I first tried to go to Moya with the now-boyfriend over 3 years ago. The evening did not start well: a sudden thunderstorm soaked my jeans to the knee, I was running late, and then Moya was closed. The entrails were not auspicious.
Somehow, we had a wonderful evening. And we've been meaning to give Moya another chance ever since. We made it as far as cocktails once, but already had dinner reservations at Door 74, not wanting to take a risk on it being closed again. So, three years later, we headed back.
Moya have an extensive cocktail menu - normally the sort of thing that would make me wary but, with around half the floor space occupied by a bar, we decided they might be serious and ordered a couple. His Sloe Gin Sling was pleasantly bitter, refreshing, and almost savoury in a herby fashion. My Honeysuckle Champagne veered just the right side of sweet, and also had a lovely floral scent. The wine list is short but also excellent: we went for a very reasonably priced bottle of Malbec.
As a starter, I simply had to try the fantastically-named Devil's Toast. Knowing I would choose a meaty main course, though, I went for the vegetarian version. I certainly didn't find it as scary as it threatened to be; there was a pleasant dry warmth from the paprika but it didn't get near blowing my head off. In any case, the heat was tempered by the generous helping of creamy goat's cheese, grilled over the top. He went for the fishcake, perhaps a little short on fish but very light and fluffy. With finely chopped mixed vegetables in the mix, it was a fresh-tasting start to a meal.
I tried two things I've never heard of before for my main course (quite an achievement on the part of a restaurant!). The Segedin pork stew was surprisingly light and delicate - perhaps too delicate, as I struggled to detect any of the promised caraway in the sauce. It was served with knedla, a steamed bread. This was easily the fluffiest bread I've ever had, almost too light to be capable of mopping up the juices from my plate, but utterly delicious nonetheless. On the other side of the table, he had Smoked Sausage, possibly the most disappointing dish of the evening. The portion size was definitely on the small side (two sausages), and the promised bacon/garlic/shallots were a tiny dash of seasoning, not the major feature that their inclusion on the menu might suggest. Note to chefs everywhere: you do not need to list every single ingredient of every dish on the menu. However, this came with a side dish of some good gratin potatoes, so it wasn't a total loss.
I could tell that the main dish must have been a bit small, because he managed dessert. And a good thing too, as it was raved about: a Bublanina sponge cake, incredibly airy and fluffy, doused with assorted forest berries on top, and served with a you-know-that's-homemade-real-stuff light vanilla custard.
Service throughout was very professional, hitting just the right note between friendly and overbearing. Overall, it was an enjoyable meal, but perhaps not quite enjoyable enough for me to rave about for weeks. The flavours, the portion size, the service: everything felt as if it was slightly held in, aiming to be a tamed version of Slovak cuisine, palatable for English unused to spice and fat. I left wanting more, despite being full.
Monday 16 September 2013
Wednesday 11 September 2013
Restaurant Review: Oxford Grill
Oxford Grill is easily one of the least prepossessing restaurants in Oxford. A bright red sign across the door, white text splurged across the windows, and one of the worst-punctuated social media presences I've ever read. So I avoided it. I passed it every day, lurking at the top of the Cowley Road, on my way to and from work, with no intention to ever visit.
Luckily, others less prejudiced than me popped in. They raved to me about the food: first one, then two, then more. I asked to go for dinner with a friend, letting her know I'd be reviewing the place, and she insisted we try it.
Admittedly we visited early on a Monday evening, but it would appear that most people had the same impression as me: we were the only customers present for almost the entire evening. However, the interior decor is stylish enough, and the space small enough, to feel warm even in such circumstances. The incredibly warm welcome we received from the manager certainly helped, too. Instantly, hot, fluffy flatbreads appeared - more like a focaccia than a pitta - together with a plate of hummus.
