Hole-in-the-wall Egyptian street food comes to London

By Luke Nicholls

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Restaurant Cooking

Koshari is a vegetarian dish consisting of lentils, rice and pasta topped with spicy tomato sauce, caramelised onion and boiled chickpeas
Koshari is a vegetarian dish consisting of lentils, rice and pasta topped with spicy tomato sauce, caramelised onion and boiled chickpeas
Koshari Street, a new ‘hole-in-the-wall’ Egyptian street food concept led by Lebanese-born cook and food writer Anissa Helou, is opening on St Martins Lane in March.

The fast-food venue is the brainchild of Helou and a team of 'Egyptian foodie entrepreneurs'. It will offer freshly cooked koshari - a vegetarian dish consisting of lentils, rice and pasta topped with spicy tomato sauce, caramelised onion and boiled chickpeas – to eat in or take away.

“Koshari is your perfect, naturally healthy answer to a humdrum sandwich lunch,” said Helou. “It’s also your perfect alternative to a processed ready-made meal to take home and enjoy on your own or with friends and family.

“It’s a gratifying alternative to a late-night curry if you’re on a night out - all in all a brilliant dish that’s as wholesome as it is delicious.”

Mild, hot, mad

Koshari Street takes its story and flavours from the roadside stalls and restaurants that have been cooking and selling the dish on the streets of Egypt for centuries. Helou will add her own touch of toasted vermicelli to the koshari dishes which will come in the three varieties of mild, hot and mad. They will also be topped with a blend of herbs, nuts and spices and crispy onion.

Also on offer at Koshari Street on St Martins Lane will be a small menu of seasonally changing salads, soups and desserts inspired by a similar palette of Egyptian flavours and spices.

Koshari portions will be priced at £3.95 and the salads at around £2.50 each. Freshly pressed juices and a selection of puddings will also be available for just under £2 each. The venue will offer special prices for combo meals.

With a clean and modern interior, Koshari Street will feature a communal high table to eat in, offering around eight seats. 

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