I was invited to check out a new Turkish restaurant in Knightsbridge this week. From the guys behind one of my favourite Turkish places @skewdkitchen in Cockfosters. @mantlknightsbridge is the new kid on the block
This new endeavour follows the same theme of Skewed, which mixes classic Turkish food and cooking styles with new modern and contemporary European methods.
I find there are 2 types of Turkish restaurants, your standard meats over the charcoal grill that are piled up on a plate. Don’t let me wrong, there’s a time when I like and want that. However, then there are restaurants that try and pave the way for something different and defines itself by setting new trends
Pictured is the mix grill in the centre, I actually recommend getting the Adana Kebab separate (lamb mince) . It was easily one of THE BEST kebabs I’ve had. I was told it takes nearly 4 days to prepare and uses lamb filet. So good.
The headliner of the menu and chefs special. Pistachio Lamb chops. These aren’t the standard lamb chops served with the mixed grill. This is French trimmed, different cut, think and juicy chop, encrusted in a pistachio nut coat, served on a bed of shallot pomme puree (french for mash potato) and grilled asparagus
There was a perfect balance of ingredients using little surprise extras like pomegranate, watercress, lemongrass and nagelia seeds. A must order.
The lamb itself was cooked perfectly, juicy and tender and full of flavour. Priced at £25 in Knightsbridge for a headliner meal is not bad when you consider all the factors in play
All food is halal. Alcohol present. My meal was complimentary but thoughts my own. @mantlknightsbridge
I headed down to Fredos as its been a good few years since I last visited. I went as a regular paying customer
Here’s what I got Rib eye steak £26.95 Chicken Tandoori Pizza £9.95 Chicken Parmsan Steak £14.95 Mac N cheese £3.65 Hallomi Fires £5.95 Bumble Gum moijto £5.95
Went I visited a few years ago, I was really impressed with the steak, it was later when I discovered they used a supplier that was renowned for rearing and producing quality steaks.
However, in a move to go HMC they changed to a different supplier who produces a steak that’s much lower in standard and quality, sadly HMC normally means poorly quality (yes this is true)
At £26.95 I was expecting a good-tasting steak, it just lacked any real depth in flavour you get from dry ageing. I requested medium-rare but it was closer to medium but just about okay. It claims to be 28 days aged steak, I very much doubt it. It was on par with rib-eye steaks you can buy at selected Tesco and Asda stores for around £7. Absolutely not worth the price, it’s more a £12 steak. Not worth it
The good was the spicy chicken Tandoori pizza, good tasting pieces of chicken, generous in amount and a good balance of heat from green chillies and pizza sauce and it tasted great the next day as leftovers.
The chicken parma was really tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, I liked this dish a lot, the French onion signature sauce went perfectly and was excellent, I asked for more.
The venue is spacious and is decorated with flowers on every wall to create that popular insta worth vibe that’s so popular these days.
All Food halal. No alcohol. I paid for my meal.
Date of Visit: 30th July 2019
I checked out @fredosldn this week, a fully halal (no alcohol) restaurant located on Romford Road, Manor Park. This place has been opened for a while now but I’ll be honest, I just thought it was another standard place, but I’ll hold my hands up and say I was wrong and I was really impressed with the food
The venue itself looks great from the outside and has a modern family and group-friendly vibe inside. The menu consists of pizza, burgers, grilled chicken and steak, so something for everyone
I got the rib eye steak £23 and my mate got the £21 sirloin steak. I’ll say this now, this was one of the best steaks I’ve had in ages. I requested Medium Rare and ill be honest I wasn’t expected it to be cooked right… But it was on point. The steak was perfectly cooked, juicy, tender and the fat content and marbling were excellent. Which made me ask where they source their steaks from. Well, they get it from @hillfarmfinest a small farm that really raises animal and produces some quality products that are available for home customers to buy. So this explained why it was so good. Which then made me respect the restaurant more as this was a clear example of getting quality
Also got some grilled chicken which was very good, the BBQ Wings were also amazing and I’d say a must-order, easily my favourite now. I didn’t like the original wings as much compared to the BBQ
I don’t normally get mocktails but I got a Pina Colada which was also excellent. The mojito I thought had too much sugar for my liking
So if you haven’t been, I definitely recommend it. This meal was complimentary, but the thoughts and views are my own.
Delivery and Takeaway only! Not a sit down restaurant!.
I’m not gonna pretend to be a Chinese food connoisseur but the food from @greedypandachinese was really good!.
Here’s what I got.. Mix Starters £9.50 Spare Lamb Ribs £5.95 Crispy Aromatic Lamb Pancakes £8.50 (I wanted duck, but it’s very hard to find duck, let alone HMC duck) Crispy Shredded Beef with chill £5.50 Spicy Singapore Fried Rice £6.50 Shrimp Chow Mein £5.50
The food I tried was really tasty, in particular the lamb ribs and the crispy aromatic lamb (part of the pancakes)
It’s a new place that just opened up, yes, in East London! I don’t normally review takeaway and delivery places, but obviously, with the situation, I’ve been looking at more food alternatives.
