marigold Fried Chicken), juicy thighs in a spicy Korean-style batter, it actually worked quite well, if it was breast meat it would not have been so juicy and tender.

The Pulled Lamb Samosa was actually pulled lamb, as opposed to mince, so this was a revelation. the spice was balanced with a crispy batter.

The Prawn Biryani Bons Bons were a play in arancini balls, this actually worked well, moist and spiced but I felt lacked the actual taste of prawn.

Next up was the Dall Makhani and the Bombay Hassleback Aloo.

The Dall Makhani, was of the Black Urid Lentils slow cooked with heavy cream, giving a nutty creamy texture, again well prepared, maybe a little under-seasoned.

The Hasskeback Aloo was half-baked

The King Prawns were cut in a butterfly style and sauteed in spiced butter and topped with samphire pakora, delicious and well made, the King Prawns were cooked just right, not rubbery with can happen if cooked too long.

In Conclusion

The Marigold Cafe is definitely a playful take on the Indian Street Food Tapas, the Chef knew his craft well enough to think outside the box and enjoy fusing different elements together, This style should definitely be commended.

The Service was friendly and to the point, unobtrusive yet close.

The Star of the Meal?

The King Prawns and the MFC was the star of the mean, just for the simplicity of its execution, yet the thought in its preparation.

The miss of the Meal?

It would be unfair to name a miss but if pushed I would throw the Dhaal Makhani under the bus purely from the slightly underseasoned.

Honourable Mention

Marigold Cafe is simply put good, on par with Chaaku, and on par even with Dishoom, Marigold executed the ingredients and elements better, It did its thing in an honest and delicious manner

Halal Rating

The Lamb and Chicken are halal, however, there is a Pork dish on the menu but was assured there was no cross-contamination.

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.

June 17 2023

Cafe FISH, Pollokshields

Food, Provençal burgers, comfort food, fish and chips, glasgow, italianfood, mediterranean, rustic 0

Hey, Foodwala boys and girls… I hope you are all safe and well

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

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

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

“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” ~ Vincent Van Gogh

Are you happy?… go on ask yourself, I know this is rather a heavy subject for a food blog but humour me.

What is happiness, are you waiting for that big ticket item to make you happy? maybe if you win the lottery that will make you happy, or getting the Rolex Daytona you have been on the waiting list make you happy.

Or does the sum of the wee pleasures make you happy, like a double espresso at Cartel on a Sunday morning or having a Monte Cristo in the morning room with your son and brother?

I personally find joy in the wee things.

We flew into Nice and picked up our hire car, a brand new Peugeot car and we planned to drive to Marseille and then Barcelona. The next morning fortified with real french Croissants and not-so-great French coffee we set off along the coast road for Marseille, It was a glorious fall morning and the Mediterranean Sea shimmered like Jennifer Lopez Met Gala Gown.

It was a lovely drive until outside the town of Cassis the car just stopped working, literally one minute it was working fine and the next the engine stopped.

We called the hire car company and they eventually send an ancient recovery jalopy, I kid you not it was like a real-life Mater from Pixars Cars, Mater then took us into the Cassis and dropped us off at the Peugeot dealership and then chugged off into the distance. The Dealership principal was a dapper gentleman who greeted us like long-lost cousins and fussed over the kids and invited us to lunch while the car was getting repaired.

We expected lunch to be a simple affair of sandwiches and Oringina but on the contrary, he took us in his Mercedes SUV to a charming French bistro overlooking the Post of Cassis, The port was a mixture of French yachts and fishing boats, it was such a beautiful setting, to the left on top of the hill looking down on Cassis in a typical French Haughtiness was the Medieval Cassis castle.

We had the most amazing French provincial cooking, simple yet absolutely delicious, omelettes, soufflés, soups, pâtés, cassoulets and salads.

Sitting in that South of France Bistro with the sun on our backs with my family and listening to the Frenchman’s animated stories, eating delicious food…I was happy.

**122-124 Nithsdale Rd, Glasgow**
**G41 5RB**

Mumsy Foodwala, Mokee Foodwala and I love fish so we decided the tryout Cafe Fish which just opened up in our ‘hood.

It styles as a simple Provincial style seafood bistro, and the interior is faux rustic weatherbeaten French chic.

**Freedom Bakery Rye-berry Sourdough Bread whipped caviar butter, (v) £4.5**

First up was the sourdough bread with butter and a tiny bit of caviar. Simple yet delicious, the bread had the perfect balance of yeasty sourness and softness, a great start.

The Crab cakes although dainty in size were flavoursome with a nice fishy kick to them, i could not distinguish the crab element of them but certainly were flavour packed.

**Blackened Monkfish Tail**
**£20**
**8/10**

Monkfish Tail is a hard fish to master, cook it too little and its tastes like jelly, cook it too much and it becomes tough as drunken foreign legion recruit.

