I was first taken to Mangal 1 6 or so years ago by my friends Lou and Liam who lived down the road in Hackney at the time, and I’ve been going back ever since. Back then it had a real impact on me because I’d never really been anywhere like it in the UK before. It’s completely unpretentious, a bit ramshackle, and when you step through the door you feel like you’re in a different country.
You immediately get hit by the heat and smell of grilling meat from the massive open barbecue style grill that is slap bang in the middle of the restaurant. And that’s what the Turkish ocakbasi restaurants are all about. Meat and fire. The menu is dominated by kebabs, mostly lamb and chicken, although you can also get quail and offal too. I suggest you go with a few friends, because you’re going to want to try everything, but I can heartily recommend the following.
For starters I’d go for the cacik which is like the Greek tzatziki, but here it’s really thick and creamy, and made all the more tasty by a good punch of garlic. They serve it up with warm ’sac bread’ which is a bit like a focaccia, but thinner and without the olive oil. You should also try the Lahmacun, or Turkish pizza. It’s topped with minced lamb, onions and peppers and will leave you wanting more.
For main, you should try the Beyti. A bit like a minced lamb kofte, but with more garlic, some extra spice, red pepper and parsley. The fat from the mince gets almost caramalised on the grill, and is packed with flavour. The Cop Sis is also very good. Small cubes of marinated lamb grilled to perfection and so tender. The Tavuk Sis is the same, but with chicken breast, and equally good. If you’re still hungry, get a portion of the Pirzola lamb chops. Again marinated and cooked to perfection, and tasty as hell (my mouth is literally watering as I write this). All the main dishes are served with a salad packed with fresh, crispy veg, dressed with lemon juice, a bit of oil and sprinkled with sumak. A great accompaniment to the smokey meats.
It may not be much to look at, but the long and short of it is that Mangal is amazing, and also incedibly good value for money. They don’t serve booze, but you can bring your own. There’s a sister restaurant, imaginatively called Mangal 2, just round the corner where artists Gilbert & George have dinner every night. Thats right, every night. Now, if that isn’t a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is.
Tags: Cacik, Chicken, Grill, Kebab, Lamb, Mangal, Ocakbasi, Sac breads, Salad, Sumac, Turkish
ooooh, we miss The Mangal now we’re not in Hackney anymore. It’s such a great place.
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