There's a lengthy starter menu, and on a return visit I'd definitely consider ordering a range of these dishes, rather than a traditional starter and main. Vegetarians in particular will enjoy this selection; the main dishes contained few vegetarian options (and should probably avoid, for example, the vegetarian tagliatelle dish, which apparently contains chicken). I went for the dolmes, vine leaves stuffed with well-cooked rice (so many restaurants either over- or under-cook theirs), tangy with lemon juice but rich with olive oil. I love dolmes, but I think I made a poor choice compared to my companion, who selected the cacik. I've never had an exciting cacik, but as soon as it arrived I realised my error. The cucumber was not carved into tasteless hunks, nor grated to the point of dissolving into the yoghurt, nor even sliced delicately. It was cubed into the tiniest little brunoise, smaller than many a fine Parisien restaurant would bother with. Each piece was imbued with flavour from the yoghurt and garlic, whilst retaining crunch. It must have been prepared incredibly recently, too: no liquid had leached into the yoghurt to thin the overall consistency. The yoghurt itself was rich, almost cheesy, and with a pleasant waft of garlic.
I chose the hunkar begendi as a main course, a dish I've read about before but never tried. It's therefore possible that all versions are actually this good, but I'll rave anyway. The base of aubergines was a slightly well-textured baba ghanoush or similar, smoky and creamy. This was topped with little cubes of chargrilled lamb, again, smoky, but providing a good texture contrast to the aubergine, tender as they were. Finally there was a drizzle of chilli sauce (presumably this was the "peppers" listed on the menu), just enough to spice up the occasional mouthful without overpowering the rest of the dish. It was a piece of very well balanced and precise cooking. My companion went for a regular favourite of hers, the not-particularly-informative "Lamb Saute", which appears on the "Daily Specials" section of the regular printed menu. So not a special at all. The dish itself was rich, served in a sweet reduced tomato and herb sauce, but I didn't find it quite as exciting as the rest of the meal. Both mains came with rice.
There you go: don't judge a book by its cover. I have no intention of actually following this maxim, but felt obliged to churn it out anyway; it's such an appalling cliche. And besides, when I have people around me who are happy to ignore covers and recommend places like the Oxford Grill, why should I?
Luckily, others less prejudiced than me popped in. They raved to me about the food: first one, then two, then more. I asked to go for dinner with a friend, letting her know I'd be reviewing the place, and she insisted we try it.
Admittedly we visited early on a Monday evening, but it would appear that most people had the same impression as me: we were the only customers present for almost the entire evening. However, the interior decor is stylish enough, and the space small enough, to feel warm even in such circumstances. The incredibly warm welcome we received from the manager certainly helped, too. Instantly, hot, fluffy flatbreads appeared - more like a focaccia than a pitta - together with a plate of hummus.
There's a lengthy starter menu, and on a return visit I'd definitely consider ordering a range of these dishes, rather than a traditional starter and main. Vegetarians in particular will enjoy this selection; the main dishes contained few vegetarian options (and should probably avoid, for example, the vegetarian tagliatelle dish, which apparently contains chicken). I went for the dolmes, vine leaves stuffed with well-cooked rice (so many restaurants either over- or under-cook theirs), tangy with lemon juice but rich with olive oil. I love dolmes, but I think I made a poor choice compared to my companion, who selected the cacik. I've never had an exciting cacik, but as soon as it arrived I realised my error. The cucumber was not carved into tasteless hunks, nor grated to the point of dissolving into the yoghurt, nor even sliced delicately. It was cubed into the tiniest little brunoise, smaller than many a fine Parisien restaurant would bother with. Each piece was imbued with flavour from the yoghurt and garlic, whilst retaining crunch. It must have been prepared incredibly recently, too: no liquid had leached into the yoghurt to thin the overall consistency. The yoghurt itself was rich, almost cheesy, and with a pleasant waft of garlic.
