Problem
Where to go with our fussy friends for lunch, reasonably priced, not too pretentious, healthy, interesting, ethnic. Somewhere new. Not the old favourites where we eat at so often. (B and K in Hatch End.)
Answer
We drove up and down Stanmore and Edgware looking at restaurants. What about this one? What about that one? This place was too expensive. That place was too cheap. Tash looked just right. At least it was new to us.
We tried to book on the phone but they said lunch time midweek, not necessary, no problem getting a table.
We managed to park on a meter right outside. Another big car park where you pay is behind the shops.
Our friends were already seated in the back room. But we were immediately offered a better seat in the brighter front room at a table which had come free, by the manager or owner. I didn't have time to find out which he was, because we were too busy talking to each other, catching up on a year's news, to add a fifth to the already overcrowded conversational competition.
The back room has walls decorated with enough items to keep you entertained for hours, plus changing coloured lights.
On our table in the front room was a small bust of a famous Persian hero.
We started with a plate of mixed hors d'oeuvres, hummus and taramasalata. You find the same in restaurants all around the mediterranean sea, Greece, Turkey and Israel, all of which I visited long ago as a student in a clockwise tour.
Our main courses were moussaka, lamb or vegetarian, and chicken shish kebab with rice. After the plentiful starter larger enough for a snack lunch, the huge main course was so large that we immediately divided our in half and later asked for two portions to be wrapped up to go home.
I had ordered a yogurt drink. It came up salty, to match the savoury main course. This was a surprise. In Indian restaurants I have sweet lassi.
The dessert of baklava was excellent.
Our meal ended with Turkish coffee.
More photos in next post.
Tip
If ordering yogurt check whether it will be salty and if you want sweet or neither salt nor sugar tell them.
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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