Akub, Notting Hill
'Babes, where are you taking us?' I asked Emma in confusion as we turned into a residential street to find Akub, a Palestinian restaurant we were all excited to try after visiting me at my shift at the farmers market, where they came over with baked goods from Populations Bakery. Later, we checked out the nearby museums and chilled on the benches where we had a huge catch-up, including talks about my ongoing crush (it is no longer).
'We're almost there!' Emma smiled in such a calm demeanour. Gosh, I wish I had that.
'I see the sign! How cute!' Anna grinned and pointed at the earthy-toned townhouse, which was where we needed to go – Akub.
We were greeted warmly by the front-of-house staff before being led to our cosy corner table. Bear in mind that although the place is lovely, it's very cramped, so expect to move to the side a lot, as there's a lot of foot traffic by the front door.
The gap between the benches and the table was a bit too close for comfort, yet we made it work after some manoeuvring around. We read the menu thoroughly because, as three huge food lovers, we would over-order.
I started off with the Fadi Lemonade – homemade infused mint and lemon syrup and soda water. Refreshing, quite zingy. Wish it were a bit sweeter.
The Labaneh plate came first, which is their homemade labaneh balls rolled in sumac, za'atar and turmeric & Aleppo chilli. I love labneh, and it wasn't bad at all; however, I'm used to a smoother version, and this was pretty dense. It's still moreishly rich and tangy, and I enjoyed the different flavours of each ball.
The Red Lentil Moutabal, which is made with red lentils, tahini and cumin, is typically made with aubergines; however, this version is good. Mellow in taste yet hearty in texture. The three of us really enjoyed it with our bread basket.
Our bread selections consisted of all three breads that were on offer: za'atar bread, spiced focaccia and nigella seed crackers. Out of the three, I enjoyed the crackers more for the nuttiness of the seeds and the crunch. The za'atar bread fared well with dips; however, we could take or leave the focaccia as it was a bit too doughy.
We chose all three sauces: Green Shatta, Red Shatta and Coriander Tahinia. The green sauces were amazing – they were fresh, vibrant, and you could really distinguish the herbs that were used. As much as we liked the Red Shatta, it was a bit too spicy for our palate, and I can normally handle some spice, but this was too much for me.
I love an autumn squash, and this Qare' mashwi, which is butternut squash with pomegranate molasses, feta crumbs, mint and parsley, was so delicious. Naturally sweet from the roasted squash with a sweet-tart complex flavour from the molasses and the added texture and tang from the feta and mint. So simple yet so enjoyable.
The Warak enab bil nabulsi, a vine leaves parcel with nabulsi cheese, tomatoes, raisins and parsley oil, tasted good – earthy yet zingy from the sumac and maybe some lemon? The leaves might be chewy for some, but they got more fragrant as you continued to chew, and I did think the raisins were a good touch for some texture and sweetness.
This was my favourite because, as I mentioned previously, I love a squash. This Mafghoussa, which is roasted courgettes with squashed courgettes, garlic yoghurt, pine nuts and mint, is a cold dish, but that can be overlooked because the garlic yoghurt was so good! Bold, punchy yet so creamy, and went so well with the courgettes. The roasted pine nuts added a nutty fragrance, and we couldn't get enough. I still think about this daily.
This was Anna's choice – Crunchy Mansaf, which is crispy bread pocket, pulled lamb and rice, laban jameed and fried garlic. It was almost like a pasty, but elevated and well-spiced. The lamb was tender, and the rice wasn't mushy at all. I really liked it.
This was Emma's choice – The Dead Sea Chocolate Cake with Tahinia ice cream was surprisingly light for something that looks so rich and dense. It wasn't too sweet, and it was light in texture, but don't get it twisted, it was still rich yet palatable. It was also very good with the ice cream, although it tasted more vanilla than tahini.
Akub is considered a rare gem and a good introduction to homely Palestinian dishes, although other places have been serving Palestinian food for decades. It is creative yet expressive in what they're achieving, and that is celebrating and treasuring their culture whilst welcoming us with open arms to experience it altogether.
As we left Akub that evening, bellies full and hearts fuller, I couldn't help but feel grateful for moments like these. An ordinary day becomes fun yet wonderful with the right people; they become the memories you hold onto. Emma's calm demeanour, Anna's infectious excitement, yet both with a wicked sense of humour – it's all part of the beautiful part of a growing friendship. Good food and similar interests have this way of bringing people together, and as we walked back through those residential streets, I felt hopeful. Hopeful for more spontaneous dinners, more over-ordering (or controlled ordering), more laughter around cramped tables. Here's to friendship, and to all the delicious moments yet to come.
Akub - 27 Uxbridge Street, W8 7TQ