I chose the hunkar begendi as a main course, a dish I've read about before but never tried. It's therefore possible that all versions are actually this good, but I'll rave anyway. The base of aubergines was a slightly well-textured baba ghanoush or similar, smoky and creamy. This was topped with little cubes of chargrilled lamb, again, smoky, but providing a good texture contrast to the aubergine, tender as they were. Finally there was a drizzle of chilli sauce (presumably this was the "peppers" listed on the menu), just enough to spice up the occasional mouthful without overpowering the rest of the dish. It was a piece of very well balanced and precise cooking. My companion went for a regular favourite of hers, the not-particularly-informative "Lamb Saute", which appears on the "Daily Specials" section of the regular printed menu. So not a special at all. The dish itself was rich, served in a sweet reduced tomato and herb sauce, but I didn't find it quite as exciting as the rest of the meal. Both mains came with rice.
There you go: don't judge a book by its cover. I have no intention of actually following this maxim, but felt obliged to churn it out anyway; it's such an appalling cliche. And besides, when I have people around me who are happy to ignore covers and recommend places like the Oxford Grill, why should I?
Thursday 15 August 2013
Hadley Freeman at Blackwells
I was always sort-of aware that Blackwell's did events, as well as selling me books, but only in a back-of-my-mind not-something-that-actually-happens-in-my-real-world sort of way. And then, on Twitter (font of all knowledge) one day, they went and asked one of my favourite journalists, Hadley Freeman, to come discuss her new book there.
I may have gotten a bit overexcited. I think I may have sent something terribly embarrassing like "Do it do it do it! OMG!" to them both. I shouldn't be let near anyone famous: even when I rehearse my lines really carefully, I always end up saying something faintly stupid. Anyway, they did it, thank god. And to make me feel a bit better, the lovely folk at Blackwell's even gave me a ticket.
The talk was an interview set-up, which worked very well, and congratulations are due to Lizzie Porter for her excellent work in steering the discussion. Hadley spoke a little about her book, Be Awesome, and Lizzie did a great job in guiding her through some of the books key themes, enlarging on some of the more amusing or touching stories, without spoiling it for those of use who were yet to read it. Some of the best bits came in the audience Q&A at the end - my favourite was the question "what do you say to guys who catcall you in the street?" when everyone present dived in with their own suggestions!
You can see the upcoming events at Blackwell's on their blog, broadconversation.com, as well as other store and book news, or check events on the main Blackwell's website.
I may have gotten a bit overexcited. I think I may have sent something terribly embarrassing like "Do it do it do it! OMG!" to them both. I shouldn't be let near anyone famous: even when I rehearse my lines really carefully, I always end up saying something faintly stupid. Anyway, they did it, thank god. And to make me feel a bit better, the lovely folk at Blackwell's even gave me a ticket.
The talk was an interview set-up, which worked very well, and congratulations are due to Lizzie Porter for her excellent work in steering the discussion. Hadley spoke a little about her book, Be Awesome, and Lizzie did a great job in guiding her through some of the books key themes, enlarging on some of the more amusing or touching stories, without spoiling it for those of use who were yet to read it. Some of the best bits came in the audience Q&A at the end - my favourite was the question "what do you say to guys who catcall you in the street?" when everyone present dived in with their own suggestions!
You can see the upcoming events at Blackwell's on their blog, broadconversation.com, as well as other store and book news, or check events on the main Blackwell's website.
Monday 5 August 2013
Restaurant Review: Royal India at the Chequers
A favourite restaurant needn't be the best restaurant. The food needs to be good enough, of course, but it needn't be exceptional. In fact, it probably shouldn't be exceptional, as a favourite restaurant needs to be cheap enough to eat at regularly, rather than as an occasional treat. Service is probably more important when deciding on a favourite restaurant, rather than making a recommendation to a friend of a best restaurant: your favourite restaurant needs to be excessively welcoming, with staff who remember your preferences and greet you as friends, as much as customers. But the service can't be too good, or the place will become busy, and part of what makes it your favourite restaurant is that you can always get a table without booking. Location suddenly becomes much more important than it might be normally: if you can't roll out of the place at midnight, walk home, and be in bed within 30 minutes, then it's unlikely to become a favourite.
