The Times
Jay Rayner was in his element at this “Afghan-Texas BBQ mash-up” which, after years on the food festival circuit, has found its first permanent home in an old pub in “a less manicured corner” of Notting Hill.
Co-founder Mursal Saiq, who arrived in the UK as an eight-year-old refugee from Afghanistan, is dismissive of the whole idea of ‘authentic’ cuisine – much to Jay’s approval. The “star dish”, a lamb shank that undergoes eight-hours of Texan-style brining and smoking, “until the meat is not so much falling off the bone as waving it goodbye”, is served on a buttery and vegetable-rich Kabuli pilau, based on a recipe from Saiq’s mother.
British wagyu brisket is tender but “properly beefy”, while non-meat options include an Afghan stew of long-roasted aubergines in yoghurt and tomatoes, a “quality” tuna ceviche in lime and sumac, and baby salad potatoes boiled then burst open and deep-fried.
Jay Rayner - 2026-06-21The Times
Giles Coren mistimed his visit to a heavily publicised new Afghan/Texan barbecue, which he found empty on a Friday lunchtime, presumably because everybody in Notting Hill is on “the Weggy” (as they call Wegovy round here) these days and has no appetite.
As a result, all the delicious food he ate – including a bass filet “with the dimensions of a size 10 Odor-Eater, sweet and juicy with a crisp charred skin” and wagyu brisket that was “impeccably tender, wonderfully fatty, [and] beautifully smoke-embalmed” – arrived luke warm.
Food does not need to be served piping hot, Giles acknowledged. “But this isn’t long resting, I don’t think. It’s pre-barbecued food, at least in the case of the beef. I mean, obviously… I guess I’m just saying, for hot food, vibes and good times, go in the evening.”
Giles Coren - 2026-09-20
