#FtLionAwards 2020 Main of the Year shortlist
After the #FtLionAwards 2020 Best Veggie of the Year (proudly sponsored by the UK’s original Karak Chai brand and award-winning restaurant Chaiiwala®), we continue with Best Main of the Year.
Of course, not only do you have the chance of voting for your favourite on our Instagram and Facebook pages, but you’ll also be entered into a prize draw, with three people chosen at random on 1st January 2021 to win x4 BREAKFAST VOUCHERS (sent via post) redeemable at any Chaiiwala® branch across the UK (T&C’s apply).
So we want you to either: 1) vote for the following nominees, or 2) let us know both your favourite dish and the place you had it, all on our Facebook and/or Instagram pages.
BALANS
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Balans, who already have a beverage in contention, also served us this High Society Lobster Benedict. Although originally served with bacon, we asked for its removal, and were then presented with a faultless dish, with the half lobster grilled well enough for the precious tail meat to retain that familiar chewiness of a perfectly adjudged crustacean.
It was accompanied by lightly toasted English muffins topped with slices of avocado and poached Woodland Farm eggs, all sprinkled in chives. But, we couldn’t help but wonder how much better this would have been with the smokiness of good quality, crispy Halal turkey bacon.
FLESH & BUNS
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Arguably the best Japanese Fried Chicken Bao Buns we’ve had.
While Flesh & Buns have a drink and a starter in the running for an award, they also served us arguably the best Japanese Fried Chicken Bao Buns we’ve had. 
Steamed to a tee, as light as a cloud, and as fluffy as a pillow, the buns were as good as you’re going to get.
The chicken was as tender and succulent as you’d ever want, with a deceptively delicate buttermilk batter that just flaked apart.
All it took to elevate this to that unsurpassable standard was the heat from the thin slices of red chilli along with a deliciously sweet and smoky mayo sauce.
We could have devoured half-a-dozen of these and still asked for more. A triumph!
HAWELI
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The sheer pleasure in cutting open Haweli’s lamb Biryani Mughlai and lifting its lid only to be hit by the unmistakable waft of spices and aromas was unparalleled.
If you’re looking for a traditional version, then you won’t be able to get more so than Haweli’s. If this isn’t already, then their biryanis ought to be their signature dish.
Tender meat and perfectly made too; moist rice covered in mellow spices and onions; this will have you hooked from the very first mouthful.
This was also accompanied by a very lightly spiced vegetable curry and a plate of Raita yoghurt. We wouldn’t usually juxtapose a curry and raita with our biryanis; but in this case, it made for a pleasant change with every other given spoonful.
MAISON BAB
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The Big Zuu Kebab seriously needs to be a permanent part of their menu. An absolute triumph!
Maison Bab too have a beverage and a start up for consideration. They then floored us with not one, but two outstandingly good kebab rolls. That’s not true; two of the very best kebab rolls we’ve ever had! The Poll Dorset Lamb roll, while being soft and delicate, also managed to deliver, courtesy of some impressive charring, plenty of smoky aroma, which was complimented by the subtle sour notes of pickled onions, a sprinkle of lightly spiced balti mix, and the sweet undertone of what turned out to be a mango chutney madras yoghurt. Flavour-wise, this was an absolute delight, and one that will long live in the memory.
But then came the limited edition The Big Zuu Kebab, which was inspired and created via a collaboration with rapper Big Zuu. Drawing on the influences of Big Zuu’s Lebanese and Sierra Leonian heritage, as well as his love for Italian cuisine, this was the end result. A combination of free-range, barbecue grilled chicken shish and crispy fried chicken, this roll comprised an incredible array of fillings that included “salt and vinegar cassava chips”, a scotch bonnet BBQ sauce, garlic toum, and grated parmesan. And what we experienced was every bit as big as the personality that is Big Zuu. This was one kebab we won’t be forgetting in a hurry, with all of the textures and flavours accounted for. The Big Zuu Kebab seriously needs to be a permanent part of their menu. An absolute triumph!
MONO WRAP
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We were presented with one of the best wraps we’ve had in years.
Mono Wrap created for especially us an off-the-menu special called a Mix-of-3. With succulent skewers of lamb, which turned out perfectly pick on the inside; Chicken Shish, which were as tender as you’d want; lamb kofte; juxtaposed with a mixture of quality lamb and chicken shwarma; all mixed it with some zingy pickles and fresh, salad, and we were presented with one of the best wraps we’ve had in years. An unbelievably good one, which, we’re proud to say, we had a tiny hand in inspiring.
RAMO RAMEN
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This was a true eye opener. Described as a “revelation” by one Lion.
With a starter being shortlisted, Ramo Ramen’s award-winning Oxtail Kare Kare introduced us to a new flavour profile we hadn’t experienced before, and one we won’t be forgetting for some time to come. An astoundingly good broth this, which was creamy and buttery in texture, and had a rich nutty taste that was enhanced by the deep umami meatiness of the soft strands of pulled oxtail. Add to that two semi-boiled eggs, thinly diced spring onions, the texture of the shiitake mushrooms, and so much more, and this was a true eye opener. Described as a “revelation” by one Lion.
TURPAN
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Turpan Uyghur Restaurant in Central London’s Bloomsbury put up this Pachaq whose defining factor was the harmony of flavours achieved, with ingredients as powerful as potent sichuan peppers and some additional spices. The lamb hooves, and plenty of them too, had been beautifully rendered down during a long marination process, to leave them soft and gummy in texture. With the broth evidently thickened by the gelatinous nature of the hooves, this was mildly chilli, with the peppers playing their inevitable part in not so much numbing the lips and tongue as leaving them tingling. Plenty of onions, coupled with chunky red and green peppers and the occasional flecks of garlic, assured a winning combo.
THE VILLAGE
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The Village introduced us to The Board this year. This was quite literally a long plank of plywood, being precariously elevated on upturned glasses to provide a sense of theatre.
An ambitious item and their pièce de résistance, this was perhaps the longest thing to a pizza we’ve ever had, let alone reviewed. Around 3½ft in length, and dough that took some time for Chef Mohammed to roll-out by hand, this comprised of four sections, with each one containing a different topping.
Of the nine toppings to choose from, which even included nutella, we went for Keshek, Lahme Baajin, Cheese, and Thyme/ Zaatar. Cooking in their spectacularly large brick oven, this came out piping hot and looking ever so appetising.