The monkfish was a little tough I won’t lie but still tasty, the rice cakes were moist and had absorbed the bisque to add a flavour element to them, and the seafood bisque was on point with its seafood sweetness.

Mumsy Foodwala’s fish and chips were golden battered flaky and crispy but the fish was a little on the wee side, the thrice-cooked chips were magnificent, crispy on the outside yet like mashed potato on the inside.

The Wild Scottish Salmon was basted in brown butter, the basting salmon gave the salmon a delicious buttery crust all the while the fish inside was soft and tender.

In Conclusion

Cafe Fish is an honest effort at providing simple seafood cooking at an affordable price point, the food was simple yet delicious. The flair is in the way the ingredients were treated instead of the flashy way the chef could have cooked to show off his “talents”

The Service was friendly and to the point, unobtrusive yet close.

The Star of the Meal?

The Salmon was the star of the mean, just for the simplicity of its execution.

The miss of the Meal?

It would be unfair to name a miss but if pushed I would throw the fish and chips under the bus purely from the size of the fish rather than the lack of taste.

Honourable Mention

Cafe Fish was good but with some high-achieving peers like Gamba and Crabshak, although Gamba and Crabshak executed the ingredients better however Cafe Fish held its ground. It just did its thing in an honest and delicious manner

Halal Rating

The Seafood is obviously halal, however, there is a Pork dish on the menu but was assured there was no cross-contamination.

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.

May 27 2023

11 Woodfire, Dubai

emirates, Food, Steak, travel alfiefoodwala, arabic, burgers, chicken, emirates, gourmet, mediterranean, MICHELIN, rustic, seafood, soho 0

Hey, Foodwala boys and girls… I hope you are all safe and well

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

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

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

Fire that“s closest kept burns most of all. -William Shakespeare

The 80s was an excellent decade, I am not being nostalgic but it was the decade that is most fondly remembered by everyone, I remember the summer of 1986, the world cup was held in Mexico and won by the footballing Aristocats of Argentina and Boris Becker won Wimbledon at the age of 17.

What I remember the most was when we visited my grandparents in the deepest darkest Punjab, Our trips to Pakistan were always adventurous and magical.

It was that coming-of-age summer I also discovered my love and passion for food, and it was in a big way influenced by my grandfather.

My grandfather was a larger-than-life character, I still remember his brilliant white Dhoti and Kurta he used to wear, the cotton cloth ironically brought from Holland and Sherry mill in Peebles, even though he had the biggest Cotton plantation in Punjab.

The summer days were long and hot, but when the heat broke around 5 pm he would get his staff to build a fire pit under the Peeple tree and when the embers glowed black hot he would then direct the staff to bring out the marinated game and meats and proceed to barbeque.

My favourite was the fire pit roasted lamb and chicken, the meat glistened in its juices as it cooked on the fire, every few minutes he would but off some burnt ends and hand it over to me to try, amazingly the taste would subtly change every few minutes at the fire worked its magic.

My grandfather would explain to me why the changes in taste happened which absolutely raptured me.

My wee brother, Goblees Foodwala, reminds me of my grandfather, he has the same physique and the same love for food, so when he heard about my story of the fire pit and my grandfather he took me to the Michelin stared 11 Woodfire.

See Omar has the same joie de vivre as my grandfather, my grandfather could have bought cotton from the local bazaar but instead, he imported it from Holland and Sherry, similarly, Goblees could have taken me to the local Nandos but his style was more Michelin stared 11 Woodfire.

As we entered we were greeted by the faint aroma of Hickory, Oak and Maple wood smoke, it was such a gentle and subtle way to introduce what was coming soon.

The interior of the restaurant was Jumeirah Jane meets Blacksmith chic, It was relaxed elegant industrial chic, with none of the stuffiness associated with the usual Michelin restaurants.

Sourdough & House Dips – Harissa, Green Olive Tapenade AED 43 £10

First up we opted for the Fire baked sourdough accompanied with harissa green dip and Olive Tapenade. The green dip was an excellent accompaniment to the fresh warm bread, buttery and fresh, the Olive Tapenade was equally delicious.

Chicken Wings – Soy, Chipotle AED 45 £10 8/10

The Chicken wings were usual as it was different, the marinade was sticky and sweet yet hot and spicy, The only way to eat them was to manhandle them, so very un Michelin.

Meat Kebab – Smoked Yogurt, Sweet Chilli
AED 175 £39 9/10

The Meat kebab was absolutely delicious in its umami deliciousness, the tailbone fat was expertly mixed with lean beef keema, which gave a buttery nutty kebab, the smokiness of a kebab for all the senses.