I wouldn't therefore always recommend what used to be my favourite restaurant in Oxford - The Indian Room at the Exeter Hall pub on the Cowley Road - to people asking where they should go for dinner. A favourite restaurant is just too personal, and others are unlikely to understand its charms, so you come across as being somewhat ignorant about good food or good service. A favourite restaurant is also an emotional thing: we can get irrationally upset when other people don't like it. We can also have nervous breakdowns when it closes down, as I suffered recently when the Indian Room shut its doors.
I was somewhat wary, therefore, of trying out its sister restaurant, The Royal India. Also based in a pub (The Chequers), but in Headington Quarry, I feared some of the charm of my original would be lost in translation. Luckily, though, some friends recommended it to me, and suggested a group trip, so I could happily go along, without having to accept responsibility if it wasn't as good as I had raved about.
The menu has some more interesting options than your average Indian, several of which we recognised from the Indian Room. I'm not sure I will ever want to try the delightfully 1990s "Olive Chicken", a curry with added olives and sweet chilli sauce, but I would recommend the King Prawn Ruposhi (with mango chutney) or Lamb Rezalla (a fresher, spicier korma equivalent). However, we were there on a Wednesday, so we took advantage of the ridiculously good value "Banquet" option: for less than a tenner, you get a starter, a main, a side to share between two, and rice or naan. This is just silly: you don't get a single main course for that in most Oxford restaurants.
I went for the sheek kebab to start with, which was a little disappointing: dry and overcooked, though revived with an excellent spiced yoghurt sauce. Others went for the vegetable samosas, which arrive as a single magnificent giant samosa (as someone who normally find the filling-to-pastry ratio in samosas way too low, I definitely appreciate the giant samosa school of thought), or the chicken tikka, which was deemed well-spiced and nicely charred.
They definitely have a very very hot oven here; the tandoori prawns I had for my main were likewise gorgeously charred and smoky without, but perfectly cooked within. They came with a massala sauce: normally an english-style gravy I'd steer well clear of, but I'd tried it at the Indian Room and it was just as good here. Sharp with yoghurt, sweet with a little tomato sauce, warmly spiced without burning my tastebuds off, this was comfort food at its absolute best. A (Kiwi) friend, still familiarising herself with Anglo-Indian cuisine, tried her first ever dupiaza and was highly impressed.
The veggie offerings are incredibly wide-ranging: any of the "classic" dishes can be made with vegetables, and any of the vegetable side dishes (seventeen of them) can be served as mains. Particular praise was given to the mutter paneer, or cheesy peas as our beloved Kiwi called them, and the sag daal. Whenever I was ill I used to go to the Indian Room for sag daal; it is one of those nourishing dishes that makes everything better, and the Royal India version is just as lovely. It's reassuring to know that happiness is only a phone call and a 45-minute wait away, as the Royal India (of course) do takeaway.
Of course, it will never be my favourite restaurant, and given the location, I doubt it will be many people's favourite. But if you're in Headington sometime, do pop in.
I wouldn't therefore always recommend what used to be my favourite restaurant in Oxford - The Indian Room at the Exeter Hall pub on the Cowley Road - to people asking where they should go for dinner. A favourite restaurant is just too personal, and others are unlikely to understand its charms, so you come across as being somewhat ignorant about good food or good service. A favourite restaurant is also an emotional thing: we can get irrationally upset when other people don't like it. We can also have nervous breakdowns when it closes down, as I suffered recently when the Indian Room shut its doors.
I was somewhat wary, therefore, of trying out its sister restaurant, The Royal India. Also based in a pub (The Chequers), but in Headington Quarry, I feared some of the charm of my original would be lost in translation. Luckily, though, some friends recommended it to me, and suggested a group trip, so I could happily go along, without having to accept responsibility if it wasn't as good as I had raved about.
The menu has some more interesting options than your average Indian, several of which we recognised from the Indian Room. I'm not sure I will ever want to try the delightfully 1990s "Olive Chicken", a curry with added olives and sweet chilli sauce, but I would recommend the King Prawn Ruposhi (with mango chutney) or Lamb Rezalla (a fresher, spicier korma equivalent). However, we were there on a Wednesday, so we took advantage of the ridiculously good value "Banquet" option: for less than a tenner, you get a starter, a main, a side to share between two, and rice or naan. This is just silly: you don't get a single main course for that in most Oxford restaurants.
