Delamina: A vibrant taste of the Middle East in the West End

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Ben Norum10 May 2018

Back in the summer of ‘16, there were a few weeks when everyone – or the press at least – went gobbledygook for a new turkey-themed restaurant called Strut & Cluck serving almost exclusively the festive bird.

Popularity for the gimmick soon waned, but owners Amir and Limor Chen turned things around by taking the focus off poultry and putting it firmly where it belonged all along: on Limor’s vibrant and creative Middle Eastern cooking.

If the fact that the restaurant is still going strong a couple of years later despite the feathery false start isn’t testament enough to the food, the arrival of this excellent second outpost in Marylebone surely is.

Light and bright, with hanging plants, pastel-coloured chairs and white-washed brick walls, the new site – like its menu – is similar to its Shoreditch sister but a touch more elegant and evolved.

Fresh and aromatic small plates that pack a punch include deep-fried and spice-coated whole fingers of okra; juicy grilled courgettes with crispy onions, pine kernels and labneh; and earthy baby aubergines smothered with nutty black sesame, crumbled goat’s cheese, almonds and raisins.

Rich: beef and venison kofte

Of bigger offerings, the signature turkey shawarma – one of the few dishes that made the cut from the gobbledygook days – is a wonderfully juicy and richly flavoured amalagamation of shredded meat, herbs and pickles.

Salmon baked with tomatoes, chickpeas, peppers and kalamata olives is bright, fresh and healthy tasting, though a less healthy dish of beef and venison koftes, imbued with enough fat as to be rich, moist and unctuous and served on a bed of hummus trounces it in the taste stakes.

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An interesting wine list continues the Middle Eastern theme, will well-sourced options from Israel, Palestine and Lebanon among the highlights. Settle in for small plates and go by-the-glass to make the most of the varied and vibrant flavours at this stylish spot.

There might not be too much turkey on the menu, but that means there’s all the more to gobble down.

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