Kensington has always struck me as a bit of a culinary wasteland. There’s the odd gem, but for such an affluent area it lacks exciting eats.
That’s particularly true of the High Street, which during my teenage years was well worth the schlepp. ‘Ken Market’ was up there with Camden for what I and my contemporaries and I thought were edgy purchases. Now, the busy thoroughfare is a series of bland fashion chains, albeit mostly upmarket ones.
But Tomer Amedi (former head chef of The Palomar) and an alumni of the Machneyuda kitchen brigade, has brought fresh flavour to the area. The Israeli chef has been been hired to consult at an existing restaurant on the main street. (Teetering distance from the tube, with views from the well-lit upstairs dining room straight into everyone’s bulging shopping bags.)
The best challah - still steaming from the oven Photo: Victoria Prever
His menu is packed with full-on flavours fusing Middle Eastern ingredients and classical methods. Everything we’ve loved about Machneyuda’s repertoire.
The menu is divided into three sections — Sea (fish and seafood); Land (meat) and Garden (vegetables) — with the idea being you share a few dishes between you. The meat isn’t kosher, but there are plenty of vegetable and fish dishes, and Tomedi has told me that he can substitute any of the dishes with a non-meat/seafood replacement.
Highlights included the Yemeni challah which arrived first with side dishes of whipped za’atar butter and darkly delicious and smoky black tahina. The bread was so freshly baked, clouds of steam emerged as we tore it open. Even at that point, my evening was complete.
Fresh and leafy 'reverse tabbouleh' delivered Photo: Victoria Prever
A Reverse ‘Tabbouleh’ salad did away with all the chopping a regular version entails. And was far better for it. The bowl of fresh, leafy herbs coated in zingy dressing and crunchy pine nuts was bursting with zesty flavour. ‘Ultra-crispy potatoes’ were a golden, crunchy carbophile’s dream. If only my own roasties would do that.
Burnt aubergine steak was grilled to smoky smoothness, lain over more of that killer black tahina and buried under pickled tomatoes and capers. Charcoaled mushroom shawarma was topped with grated fermented yoghurt — lending a parmesan-like umami quality.
Chocolate cremaux Photo: Victoria Prever
Chocolate tahini cremaux wasn't going to win any beauty contests but it didn't need to. It was a hands down winner on flavour — a dense, sticky mound of pure joy, surrounded by crunchy crumble — the richness cut by blueberry sauce poured from a cute mini copper pan.
Middle Eastern basbousa (semolina) cake was styled out as a French-style financier and paired with creamy ricotta, honey and white hyssop — one of the ingredients in spice mix, za’atar. Not quite as knock-out as the glorious chocolate, but worth loosening your belt for.
Middle East meets French patisserie - Basbousa Financier Photo: Victoria Prever
Not only is Tomer all over the menu, but the amateur musician (check out his Insta) has also curated the play list.
Lucky locals should rush there — and for the rest of us it, Kensington has just become a shopping destination worthy of a day trip.