Lamb Cutlets – Habanero Chili, Mustard Mayo
AED 175 £38 9/10

The lamb Chops were the pièce de résistance, expertly marinaded was not to overshadow the hero of the dish, the lamb was tender to the extent of butteriness, with just enough fat to wingman the lamb, class!!

Beef Wagyu Burger – Tillicherry Pepper, Jalapeno, Gauda
AED 200 £45 9/10

Yes, that’s right a burger, what is this sorcery you cry, a burger in a Michelin restaurant and yes the brioche but was light and spongy with a Wagyu burger which insanely actually lets itself into a burger due to its marbling.

The crème brûlée ticked the egg custardy box, smooth and creamy with the ubiquitous burnt sugar topping…addictive

This was Chef Akmal Anur’s playful personality, a chocolate and banana dessert made to look like bone marrow, Omar loved it but not to my taste

In Conclusion

11 Woodfire is basically fantastic, the true craftmanship is taming the wildfire to produce such nuanced and exquisite dishes. Chef Anur is down to earth with his complexity, a true master who does not flex due to insecurity. The focus is on playful taste and flavours rather than being modern for the sake of Michelin.

The Service was friendly and to the point, not overbearing and stuffy, however, the staff could have more knowledge of the dishes and allergins.

The Star of the Meal?

The Lamb Chops and the Wagyu burger in my opinion the star of the show.

The miss of the Meal?

This is like asking which of my 3 children’s my favourite, I usually say in jest I hate them all equally (by the way I love them all equally) I would say the bone marrow dessert, i am not a fan of banana and chocolate pairing, it was just convoluted.

Honourable Mention

The 11 Woodfire is a trailblazer in the cutthroat modern wood fire restaurant scene in Dubai, I would say it is better than 3Fils, or Orfali Bros, It just did its thing in an honest and delicious manner

Halal Rating

The Chicken, Beef, Game and Lamb are confirmed 100% Halal.

Alcohol is served on the Premises

100% impartial Guarantee

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

July 20 2020

Burgeri, SoHo, London

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

22 Great Marlborough St, Soho,
London
W1F 7HU

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I went for the Angus Mushroom melt

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

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

In Conclusion.

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

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

Honorable Mention

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

Halal Rating

The Beef is certified HALAL,

Alcohol is not served at the restaurant

February 29 2020

Zelman Meats, London

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

top marks

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

In Conclusion.

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

The service was efficient and friendly.

Top marks for the effort

the meat sweats are worth it!!

Honorable Mention

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

Halal Rating

The Australian and Canadian Beef is certified HALAL,

Alcohol is served at the restaurant

Pork is on the menu

January 24 2019

Farzi Cafe, London

Food, Indian, london, mayfair alfiefoodwala, burgers, business, chicken tikka masala, emirates, gourmet, grill, MICHELIN, middleeastern 0

Hey, Foodwala’s…welcome to another episode of the Tales of Alfie Foodwala.

Other day I was back in my spiritual home of London.

I was walking from Knightsbridge to Mayfair through the St James area of London and I was admiring the stately buildings of government and royalty.

I passed the Commonwealth Monument on Constitution Hill and I noticed the names of the commonwealth countries etched in the blonde sandstone and includes India and Pakistan.

That got me thinking, The Gorawala’s had ruled over the Indian Subcontinent for eighty-nine years and built some amazing infrastructure projects like the biggest irrigation canal network in the world and built the rail network thus joining every corner of the empire.

The British Raj also bestowed bureaucracy on its Indian subjects so they could rule.

So what did the Britishwala’s get in return… other than £35 trillion( yes trillion with 12 zero’s!) they released the grateful Indian subjects?

they adopted some Indian words into their vocabulary?

Did you know the world Doolally is an Indian word meaning someone of a feeble mind

or hullabaloo meaning making too much sound

and swastika which ironically means wellbeing and healthy…go figure

The jury is still out if the Indians got their money worth.

anyhow all this counting of zeros and history got me feeling hungry and I stumbled upon Farzi Cafe, which is billed as Indiafied Englisher food.

Farzi cafe originates in New Dehli and it caters to the bright young things of the Indian Elite, who are often called Chutney Mary’s and Pickle Joe’s

They are called this for their air of superiority and the love of all thing English.

I kicked off the proceedings with this interesting Dal chawal arancini, the spiced lentils and rice were mixed with parmesan and shallow cooked in oil and topped with green chutney and papad.

This was a very innovative homage to the Italian Arancini and it worked wonderfully.

Next up The Galouti Slider caught my eye, The Galouti Kebab is an ultra soft and smooth kebab which is spiced with Ginseng and fifteen other spices. The Galouti slider was absolutely awsome, the kebab patty was smooth and well seasoned and the kebab had just enough Umami flavour to offset the spices and the butter brioche bun was soft and pillowy, the caramalised onion relish was a nice touch giving it a sweet note to the slider.

