Ranoush is dotted here and there around London. It's an offspring of the larger Maroush empire (Maroush own not only this one but also, Beirut Express, Randa, Sidi Maarouf to name a few). There is very little difference between them. Ranoush serves juice, Maroush is slightly more expensive and bigger but in essence they all serve good quality Lebanese food, all to the same standard and all in very similarly decorated surroundings.
The first time I heard of Maroush was when I was in school and in the same class as Mr Maroush's daughter Randa. On lucky days we'd pop over the street for a Shawarma wrap. From the first bite I took around the age of 14 I was hooked.
Up until last night Maroush, Ranoush or whichever oush I went to was always a place to grab a Shawarma wrap on the go (they open late too). They're not huge and cost around £7 but they are damn tasty. Hot freshly sliced and well seasoned chicken wrapped in fluffy bread and filled with garlic sauce, chilli sauce, pickles and salad. How could you go wrong?
A few nights ago I went to Ranoush on the Kings Road. Rather than have the same we sat and had a proper dinner. The inside was very small and tightly packed, but pleasant enough. We decided to share 4 hot Mezza (tapas style plates of food). We had the Falafal (£5.50), Hommos Shawarma (£7.50), Grilled Halloumi (£6.50) and Soujok (spicy sausages tossed in lemon £7).The Falafal were huge and crispy on the outside yet fluffy on the inside, and the Tahini sauce it came with complimented it immensely. Wow is all I can say about the Hommos Lamb Shawarma. It comprised of a small bowl of Hommos topped with crispy yet succulent pieces of lamb. This along with the hot balloon like pieces of bread meant we could make little wraps. The Halloumi was odd in texture. They were cut in huge chunks and were spongy. Normally when you buy Halloumi and grill it at home it crisps up on the outside, stays soft for about a minute and then hardens. This one however did not, leading me to believe the cheese was made in-house. The texture didn't bother me but my husband wasn't convinced. Finally to the Soujok. They looked a little like Merguez sausages. I really did not care for them. I know they were home-made but the meat tasted odd to me and the lemon sauce it came with just didn't work. Oh well, 3 out of 4 ain't bad.
At the end of the meal they gave us a very generous plate of fresh fruit and a few little pastries like Baklava.
The total bill came to £33.50 including two Cokes. We were truly stuffed and very happy. Ok it's not the most comfortable environment to eat in, and if you go at the weekend I can imagine it would be so packed you'd have to stand and eat, but the quality is so high I would consider eating on my feet.
Ranoush
10/10
338 Kings Road
London
SW3 5UR
Tel: 0207 352 0044
www.maroush.com
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