Date of Visits: 20th September 2019 and 12th November 2019
The other week I was invited to check out @coqfighteruk located on the aptly named Beak Street in Soho.
I’ll cut straight to it. The food here was epic. Definitely some of the best chicken burgers I’ve had.
I even ordered a vegan burger and it was so good that I actually had a hard time to figure out what burger out of the 3 I ordered was the vegan one. I got the Green Chilli Cheese, Limited Edition Butter Chicken Burger and the vegan burger, as well as some chicken tenders.
The fried Chicken drumsticks are super crunchy and full of flavour. My favourite burger is still the Green Chilli Burger, just delicious and tender. Basically everything is good.
The chicken here had texture, taste and crunch! Really enjoyed the meal and totally recommended it .
Back in September one item was not halal as it was prepared with vodka. This caused some people concern with the way was cooked in the same oil as all the other food, so credit to the restaurant they listened to feedback and installed a separate fryer just for one item and to put halal customers minds at rest. Since my visit, the venue has now gone fully halal in the kitchen, All the chicken is halal
I’ve eaten at Farzi Cafe 3 times, the 1st time as a paying customer during the soft launch opening and the other 2 times as an invited guest to try limited edition menus. I was also sent items from their 2020 menu during Lockdown. This review will be based on all my visits and experiences.
Date of (1st) Visit: December 2018
Farzi Cafe is a Modern Indian Bistro serving cutting edge food with a british twist, that opened up near Piccadilly circus at the end of 2018.
I’ve eaten the food from here a total of 4 times and each time the food has been exceptionally good. This includes one occasion where I was grateful to be invited to a review of a slow cooked roasted lamb shoulder which was one my all time best things I’ve ever eaten. Sadly, that item is only available on Eid. It feeds 6 people.
The food here is good, everything has a sense of quality and thought behind it. Dishes like my favourite, the avocado chaat is an example of simplicity and creativity, executed to create a unique tatsy dish. There’s also some British classics that have been Indianfied, like deshi scotch eggs and deconstructed cottage pie with Wagyu beef! I visited during the soft launch where I got 50% off. Not sure if they are still on the menu.
The menu has changed since my first visit back in late 2018, the lamb biryani is one of the few dishes I ate that are still on the menu. I loved the presentation, lamb was tender and tasted very reminist of mum’s biryani £17.
It’s hard to write a solid review for this place as I’m trying to base it on 4 different experiences. However, the common theme from it all is the food is of a high quality and standard, it tastes good, and I fully recommend this place. I’m going to take the easy way out for this one, as i’m having a hard time to merge 4 separate meals into one flowing review. All the dishes i’ve tried here have scored at least 7/10, there is nothing average, everything is top quality and of a high standard.
Food delivery sent to me during Lockdown
The decor and service is that of a fine dining restaurant, It’s evident from the moment you walk in that a lot of time, thought, money and effort has gone into this place. It looks fabulous and makes a great spot for a celebration meal or date night with a loved one.
Food From brunch Menu
They also have a Sunday brunch menu available and have extended their eat out help out scheme to October (excluding Friday and Saturday)
Hands down the best lamb Kebabs in London and probably the UK!
If you scroll through my blog you may notice the absence of a type of cuisine.. Food from the Levant or the Middle East, I’m not a fan, as I find in London it’s usually poor quality meats cooked over a grill in basic spices that I find boring.
Menu
Menu
So I was glad to try @berenjaklondon who are a fairly new Iranian Restaurant, located in Soho. From the outside, it’s easy to miss, looks like a shack hidden away in the hustle and Bustle of soho .
Outside
Inside it’s very cosy, by cosy I mean small and intimate but the food I had was great and I enjoyed my meal.
Pictured is the Jujeh Kebab (chicken and the (lamb) Chenjeh kebab £10 Delicious quality pieces of protein, both juicy and flavoursome. The dish that blew me away was the Barrah Kebab, quality cuts of lamp rump marinated in yoghurt, chili and tarragon. It’s pricey at £18 and the portion might be considered small, but with the first bite you can taste why. The quality of the lamb is unlike anything you can get from a typical Turkish type restaurant, the flavours of some of the fatty pieces were just amazing and I was having a foodgasm in my mouth a rare 10/10 dish
Starters
I also tried some starters which were tasty and very different to the stuff I’ve tried before at other middle Easten style restaurants .
I also ordered the lamb koobideh (mince lamb/kofa) kebab. Again, the taste of the lamb was that of quality, lamb shoulder with a few spices and cooked to perfection £11.50
The restaurant is styled like a hole in a wall run down Iranian Cafe so has loads of character inside. On my second visit, I decided to sit by the kitchen counter to watch the chefs in action. Just watching the team was an enjoyable experience, the level of precision and meticulous nature of their work, was easy to see why the food was banging. Places with a counter are perfect for solo dining.
I Also got a cheeky Darlish Baklava Ice cream sandwich for dessert, it was good but not as good as I’ve heard it being hyped £6
@berenjaklondon Received a Michelin Bob Gourmet award (not a Michelin star, but awarded to restaurants for value and quality) on the same day, so congratulations to them!
The lamb and chicken is halal ONLY.