The main event of the evening was the Veal ‘osso Bucco’ Ishtu, The veal shank was expertly marinaded as not to overpower the delicate tasting notes of the Veal and then the South Indian Ishtu jus was poured over the veal to give a smooth velvety shorba.

The veal absolutely melted in the mouth and the coriander kulcha was perfect for the mopping of the sauce

A definite hit.

In Conclusion, Farzi Cafe London is very different from its sister branch in Dubai, where the Dubai restaurant dazzled the diners with its presentation theatrics and the substance and the food was somewhat lacking however the owners have very shrewdly acknowledged the mature palate of the London clientele and focused the theatre towards the cuisine.

The Service was friendly and efficient, and I was greeted by a genuine smile from the hostess which seemingly is a rarity these days.

August 21 2018

Archie’s Manchester

Food burgers, MILKSHAKE, NACHOS, PERI PERI, RETRO 0

Hey, Foodwala’s… welcome to another episode of tales of the Foodwalas.

The foodwala family were returning from the whirlwind tour of London,

The London Spotify playlist was being played on the Foodwala Mercedes Bose system and the long monotonous miles on the M1 and M6 were passing in a soundtrack of the greatest 80’s and 90’s classics.

This all screeched to a proverbial halt when the two Diva Foodwalee sisters announced that they were fed up with the “old people music” and they wanted to their curated playlist to be played in the car.

I argued that the driver picked the playlist but this was quickly vetoed by the Diva Foodwalee sisters, before a United Nation level diplomatic incident could get out of hand Benz Foodwalee suggested some peacekeeping measures and proclaimed that the two Spotify playlists could be combined and songs can be played in Alternate sequence.

This was unanimously agreed and the crisis was averted at the 11 hour.

The Diva Foodwalees kicked with YG and “Suu Woop” and I countered with Elton John and Nakita

This then went to and frow until while in the middle of the Hip Hop classic “Don’t believe the Hype” by Public Enemy they proclaimed that they were starving.

As we were just south of Manchester, I consulted the sage of Google and decided to head to Manchester and try out the much-hyped Retro Burger joint, Archies.

They boasted the likes of The Game and Floyd Mayweather as their customers.

We finally negotiated the notorious Manchester one way system and managed to park close by.

By that time we were ravenous and could not wait to tuck in.

Thankfully the ordering queue was short and we got ordering post haste, the person who was taking our order seemed unsure of the menu and when we asked for recommendations the answers were unhelpful and monosyllabic.

We managed to order and then went to search for a suitable place to sit, the first table we sat at we were deafened by the extractor fan situated directly above our table, thankfully another table just vacated after finishing their lunch and we quickly snapped it up.

First up the Archies speciality milkshakes arrived.

The milkshakes were delicious and creamy and the tiny pieces of cookie reminded us of the first chocolate chip milkshakes when TGIF opened in Glasgow, back in the day.

Louisiana Hot Chicken Tenders and Chicken wings
£2.99

While we waited for the main event we opted for the Louisiana Hot Chicken tenders and wings, the chicken was moist and tender, however, the sauce was formulaic and definitely mass produced and commercially bottled.

The loaded nachos arrived next, the nachos were smothered in the cheese sauce and topped with spicy Chilli con Carne and Jalapenos…they were nice, messy and tasty.

My burger arrived and it was headliner called The Route 66, it was billed as having a beef, Turkey Bacon. special Archie’s sauce, lettuce and tomato in a Brioche Bun.

The smashed beef pate did not have the seared caramelised beef crust on the outside which usually comes with a freshly made Beef pate cooked on a griddle and the Brioche bun was crumbling, which could have been a number of things, firstly it was not fresh or not enough butter was used prior to its baking thus leaving it dry and crumbling.

The Chicken peri Burger was unimaginative, the chicken fillet was dipped in some bottled generic “Peri Peri” sauce and put in a bun with some flaccid iceberg lettuce and cash and carry mayonnaise.

Nothing to write home about.

In Conclusion, Archies was very generic and unimaginative, the food lacked any redeemable features and the staff needed more training.

There was plenty of hype about celebrities liking the restaurant so much they wanted to take it to America, this just reminded me of the Public Enemy song Don’t believe the Hype.

The likes of Shakeshack and Five guys offered better-tasting burgers, I can’t see how this could conquer the home of the Burger.

The Archies social media relied on regular name drops to entice star-struck customers to come in, a la Planet Hollywood.

I decided to use the unisex washrooms to wash my hands… they were filthy!!!! I recoiled in horror, I pointed this out to the staff and I was met with indifference bordering on insolence.

The Customers in Manchester must be easily pleased, this could not survive in London or Glasgow, whose clientele is more decerning.