Name: Pamchal Restaurant
Address: 11 Bell Lane, London, Hendon, NW4 2BP, UK
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8203 9595

March the 21st is Iranian New Year or Noruz, and as such it is traditional to lay a feast akin to a Christmas meal, and to continue to do so each day for a fortnight afterwards. Being a semi-Iranian family we each year attempt to celebrate this festivity if a little half heartedly, however the one thing we do adhere to strictly is the eating.

This year it was decided we would go out to a restaurant for a change, and after much research a venue with live music was found for the evening. Expecting a crowd of raucous Iranians we found the place practically empty, and the live music consisted of one solitary guy playing Iranian pop tunes on a keyboard and humming into a microphone. Perhaps it was because we were an hour and a half late due to a London transport mishap, or perhaps it was due to being located in sleepy Hendon; however I for one was secretly pleased I would be able to eat in some peace and quiet.

The menu contained all the classic dishes for starters and a wide selection of kebabs for the mains. Knowing how large the portions usually are we ordered just two starters to share between the three of us. The spinach and yoghurt was disappointing, the yoghurt was too thick and creamy when the main ingredient should be the spinach fried with garlic and onion. The ‘bademjan’ or aubergine dip contained large pieces of aubergine rather than blended, which is perfectly ok if you’re a fan of the vegetable but personally I hate it unless it’s been finely mixed in.

For the mains we opted for the kebabs. Mine had a skewer of minced lamb and a skewer of tender chicken on the bone which had been marinated in saffron and lemon, along with a huge portion of saffron rice and salad which oddly enough was drizzled with Thousand Island dressing. The other two kebabs ordered were boneless chicken pieces, I tend to find the chicken on the bone retains a little more flavour, however these were tasty nonetheless.

Iranian restaurants don’t tend to be particularly good for wine owing to the fact that Muslims are not supposed to drink alcohol; our bottle of Shiraz was a Jacobs Creek which I couldn’t drink (I drink Barolo and Rioja Reserva darling!) however they did have Doogh on the menu, a non-alcoholic yoghurt and mint drink similar to Indian Lassi which is worth a try.

Our waiter was lovely if a little on the slow side, however I’d take a friendly smile over speed any day. The meal came to £70 for two starters, three mains and a bottle of wine. I highly recommend the kebabs, but I’d skip the rest if I were you.

Pamchal Restaurant

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