Eat Well? Indeed I Did!

As a food critic, I'm probably not supposed to have favourites. I should be forever impartial, bestowing equal love on every cuisine, my palate an eternal home for taste in all its forms.

So here's my confession: I'm a sucker for a good Chinese! And my favourite one in north west London is the Eat Well in Eastcote. If you don't mind travelling out to zone 5, I think you'll find it well worth the trip.

One of the main reasons I love it there is because, for a set price, they will bring you exactly what you want - again and again. So it's an all-you-can-eat but there's no buffet; no food congealing under the heater while other people stick their noses in it. You get a menu and you choose what you want and they bring it - promptly and with a smile. And if you want it again, you order it again - at no extra cost.

A-Mazar-Ing Afghan

Banjan Borani

Let's be fair: Afghan food isn't exactly prolific in the UK. It tends to get lumped in together with Turkish, Lebanese, Egyptian etc. And when you ask people about Afghan food, the predominant view is that it consists of kebabs, preferably after a night in the pub. Chortle, chortle.

And so it was, armed with little knowledge but an open mind, that I went to Mazar in Harrow. Named after a village in Badakhshan Province in north-eastern Afghanistan., the venue had received an average 10/10 rating by AllinLondon so I was surprised by the unprepossessing exterior and dated decor and feared that it was exactly as I'd feared: a kebab shop. But if there was ever a lesson in not judging a book (or restaurant) by its cover, this was it.

Borani Sabzi

With no experience of Mazari cuisine, my companions and I opted for a range of dishes. Despite ordering starters and mains, the food all appeared at the same time which was a little overwhelming. Our favourite was the Borani Sabzi, delicately spiced and practically liquidised steamed spinach. I know, I know - sounds like a schoolboy's worst ever school dinner, and looked even worse - but trust me, it was gorgeous. A close second was Banjan Borani - aubergine in fresh tomato sauce, green pepper and garlic. Accompanied by warm, doughy naan bread to soak up the juices, we were in heaven.

While we sipped on Afghani green tea, the rest of the food was already arriving, a veritable mountain of goodies. The authentic Qabeli Palow featured lamb and what we surmised is the Afghan equivalent of Jamaican rice and peas: plain white rice mixed in with juicy sultanas and sweet grated carrot.

Qabeli Palow

Despite being told we'd have to wait for the fish special, it arrived in no time: beautifully grilled salmon steaks - crisp on the outside, moist on the inside - with a flavour I couldn't identify, and our server, despite being incredibly welcoming and hospitable, had only limited English and was unable to clarify the spicing for me. A shame, as I'd love to have tried it at home, although I suspect it was cooked in a tandoor-type oven; it had that kind of quality.

So let me mention the service here: it was warm but unintrusive, our tea glasses were refilled regularly, the manager was at pains to make sure we understood that everything was cooked fresh and on site. All the staff seemed genuinely pleased that we were there.

Even Ashak, the ravioli-style pasta filled with leek and herbs - arguably the prettiest dish we were served - was tasty, although surely more Italian than Afghan? Not that I'm any kind of expert.
 

Ashak

I also have to comment on the unbelievable value for money. The most expensive thing we ordered was the salmon at £8.95 and there were three massive steaks on the plate. You can see from the photos just how much food was served for each dish. Of course, it's not just about the quantity, but the quality as well. Although presentation was not necessarily at the forefront of the chef's mind, taste absolutely was. We fell in love with Mazari cuisine and hospitality and can't wait to try it again. 


For more information at AllinLondon go to http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/restaurants/restaurant-11249.php

Vive le Market!

Well I just love fresh food, don't you? I especially love other people making it for me!

Bring on the local market, which takes place in the nearby town centre on a regular basis. Marketed as a French market, in reality, there are stalls featuring produce from all over Europe, which only makes it more attractive as far as I'm concerned. From a variety of olives to a selection of meats and garlic cloves at every turn, whoever is responsible for coordinating and approving this event in Harrow deserves a medal. And did I mention the sweet, flaky pastries? Delicious!

Perusing the produce, I couldn't resist buying half a garlic sausage, which will apparently last two weeks in the fridge (not that I imagine I'll be able to verify that - half of it has gone already!)

For those with more adventurous tastes, you could even buy snails to cook at home - I didn't dare!

What I did do, however, was sample the various take-away foods available. Unsurprisingly, I loved the Normandie garlic prawns (or should that be prawnies?! See photo), which were succulent, fresh and juicy. I also loved the tarteflette, which combined soft sliced potatoes, cream, lardons of ham with garlic for a filling and totally satisfying dish that could be enjoyed while walking around the market.

I also want to give a shout out to the man working at Jacc's coffee; firstly, because having coffee as part of the market just makes so much sense and secondly, because it was good coffee - aromatic and strong - and thirdly because he was also selling various syrups to enhance the coffee. I ended up buying a bottle to take home!

His good humour and friendliness really summarised the market for me: small traders trying to make an honest living by providing fresh, good quality produce in a warm environment that draws you in and enhances the town centre experience for everybody.

Now, when's the next one?