Hurrah for Haleem: Zaytun Restaurant in Stepney

We tried to save some for the picture, but the food was just too good. Photo Credit: Kathrine Anker

How do you know if a restaurant is “authentic?” In a multi-cultural city like London, where influences constantly merge and make for new expressions, it’s impossible to define what’s “real” and what’s not. But one can never go wrong with the good old truism that good cuisine attracts its native eaters.

Restaurant Zaytun in Stepney is a buzzling little hub of Somali, Arabic and Indian locals, laughing, joking and greeting each other across the tables. You can tell they all come here often. And with good reason.

We were shown to a secluded table enclosed by a woven bamboo room divider, where the banter of the locals would still be heard but not seen. The waiter explained that the menu in Zaytun is split into an Indian and an Arab/Somali section. We opted for three Somalian starters and one Bengali, and had to unbutton our trousers to make space for the desert.

From the Somali menu we chose hummus, complete with oil, herbs and spices on top, a flavourful lentil soup and Kallaje, a genius invention with halloumi cheese wrapped in naan bread that makes for an excellent mix of consistencies.

But it turned out to be the Bengali dish that blew us away. Just where Haleem soup has been hiding from us until now, we don’t know. Its brown, non-descript appearance might put off the uninitiated, but seriously: it’s the most amazing South Asian dish we have come across in London.

Haleem is a traditional Bengali dish, based on slow-cooked lentils with fresh ginger and garlic, and with tender pieces of lamb awaiting the eater underneath the mysterious, brown lentil carpet covered in roasted onions and coriander. This unpretentious dish will never escape our attention again.

The dessert, a colourful, layered sponge cake with cream and fruit, did not have an easy audience after such an amazing lunch. It was too sweet to finish, but it fared rather well because of its nut flakes and honey glazing on top. Its origin? Well, as our friendly waiter said: “It comes from many places. Many people eat it!” And perhaps this is the essence of authenticity in London. When you merge the best bits, you get a place like Zaytun.

To get there, take the tube to Stepney Green, walk 200 meters down Mile End Road and cross the road.

Zaytun Restaurant

114 Mile End Road

London E1 4UN

Tel: 020 7790 6000

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