Afghan Kitchen, 35 Islington Green, London, N1 8DU

Cosy

I first went here in 2001 when I moved to London, and loved the simplicity of it, and the fact that it’s the only Afghan restaurant I have ever seen. I went back a few months ago with Ade after visiting the launch of the fab Wenlock & Essex pub up the road. I was so pleased to see it is still exactly the same, like returning to an old friend. The menu remained limited, just four meat dishes and four veggie. And the food unashamedly reheated in the microwave.

My regular dish, Lavand-e murgh (chicken in yoghurt) is still exactly how I remember. Slightly chewy from being blasted in the microwave, but lovely never the less. Ade opted for the ghorm-e sabzi (lamb and spinach curry), which he liked more than he expected to.

Chicken in yoghurt

Love the bread, on a visit several years ago with my dear friend Julia, she described it as ‘the kind of bread that Jesus would have eaten.’ I’ll always remember that, and it adds to the nostalgia of the restaurant.

Jesus bread

It is tiny inside, despite being two floors. And it’s canteen-style seating, and it can be quite snug, and hard to get a seat. A good place to go to listen to other people’s conversations.

The prices look the same also, about £6 for a main course. We left stuffed, and happy, with leftovers in a doggy bag. And not too out-of-pocket. What more could you ask for?