A veritable who’s who of London’s restaurants are about to get a touch more Syrian when #CookforSyria returns for a second year.
Each restaurant will add a dish with a Syrian twist to their menu for the month-long initiative, with £2 from the sale of each going to UNICEF’s Children of Syria appeal.
A seriously HUGE number of restaurants are involved (and we’ll list them all below) but some of the standouts include a lamb cumin miso udon with fresh herbs from Koya, Syrian beef tartare from the Chiltern Firehouse, and from Smokstak, a dreamy-sounding Za'atar crusted-brisket with Syrian-style salad, pickled cucumber yoghurt, harissa chilli and flatbread. There’ll also be a chocolate and tahini shake from Bleecker Burger, and a pistachio and nutmeg cake from Palatino.
#CookforSyria was set up in 2016 by Instagram legend and London foodie Clerkenwell Boy, along with Serena Guen and Gemma Bell. Aside from raising money, the endeavour aims to celebrate Syrian food and culture, while at the same time highlighting the Syrian humanitarian crisis.
It’s been a wildly successful venture thus far (raising £350,000 for children and families in Syria) which has led to #cookforsyria nabbing “Best Ethical Food Project” in the OFM Awards.
There’s plenty of events happening throughout the month too, including a huge charity banquet at Petersham Nurseries Richmond on the 9 November. The feast will be cooked by Syrian restaurateur Imad Alarnab, and Damian Clisby, who’s executive chef at Petersham Nurseries’ Covent Garden branch. which you can book here. You can book through this link, but keep your eyes peeled for other happenings including a #bakeforsyria event on Columbia Road, and a lunch at Borough’s Great Guns Social.
The full list so far of the dishes and the restaurants that will be serving them throughout November are:
- 45 Jermyn Street - Grilled aubergine, chickpeas, pomegranate
- Arabica Bar & Kitchen - Cumin dusted pan-fried hake, fragrant rice, caramelised onions, tahini sauce
- Barbecoa – Piccadilly and St Paul’s - Butter-Roasted Cauliflower, Ras El Hanout, Beretta Pumpkin, Pistachio, Burnt Butter Dressing
- Bleecker Burger Spitalfields – a special shake (flavour currently being devised)
- Bubbledogs - “Cook For Syria” dog with spiced lamb, muhammara and yoghurt
- Caravan - Lamb meatballs, flatbread, sesame labne, pickled cucumber, mint, sumac
- Chiltern Firehouse - Syrian beef tartare
- Dock Kitchen - Pistachio and nutmeg cake
- Fifteen - Rose syrup infused pistachio & semolina cake, tonka bean yoghurt
- Frenchie - Elwy Valley lamb with home-made harissa, tahine smoked yoghurt, butternut squash and pomegranate
- Galley - Pan fried stone bass, herb gnocci, wild mushroom sauce with za’atar, coriander, cumin and cardamon
- Good & Proper Tea - Sourdough crumpet with homemade rose jam, pistachios & pomegranate
- Hemsley + Hemsley at Selfridges - Spiced Syrian lentil soup
- Hoppers - Beef brisket kari with smoked aubergine raita
- Ikoyi - Baharat Pork Suya
- Jikoni – Tahini parfait, honey quince and pistachio crisp
- Koya - Lamb cumin miso udon with fresh herbs
- Lyle’s - Raw mutton, roast mutton skin, pomegranate, yoghurt, sumac, Aleppo chilli and freekeh.
- Ottolenghi Islington - Sweet potato and lamb kubbeh, sumac yoghurt and green salsa
- Ottolenghi Islington & Spitalfields - Beef kubbeh hamusta and rainbow chard
- Palatino - Pistachio and nutmeg cake
- Petersham Nurseries - Roast poussin stuffed with couscous, pistachio nuts, raisins, rose & preserved lemon
- Pizza Pilgrims - Traditional Syrian spiced beef pizza with yogurt & za’atar
- Smokestak - Za'atar crusted brisket with Syrian-style salad, pickled cucumber yoghurt, harissa chilli and flatbread
- Spring - Braised onions stuffed with freekeh mujadara, dates and almond purée
- temper City - Chopped marinated goat leg, garlic sauce, sour pickles, salad and French fries
- The Quality Chop House - BBQ brill with lamb Lyonnaise, mussels, freekeh & sea purslane
- Yosma - Clay oven baked Lamb shank, baharat spiced freekeh, preserved lemon, pomegranate
There are plenty more restaurants signed up who’re yet to announce their dish, including Balls & Company, Berber & Q, Club Gascon, Kricket and Som Saa. So keep an eye out for them too.
When: November
Where: Throughout London
More information: Visit their website or follow them on Twitter @cookforsyria and Instagram.