I went for the sheek kebab to start with, which was a little disappointing: dry and overcooked, though revived with an excellent spiced yoghurt sauce. Others went for the vegetable samosas, which arrive as a single magnificent giant samosa (as someone who normally find the filling-to-pastry ratio in samosas way too low, I definitely appreciate the giant samosa school of thought), or the chicken tikka, which was deemed well-spiced and nicely charred.
They definitely have a very very hot oven here; the tandoori prawns I had for my main were likewise gorgeously charred and smoky without, but perfectly cooked within. They came with a massala sauce: normally an english-style gravy I'd steer well clear of, but I'd tried it at the Indian Room and it was just as good here. Sharp with yoghurt, sweet with a little tomato sauce, warmly spiced without burning my tastebuds off, this was comfort food at its absolute best. A (Kiwi) friend, still familiarising herself with Anglo-Indian cuisine, tried her first ever dupiaza and was highly impressed.
The veggie offerings are incredibly wide-ranging: any of the "classic" dishes can be made with vegetables, and any of the vegetable side dishes (seventeen of them) can be served as mains. Particular praise was given to the mutter paneer, or cheesy peas as our beloved Kiwi called them, and the sag daal. Whenever I was ill I used to go to the Indian Room for sag daal; it is one of those nourishing dishes that makes everything better, and the Royal India version is just as lovely. It's reassuring to know that happiness is only a phone call and a 45-minute wait away, as the Royal India (of course) do takeaway.
Of course, it will never be my favourite restaurant, and given the location, I doubt it will be many people's favourite. But if you're in Headington sometime, do pop in.
Sunday 28 July 2013
2013 Top Ten Restaurants in Oxford
Another Oxford-based food blogger recently published a list of his top ten restaurants in Oxford this year. I disagreed with his choices and so I was challenged to come up with my own list. I disagree in principle with the concept of "top tens": there's a compunction to include places that might be slightly sub-par simply to make up numbers. High Fidelity is an excellent lesson in this respect: top tens are used as a substitute for real conversation; as the film progresses and the narrator's situation becomes more serious, the top tens become less and less important, and real conversations become properly valued.
On top of that the ranking system often isn't explained. Are they personal favourites? Are they best for food, or for service, or for atmosphere? Or are they simply near to the writer's home, and therefore convenient? For me, a full-length (by which I mean at least 500 words) review will always hold more value than a headline-grabbing top ten.
That said, here are my favourites, in alphabetical order:
The best Lebanese in Oxford, and one that (in my fairly wide experience) could definitely compete at a national level. Particularly impressive is the wide range of vegetarian meze, as well as their bravery in putting some less traditional meats on the menu. I haven't dared try the brains yet, but the raw lamb kibbeh nayeh is excellent: refreshing and delicate in an unexpected manner.
As far as I'm aware, the only restaurant (now a mini chain!) in the country where the focus is on what goes on top of the burger. There's a rash of Gourmet Burgers/Byrons, and now London is even facing the invasion of New York's Shake Shack, but Atomic are merrily carving a path of their own. It's also great fun: popping candy in your milkshake; Thunderbirds videos on the wall; burgers names after 1980s film characters...
I nearly excluded Chiang Mai on price grounds: I never really feel I'm quite getting value for money here.That said, the food is mostly authentic, some is excellent, and all is well-spiced. It's served in the delightful setting of an Elizabethan townhouse and ex-prison, creating an intimate atmosphere, and it even has a decent wine list.
If I ever decide to open a restaurant, it would be very like Door 74. There's a reassuringly short menu, making it clear that all the food is cooked from scratch for each individual order, rather than being pre-prepped then re-heated or "finished" on demand. It's also one of the most romantic places I know for dinner, with its twinkly lights, small size, and unobtrusive service. It's also stupidly cheap.
