E. Mono (Kentish Town) vs Mono Wraps (Holloway), London
During the course of our research, and after having also dined at each restaurant, we decided that an inaugural head-to-head would make for a more exciting editorial.
What makes this clash all the more intriguing though, is how the accusation of trademark violation made by E. Mono against Mono Wraps is connected to the former’s original ownership.
The dispute essentially touches on whether the owners of Mono Wraps might also be the original proprietors of E. Mono when the eatery shot to fame in 2011 after receiving critical acclaim from renowned food writer Giles Coren.
E. MONO
HALAL STATUS Fully Halal food menu • Alcohol served
If you consider yourself a Turkish kebab connoisseur of London, but haven’t heard of Kentish Town’s E. Mono in Camden, then you might want to question your credentials.
E. Mono’s humbling beginnings back in 2011
E. Mono hit the lime light in 2011 when Times’ food critic Giles Coren (all the rage back then) mentioned this unassuming eatery as his new go-to kebab fix destination.
Although the charming old, hand-painted fascia, which was found to date back to the early 20th century following its rediscovery during the kebab shop’s renovation in 2010, has since been given the modern upgrade, the E. Mono logo still retains the original’s elegant style font.
Current co-owner, Ali Celabi, proudly standing beside his cash cow, celebrity food critic, Giles Coren.
Unlike its humble beginnings, which started as a single shop front, E. Mono’s success has led to its expansion, with seating available indoors, and the opening of a convenient takeaway hub next door.
Of course, the man responsible for this brand’s recognition, Coren, continues to be fully milked for all he’s worth, with both his news articles proudly displayed as blown-up copies on the shop front window and hanging on walls therein.
KEBABS
Mix Grill – Mix shawarma, lamb & chicken shish, kofte kebab, £15.90
So this is what it’s all about – E. Mono’s famous Mix Grill which comprises everything the award-winning joint has to offer, with mixed lamb and chicken shawarma, lamb and chicken shish, and a lamb kofte kebab.
For £15.90, there’s plenty of freshly cut salad too to help make your way through a plate that doesn’t much care for looks as it does taste and flavour.
For us, the least strongest part of this meat platter was the kofte kebab which, though flavourful enough with some solid charring, erred a little on the non-soft side. Texturally, we would have preferred this more plump and meatier.
And while the chicken and lamb shish were succulent and juicy enough, the latter wasn’t quite as tender as some of the better ones we’ve had.
Otherwise, the mix shawarma was arguably the best thing there. With plenty of taste, we were searching for little scraps across the plate by the end of it all.
MONO WRAPS
HALAL STATUS Fully Halal
Mono Wraps is ideally located in north London’s Holloway, with plenty of footfall assured from London Metropolitan University and Arsenal FC’s Emirates Stadium just around the corner.
Having only recently opened in August of this year, the restaurant itself is located on the corner of Holloway Road and Hornsey Road.
Not only does its shopfront fascia boast a similar style font to that of E. Mono’s, but like its Kentish Town rivals, the owners here too are utilising Coren’s praise of E. Mono, with a framed portrait of the food critic and his article hung inside.
The brains behind Mono Wraps, Michael Ustun, also claims to be behind the establishment of E. Mono back in 2011
And the reason behind the use of The Times’ article revolves around the man above, Michael Ustun, who claims to have been behind the original launch of E. Mono in 2010.
With seating for around 12 available indoors, the brand’s main focus, of course, is on their wraps, with 10 meat options and six veggie versions to choose from, as well as halloumi and inhouse made humus.
KEBAB WRAPS
Mix-of-3 (Feed the Lion off-the-menu special; available on request onl) – Lamb or Chicken Shish, lamb kofte, lamb & chicken shwarma, £9.99
Available at the same price as their Mix Any 2 Shish item, this Mix-of-3 is an off-the-menu item which can be ordered on request by mentioning ‘Feed the Lion’.
Now, if you haven’t already, then we want you to just focus on the interior of this kebab wrap and ask yourself the following question: when was the last time you had a takeaway wrap where the lamb turned out perfectly pink in colour? Exactly!
As soon as we saw its cross-section, we got excited. To describe our first bite was difficult; so let us sum it up as follows: this is one of the best kebab wraps we have EVER had!
Every meat element was expertly judged, and so juicy that we couldn’t care less if there was any sauce added to this. Truth be told, we’d rather enjoy the umami taste of the meats therein for themselves.
Nonetheless, the sharp acidic hints of pickle helped to enhance the overall experience. Just be sure to have this fresh there and then to get a sense of our utter enjoyment.
