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'I went to London's "best Somali" restaurant that people travel all the way from Cambridge to visit'

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date21 April 2024
Publication titleMyLondon (England)
If it was not for a TikTok of manager Musa lying underneath a car, tucking into a plate of lamb and rice, the café might have fallen off a lot of people’s radar. Janna Café is an East African restaurant, deemed by many regulars as serving the best Somali food in London

It is proving to be such a success is now split into branches -one in Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel, and Janna Café 2 in Wentworth street, Aldgate. I went to the Whitechapel café to see where it all started and try Somali food for the first time.

I arrived eager and early and was the first customer of the day. Despite the staff still setting up they let me get comfortable, and were very attentive, even changing my table to a more comfortable one. As I enjoyed my meal the restaurant quickly filled up – from a table of young boys seemingly celebrating something, to two men that tell the waiter they travelled from “Cambridge way” to try the food, there is a palpable sense of excitement in the room.

Janna Café only offers a simple menu, of four mains and four platter options, including Mexican fusion Somali style taco. Following in the steps of many google reviews, I had to go for the lamb shoulder and rice, as the meat was described as “tender” and “fall-off-the-bone”.

After a short wait, the meal is served to me on a large metal platter, accompanied by shredded lettuce, yellowy rice and roasted soft red peppers. The food might have not looked Instagram ready, but it was some of the best cooked meat I have had, and the portions are refreshingly generous in a world of over-priced small plates.

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