My mother would (and has) described Sahara as a 'hidden gem'. I think she uses this term because there aren’t many white customers, or because it is so cheap and dingy. I am not sure if this counts.
A couple of days ago my lady friend and I went for a quick meal before going to see Macbeth at the Everyman Theatre (which incidentally was very good and I would recommend. David Morrissey was great and the industrial set with 'water features' really worked...anyway I digress....).
This time, however, when we arrived the only people in Sahara were middle aged, middle class white people including a couple in their 60s. The place soon filled up with a couple of big tables of Muslim students so my fears that the ‘gem’ was no longer hidden, at least by my mother’s definition, were allayed
Sahara is tucked down the street that joins the Font with The Side Door (oh I haven't been there in a while...) and isn't particularly interesting from the outside. There is always a huge TV on showing Arabic game shows and soaps. The kick-boxing obsessed waiter Goran (sp?) always remembers my name and chats away even though I really don't get his sense of humour...I think my baffled face gives this away most of the time. I am still not sure if it is a good sign when a waiter or barman knows your name....
I have only ever had a selection of starters at Sahara. Mouthfuls of mains I have stolen from friends are great but the starters are so delicious I never seem to get to the mains section of the menu. So as usual I opt for a North African 'tapas' style meal. My lady friend had a chicken kebab this time (which was yummy - really sweet, tender and smoky chicken that must be cooked over charcoal) so I had to limit my choice of starters to three. I had the always brilliant Fatoush; a fresh, crisp, finely chopped salad with a lovely lemony dressing with lots of mint and fried pitta on top. This is a staple. I also had the delicious halloumi in Arabic bread which is slightly smoky. I also opted for the minced lamb parcel (I craved meat) which was tasty if a bit unexciting.
If there are a few of us ordering tapas style I try to cajole people into having my other favourites - hummus with lamb (how do you improve hummus?...top it with meat!) and the smooth red pepper and nut salad (amazing too, really smoky with great kick of chilli). I also love the liver; it has a wonderful garlicky/lemony sauce that cuts through the richness of the liver perfectly. However, I only seem to be able to order this with my mother as it is too rich to eat a whole portion by yourself and no one else likes liver!
We usually take our own wine (they don't even seem to charge corkage) but just opted for two cans of coke this time. Bill came to £19 total which is an absolute bargain as I left very full and satisfied with a beautiful tangy, smoky flavour lingering in my mouth and nose. The fullness and lingering flavours kept me going through most of the first half and just needed topped up by a little pot of vanilla ice cream in the interval.
Overall I love Sahara. It is such a cheap and cheerful little place. The food is reliable, relatively healthy and the service very friendly. I am sure I will go back every couple of months for as long as it stays open.
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