Restaurant Review: Berenjak, Borough
There’s something so miraculous about a grain of rice. Humble, yes. Staple, yes. But also magnificent, so comforting, warm, familiar. When I see rice, I literally bounce around because I know I am about to feel happiness. That is what rice means to me. A single grain yields such might, such sustenance! It feeds communities the world over. So, when a bowl is brought to you it is, quite literally, a vessel of power, ready to be shared.
There are many names for rice, of course, most used to describe the dishes that are presented to diners at celebrations, but there is one magical adjective that, should you hear it spoken and if you’re in the know, your experience of rice will change forever.
Let’s first talk about the ambience. Whilst compact in size, as soon as you step inside you are dipped into a Persian dream.
‘Berenjak’, is a Persian word for handfuls of brightly coloured, toasted rice eaten as a snack at funfair. It’s deeply flavoured, and feels like a robust cuddle. This is rice on another level; the crunchy layer at the bottom of the pan is infused with the subtle taste of saffron. It’s pure heaven. Whilst this popular street food snack can be found in abundance in Persia, Londoner’s can now sample this treat, along with a full Persian culinary exploration, at Kian Samyani’s newest hit, Berenjak Borough.
Let’s first talk about the ambience. Whilst compact in size, as soon as you step inside you are dipped into a Persian dream. Go up a winding staircase and into a lofty dining room, where you’ll be greeted by the bustling team which gives the restaurant its character. There are open kitchens and a bar mocking up cocktails, including the most delicious preserved lemon margaritas and cherry Manhattans.
The menu is authentic and all about comfort. It’s about family and sharing with your fellow diners (I wouldn’t be surprised if many love affairs happen at Berenjak). There are some serious highlights from the menu, though you’d be hard pushed to find anything not worth tasting. My personal favourites were the HUMMUS E KHANEGI Black chickpeas, tahini, walnuts, somagh; KASHK E BADEMJOON Coal cooked aubergine, whey, walnuts, onion, CHELOW KABAB CHENJEH Herdwick lamb fillet kabab, grilled garlic salad, tahdig (I have never tasted lamb so tender and succulent), and their bread selection is to die for SANGAK whole wheat flatbread baked on pebbles, sesame seeds, BARBARI Clay baked flatbread, sesame seeds, PANIR SABZI Persian feta, radish, nuts, fresh herbs.
This restaurant has brightened the Borough Market district, enveloping its guests in a warm hug of spices and flavours, calling out to all weary commuters and tourists.
Berenjak is never a one-off, it’s a place you’ll find yourself returning to time and time again. This restaurant has brightened the Borough Market district, enveloping its guests in a warm hug of spices and flavours, calling out to all weary commuters and tourists. Once you visit and taste Berenjak, you’ll become an initiate of a very secret club for those who know what this special word and special rice means.
For more information or booking, please visit Berenjak’s website