Maroush Bakehouse & delicious hommos in London Earl’s Court
For those who have been about in London and are in the know, Maroush will be a familiar brand that’s been a part of London’s Halal food scene since the early 1980’s.
With sixteen outlets dotted about London, and a strong presence along the lively and busy Edgware Road, Maroush boasts a variety of eateries ranging from formal dining establishments, to those that offer live entertainment, as well as a “bakehouse” that serves freshly made Lebanese breads.
Hence, of all its branches, why did we decide on visiting Maroush Bakehouse in Earl’s Court?
Well, for two reasons. The first being, that this is their latest venture; and the second more important being, that this houses a uniquely impressive, fully customised bread-making machine.
Situated at the back and extending across the entire width of the restaurant, this complex setup, complete with an elaborate conveyor belt system, is showcased behind a glass wall for diners to marvel at and admire.
And it really is a novel experience too seeing this large, automated contraption mix and roll out the dough to a near-precise circle, before being baked to produce a puffed-up and perfectly cooked bread, which is then sent along a conveyor belt used to allow these piping hot naans to cool down naturally. At the end of the journey, they’re either packaged for distribution, or served fresh there and then.
According to the manager, this is “possibly” the only Lebanese restaurant in Europe with such a setup.
And here they are in all their glory!
Nothing beats the taste of freshly baked bread. In this case, hot, soft, and exceptionally delicious!
COLD MEZZA
Hommos – Chickpea purée with sesame paste (tahine) and lemon juice, £6.00 (left)
Moutabal Baba Ghanouj – Grilled aubergine purée mixed withsesame paste (tahine), and lemon juice, £6.25 (right)
After the absolute pleasure of tasting this for ourselves, we finally understood why one diner entirely indulged himself in devouring his bowl of hommos with nothing more than a large table spoon. This was, indeed, one of the tastiest, most satisfying versions of this staple we’ve ever had. As smooth as you’d ever hope for, this fresh plate of creamy goodness was divine when had with the hot fresh naans.
Its counterpart was a superb little mezza too. A texturally smooth paste, this equally fresh Moutabal Baba Ghanouj had the gentle smokiness of the aubergine running through it, with the tomato garnish adding that tangy edge.
Tabbouleh – Parsley salad with tomato, fresh mint, onion, cracked wheat, lemon juice and an olive oil dressing, £6.25
This simple, yet fresh-tasting Tabbouleh had summer written all over it.
The salad, dressed essentially in lemon juice, had cracked wheat for a crunchy bite.
HOT MEZZA
Soujok – Home-made Lebanese spicy sausages, sautéed in lemon, £7.50
The spicy sausage balls in this Soujok were firm in texture, and thus chewy, and floating in a delicately spiced, watery tomato base.
Again, a straightforward dish with simple flavours.
Lahem B’agine (Lebanese Pizza) – Baked Lebanese pastry topped with halloumi cheese, £6.50
This Lebanese Pizza won’t exactly light the world on fire.
Its soft flat bread-base had a thin layer of an insipidly tasting topping, and was presented with a small pot of the lightly salted classic yogurt concoction called Ayran, which failed to bring anything to the dish.
MAINS
Grilled King Prawns – served with the chef’s special spicy sauce, £19.00
This plate of Grilled King Prawns somehow arrived luke warm. While the slightly dry and chewy prawns were difficult to pry out of their shells, presumably on account of them being over-grilled, the accompanying rice was presented al dente. Lightly spiced and with a sprinkling of crispy fried onions over the top, the rice was, truth be told, the best part of the dish.
Had some greater care and attention been paid to those prawns, this would have been a decent eat.
Mixed Shawarma of lamb and chicken £16.50
(L-R) Ketchup, Garlic Mousse, Hot Salsa
What can one say of a shawarma where the lamb seems to have been scraped off the bottom of the doner grill, is positively dry, and letting off a rancid whiff of sorts; and where the equally dry chicken seems to have been barely warmed through?
Couple that with a stale, dead bread piece, and we sat there wondering whether someone was seriously pulling our leg. An unbridled disaster!
From best hommos to worst shawarma, all in one review!
As for the sauces, then moving past the standard ketchup, the hot salsa sauce was the best of the lot, while the garlic mousse, though decent in taste, had a confusing texture.
DRINKS
Pineapple (left), Fruit Cocktail (right) – £3.80 each
A standard pineapple drink along with a beautifully sweet and thick, well balanced fruity cocktail. The banana and mango come through well in the latter. Very good.
- YES/ NO
- CHILD SEATING
- DISABLED FACILITIES
- DELIVEROO
- UBER EATS
- HUNGRY HOUSE
- JUST EAT
Yes, it's extremely difficult to maintain standards when the Dish of the Review is served first up, and that too the best we've ever had; but for things to then nosedive so dramatically towards the last dish representing one of the worst shawarmas ever dished up, is quite a fall from grace.
There's then the issue of the service we experienced which, in parellel with our experience of the food, progressively worsened over time, and that too in a place which, aside from a couple and their child, was practically empty! The problem boiled down to an obviously disgruntled waitress, who had served us adequately at the start, but then chose, or, perhaps more accurately, was allowed to indulge in publicly bickering with her manager, and thus failing to pay us any heed. In fact, at one point, we sat at our tables for a full 13 minutes twiddling our thumbs, with not even our increasingly desperate, prolonged glances over towards the pair, succeeding in catching their attention. It was only when we got up and walked on over, did we manage to break the spell and finally get the waitress to ask, "Everything okay?""You tell us!" we thought.
Of course, you know when things have come to a sombre end when, upon asking after the quality of their desserts, the manager answers, "I'm not happy with the desserts." Go figure!
Honestly, we'd come back for three things here: their freshly made bread and perfect hummus, and to marvel over their bread-making machine in action.
After exiting the premises, we noticed Star Kebab House across the way and fell into the "if only" dilemma.
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Maroush Bakehouse
131 Earls Ct Rd, Kensington, London SW5 9RQ.
T: +44 (0)20 7370 4324 | W: www.maroushbakehouse.com | E: [email protected]
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun 8:00–00:30
