Imad Alarnab is to open a second permanent Imad’s Syrian Kitchen in Shoreditch on 18 November.
The 71-cover restaurant will open on Blossom Street within the Norton Folgate development and marks Alarnab’s return to East London, where he launched his first Imad’s Syrian Kitchen pop-up on Columbia Road in 2017.
The new restaurant will build on the Syrian cooking established at its existing Kingly Court location, while introducing dishes exclusive to the Shoreditch site.
The menu will continue to draw on traditional Syrian ingredients, techniques and home cooking, interpreted through Alarnab’s own contemporary approach.
Dishes will include Jawaneh, crispy cauliflower with pomegranate glaze, and Shish Tawook, grilled chicken served with spiced potato and harissa mayonnaise.
Traditional dips including baba ghanoj and hummus topped with crispy chickpeas will also feature.
The restaurant’s interiors have been influenced by Alarnab’s connection to Damascus, drawing on the city’s historic homes, souks and decorative tilework.
Alarnab, who has a background in textiles, has personally sourced a number of objects and furnishings from Syria, including hanging lanterns, bar lampshades, a sofa and paintings by Syrian artists.
The design also incorporates influences from Syrian, Turkish and Lebanese homes.
The Shoreditch location has been developed to cater for weekday lunches, after-work dining, larger group meals and evening service.
Imad Alarnab, Chef and Founder of Imad’s Syrian Kitchen, said: “My journey in London really began on Columbia Road in East London, where I launched the first Imad’s Syrian Kitchen pop-up in 2017.
“It feels very special to be returning to East London now, almost a decade later, with a permanent home for Imad’s Syrian Kitchen.
“There’s a real sense of coming full circle, but this time we’re bringing everything we’ve learnt and everything the restaurant has become to a new generation of Londoners.”
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