Lilienblum, near Old Street in east London, is reputed Israeli chef Eyal Shani’s most recent opening. It’s much swankier than Miznon, his pitta restaurant in Soho and Notting Hill, but his chaotic spirit has not been quashed.
You may recall from my visit to Miznon last year that Shani leans towards purple prose when writing menus; his dishes read like the late Mark E Smith from The Fall performing beat poetry. “Six spicy instruments that will swirl your soul,” shouts the menu, describing what transpires to be a mixed plate of runny, oily, meze-type dipping things hewn out of roast red peppers, chopped green pepper and spins on matbucha, some of them hot with aleppo pepper. I’d love to tell you the nitty gritty of what was on that delightful plate, but, like much at Lilienblum (and at Miznon, for that matter), you have to order and hope for the best.