This review is based on 2 separate visits, one as an invited guest and 1 as a paying customer. Both visits were excellent and service was the same on each occasion. My battery ran out on my 2nd pic so no pics!
Date of visits: Jan 2017, March 2018, June 2018, Feb 2019
I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to write a blog post about this spot. I’ve been eating here for over 3 years and feel like it’s time to give this place the credit it deserves.
De cafe is a humble cafe that offers up hearty meals like full English breakfasts and loads of comfort food, like British classics jacket potato with beans but has a really good range of pizzas, donners and grilled chicken and lamb.
Breakfasts cost £7.50 and most meals fall within this low price point. They are all very simple but made well with good portion sizes.
A few of my regular dishes are the infamous donner pizza, a deep pan freshly made pizza topped with really delicious Doner meat.
My first visit in 2017 is where I tried a grilled lamb dish and 3 years later I can still recall that experience, it was packed with flavour and absolutely delicious. A must order. That’s if they have it available.
I’m often asked for recommendations for a celebration meal for a birthday or special occasion and I think @tarshishlondon is a place that makes a good choice. Located near Wood Green Station and with a car park available, the restaurant has a full halal menu and nice vibe and settings.⠀
The food is best described as Turkish and very meat heavy menu, with little options if you are a vegan! I had a selection of starters, some classic Turkish dishes and some with a little twist. ⠀
I got 3 main courses, I decided to get the mixed grill, being objective with just the food, it was just middle of the road in terms of taste. It consisted of chicken and lamb shish with a juicy Adana kofta Kebab, at just under £24 I expected better flavours, especially from the Adana kebab. I actually took most of it home and ate it the next day and surprisingly tasted much better. ⠀
Lamb saddle £22, is something I don’t see much on menus, it was cooked to a perfect medium, but I didn’t get much flavour from the lamb. It was meant to have harissa but I didn’t get much from it. At this price point I expected more⠀
A massive let down was the chicken lollipop, a dish that had the makings of something special but just didn’t work, the chicken was cooked well, tender and juicy, it just lacked in the flavour department, very under seasoned and the mushroom sauce lacked any flavour at all. ⠀
Overall, in my experience, restaurants that have a really good atmosphere and environment tend to have food that doesn’t match the standards of the surroundings. This in my opinion is one such place. I’m not saying the food was bad, it’s just I think the prices are more for the experience rather than food quality.⠀
Dessert Time. No, that’s not an apple! This is the stunning looking apple cheesecake Definitely a dish with wow factor. £8.50, have to say its a very unique looking dessert, similar to the dish meat fruit by Heston, but this one is halal and its a dessert! It had a subtle apple favour, with the main flavour of raspberry running to the core.
So yeah, great for a girly night out or as my wife says a good reason to put fake lashes on. Dark moody lighting, live dj, good service and overall nice atmosphere. ⠀
I live close to Ilford Lane in East London which is home to loads of halal restaurants. Recently a new restaurant opened up called @edenperiperiilford and I was invited to pop along
They specialise in peri peri chicken, which I found a bold move as there’s the very popular and a personal favourite Franzos which is only a stone’s throw away! So another option for people
MENU
I ordered a mix of things off the menu, my usual whole chicken with some sides, chicken skewers and 2 burgers, beef and lamb. Along with a few smoothies and a shake. The whole chicken (£12.99 with 2 sides) itself was very tender and juicy, even the chicken breast was juicy, very easy to cook that too dry, but they did a good job. So I’ll give it a 7/10, happy to eat that again. Just felt there was some flavour lacking in the chicken, but still not bad for what it is
The chicken skewers were dry and just brushed with sauce, I didn’t like them. I knew the burgers were going to be cooked on the flame grill, a cooking method that I don’t really like as it dries out the meat and you lose a lot of flavour. The burgers were okay, I personally wouldn’t order them again as they weren’t to my taste. But I know its still a style of burger that the average person likes
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEcUc0-JTgr/
When it comes to a “Fake Nandos” there are a few other places that I rank higher. However, this place is great for families, its spacious, affordable, clean and is fully halal. Swipe to pic for menu and prices.
I was invited to review here and meal was complimentary. Words, as always honest.
I checked out another new Peri Chicken restaurant @peribros
I ordered a half chicken with 2 sides, smashed burger, pitta wrap, wings and the signature EL Marlachi burger
Menu
The food here was what you’d called a proper munch. I loved it. The half chicken was so soft and tender but also loaded with flavour from the medium spice peri peri marinade. The same went for the wings
The signature burger was full of flavour as well, the flavour from the chargrilled chicken as well as the well-balanced sauces
The double smashed burger made from Angus beef was good as well, it definitely has room for improvement, the bun used wasn’t the best pairing for a beefy and fatty smashed burger. Not a style of burger you normally find in a grill restaurant
Overall, I definitely recommend this place and will be coming back myself for sure
The restaurant itself is small, maybe 25 people max
![Eden’s Peri Peri [CLOSED]](https://i0.wp.com/halalfoodguy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Edens-4.jpg?fit=960%2C1280&ssl=1 "Eden’s Peri Peri [CLOSED]")
