It’s been a strong year for new London restaurants, but my own most anticipated opening has been Berenjak. Launched just last week on Soho’s Romilly Street, Berenjak re-imagines the traditional hole-in-the-wall kebab houses of Tehran.
Founder and Chef Kian Samyani spent his childhood in Iran and has taken inspiration from family dinners at home, as well as his experience in the kitchens of JKS Group restaurants Gymkhana and most recently Brigadiers. In fact, Berenjak is supported by the hugely successful restaurateurs who have brought us Trishna, Gymkhana, Brigadiers, Motu Indian Kitchen, Hoppers, Bubbledogs and Bao, and it’s easy to predict that this too will be a hit.
I’ve grown up with home-cooked Iranian food and have learned how to make stews and rice dishes from recipes passed down from my grandmother who used to visit from Tehran. Of course, it’s even more exciting to go out and see how these dishes are cooked in restaurants, as there are always a few interesting differences in style.
The restaurant
We visited Berenjak on its second day of opening and already it was running smoothly with Chef Kian behind the open grill. The front of the restaurant features counter seating and cosy booths and we were pleased to be shown to a table in the charming ‘hayat’ (Persian garden). It really looks the part with distressed mosaic tiles, tapestry wall hangings, twinkling lights and a soundtrack of Iranian party music that brings a fun, convivial atmosphere.
The well-edited menu focuses on Mazeh (small plates), Kabab and Khoresht (Persian stew) and everything is sharable. We found the staff very knowledgeable and ready to offer recommendations on which dishes to try.
Drinks
The drink to order at Berenjak is Sharbat – a non-alcoholic Persian fruit cordial served tall with sparkling water and sabzi (fresh herbs). Black lime and mint was sweet, aromatic and luscious while Blackcurant sekanjabin was sharp with a strong vinegar flavour – a bit like cocktail shrubs. For something stronger, all sharbats can by ‘spiked’ with suggested spirits and complementary fruits, plus there’s a well-chosen house wine and beer.
Dishes
We started with Hummus and accompanied by Taftoon – a clay tanoor-baked sourdough seeded flatbread. The hummus was super smooth and rich, made with black chickpeas, tahini, walnut and sumac. The scattered crispy onions and spices really made it a star dish.
To get a good overview of the cuisine, it’s definitely worth trying two contrasting kababs and a stew. Jujeh kabab was smoky and satisfying, made with unbelievably succulent and juicy chicken breast marinated in mellow saffron, lemon, yoghurt and tomato.
Chenjeh kabab is known for its superior cut and these lamb rump chunks were substantial and tender, with a slightly punchier marinade than the Jujeh kabab, due to the chilli. Both kababs were clearly made with very high quality meat and served on a platter with a piece of Sangak wholewheat flatbread, scorched tomato, onion and fresh green herbs.
Khoresht Ghaimeh Bademjoon was slow-cooked and surprisingly plentiful with half a roasted aubergine, soft yellow split peas and crispy potato matchsticks on top. This comforting, filling stew was packed full of tangy flavours with a top note of fragrant black lime, served in a typical copper pot. To really take it to the next level, you can also add beef short rib, which I’d love to try next time.
The test of a good Iranian restaurant is its rice and Berenjak’s was excellent with saffron, melting goats butter and tadig (the crispy rice at the bottom of the pan). I wish there had been a little more tadig, as it’s generally everyone’s favourite part of the pollow, but the rice was still very moreish. We were pretty full by that point, but if you’re in the mood for dessert, there’s a rather decadent Baklava ice cream sandwich on the menu.
Impressions
Berenjak already seems perfectly at home in Soho and what a treat it is to have an Iranian restaurant with exceptional food, style and atmosphere in this foodie part of town. I know I’ll be back again soon to work my way through the menu!
For more information and menus, visit: www.berenjaklondon.com
Photos by Chérie City and Marcus Cobden/Berenjak