Magdalen Arms (website actually useless)
I avoided the Magdalen Arms for ages, disliking the amount of hype it had received, mostly from London-based writers and bloggers. Unfortunately, when I finally visited, it turned out to be as good as they'd all said. The Magdalen Arms can easily compete with the London gastropub scene both in terms of the innovatativeness and the flavour of the food, as it should given it's run by the folk behind "the first gastropub" in the UK, the Anchor and Hope. The sharing dishes are always particularly interesting.
Intestines. Ears. Tongues. Oh, and last time I glimpsed into the kitchen they had entire storage boxes filled with dried chillis. Somehow, out of all that, have come some of the most interesting, exciting, and downright delicious meals I've ever eaten. It's not for the fainthearted, but if you're bored with lemon chicken and beef in black bean sauce, come here for some real Chinese food. The flavours will knock you backwards, pump you full of endorphins, and then soothe you back with delicious meaty fattiness.
The Rickety Press calls itself a gastropub, but both the food and the greenhouse setting are far too elegant for that label in my view. There are some standards here (onion and goat's cheese tarts, burgers, fishcakes) but also some more ambitious dishes, all in a fairly modern British range. Everything, though, is cooked with an exacting precision and presented stylishly.
If My Sichuan sounds a bit too much for you, then Sojo might be just right: still pushing boundaries but with a few more recognisable dishes. The service here is excellent, and the waiting staff are experts in identifying a customer's comfort zone, then pushing them to order something just a little bit more different, to surprise and delight them.
TSK, together with Oxfork (mentioned below) and now the St Giles' Cafe (also mentioned below) is at the forefront of a new hyperlocal trend in eating out, which in my view is unmatched almost anywhere else in the UK. That was reflected in the view that the Sustainable Restaurant Association took when asked to review TSK by Giles Coren. On top of all that, the food is in line with the latest trend for nose-to-tail eating. Oh, and it tastes really good.
I'm really sad that there isn't an Indian restaurant on this list. Oxford has plenty of good Indian restaurants, but nothing that stands out from the crowd, and definitely nothing that could compete with, say, Birmingham or Leicester. But we've recently acquired a rash of something else from the subcontinent: Nepalese restaurants. It all started with Everest (which doesn't appear here for the simple reason that I haven't eaten there!), and we now also have Yeti and Kadai&Naan. The flavours are really interesting, playing a lot more in the bittersweet/aniseedy range, and using a lot more dried spices than normal Indian food. Yeti also has the most welcoming service I have ever encountered.
And finally, three who didn't make it into the list because they're not quite traditional restaurants:
Olives
Best sandwiches in Oxford. They're not cheap, but then when your baguette contains an entire ball of buffalo mozzarella, who's complaining?
Best breakfast (to be accurate, by the time I get out of bed, it's more like brunch) in Oxford. As with TSK, hyperlocal sourcing combined with good British food traditions. The range of veggie options is particularly welcome.
Pukeko
Best coffee in Oxford - and it's a tough field. This is a very personal choice, as everyone likes a slightly different flavour to their coffee. Honourable mentions also go to Zappi's, Quarter Horse, and Missing Bean.
And one more who I suspect will make this list next year, once they're fully up and running with a regular menu and regular evening opening: St Giles' Cafe. The owner has really done his research, spending time working in several Oxford restaurants and discovering some of our best suppliers, before setting up on his own. Particularly of note is that they make all their own bacon and sausages - and you can tell.
Restaurant Review: Pomegranate Kitchen
When I was little, my Mum's cookery books were divided into two groups: the everyday ones, which lived in the kitchen, and the more unusual ones, which lived in a closed bookcase in the dining room. I opened the doors occasionally, but the first book I took out, when I was 16 or so, was Claudia Roden's A Book of Middle Eastern Food. It was an utter revelation: all sorts of ingredients and combinations that I'd never imagined before; I fell in love instantly.
It's still my favourite non-British cuisine, both to cook at home and to eat out. Al Shami, a Lebanese in Jericho, even made it to my top ten Oxford restaurants earlier this year. It's fair to say I was therefore pretty excited when I spotted that a new Lebanese restaurant was opening on the Cowley Road, particularly given the website's boast about their "fluffy falafels".
Well, the falafels weren't all that fluffy, but they were one of the few dud notes of the two meals I've eaten there since. Both times I've ordered from their very extensive mezze selections, with a range of some more standard dishes (hummus) and some more unusual ones (tiny little stonebaked pizzas with a thick topping of thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds is a new favourite of mine). All the dishes are beautifully presented in gorgeous ceramics, encouraging you to abandon all sense of table manners and simply grab whatever you fancy, even if your dining companions already have their fork in the bowl.
There are some stand out dishes: the pizzas mentioned earlier, the moussaka (an aubergine and chickpea stew, rather than the Greek baked dish), the moutabal, and the little cumin-spiked sausages. There's also a fantastic range for vegetarians and those with gluten or nut intolerances; the waiting staff are by far the most knowledgeable about the menu that I've encountered in a long time, and did a fantastic job advising us on both visits.
Less good were the falafels, which turned out to be somewhat stodgy and a little lacking in herbs and spices, and the bread, which was dried out rather than warm and floppy. There were also some service hiccups, which I hope are simply early-day mistakes which will soon be resolved. On both occasions I ate there, we ordered a bottle of white wine, and on both occasions it turned up warm. Apologies were made, but how hard is it to refrigerate wine before a customer tries to order it? Responsibilities between various members of the waiting staff also don't seem to be entirely clear, with some orders having to be repeated to different members of the team, and some miscommunications between members of the team, but I suspect that as everyone settles down, these issues will be resolved.
It's still no Al Shami, but Pomegranate is a great addition to the Cowley Road food scene, and I'll certainly be back for more.
Details:
Pomegranate Lebanese Kitchen
Website
126 Cowley Road
01865 241 260
It's still my favourite non-British cuisine, both to cook at home and to eat out. Al Shami, a Lebanese in Jericho, even made it to my top ten Oxford restaurants earlier this year. It's fair to say I was therefore pretty excited when I spotted that a new Lebanese restaurant was opening on the Cowley Road, particularly given the website's boast about their "fluffy falafels".
Well, the falafels weren't all that fluffy, but they were one of the few dud notes of the two meals I've eaten there since. Both times I've ordered from their very extensive mezze selections, with a range of some more standard dishes (hummus) and some more unusual ones (tiny little stonebaked pizzas with a thick topping of thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds is a new favourite of mine). All the dishes are beautifully presented in gorgeous ceramics, encouraging you to abandon all sense of table manners and simply grab whatever you fancy, even if your dining companions already have their fork in the bowl.
There are some stand out dishes: the pizzas mentioned earlier, the moussaka (an aubergine and chickpea stew, rather than the Greek baked dish), the moutabal, and the little cumin-spiked sausages. There's also a fantastic range for vegetarians and those with gluten or nut intolerances; the waiting staff are by far the most knowledgeable about the menu that I've encountered in a long time, and did a fantastic job advising us on both visits.
Less good were the falafels, which turned out to be somewhat stodgy and a little lacking in herbs and spices, and the bread, which was dried out rather than warm and floppy. There were also some service hiccups, which I hope are simply early-day mistakes which will soon be resolved. On both occasions I ate there, we ordered a bottle of white wine, and on both occasions it turned up warm. Apologies were made, but how hard is it to refrigerate wine before a customer tries to order it? Responsibilities between various members of the waiting staff also don't seem to be entirely clear, with some orders having to be repeated to different members of the team, and some miscommunications between members of the team, but I suspect that as everyone settles down, these issues will be resolved.
It's still no Al Shami, but Pomegranate is a great addition to the Cowley Road food scene, and I'll certainly be back for more.
Details:
Pomegranate Lebanese Kitchen
Website
126 Cowley Road
01865 241 260
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