Hornsey & Couch End Journal - 30th March 2006

Cunningly themed around the ancient “Silk Road” trade route between northern China and Italy, the menus of the small chain of Shish restaurants can indulge themselves with cuisine from Tibet, northern India, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Greece too.

The Old Street branch feels perfectly placed - offering a varied and individual menu that traditionally-themed restaurants can’t compete with - and situated in the edge of Old Street and uber-cool Hoxton Square.

The stylish and spacious downstairs bar makes it a perfect starting point for a fashionable but reasonably priced night out and a convenient eaterie for City workers.

The current menu, which is based around north Indian cuisine, complements a satisfying varied main selection and is available until the middle of May.

The good news is that the food is excellent - including a huge range of vegetarian dishes and the price competitive.

The recommended two mezze dishes per person to start with means you can really pick and mix.

The paneer tikka - blocks of meaty, oven -roasted mild cheese filled with cream cheese, mustard seeds and cashew nuts is delicious and good value at £3.50, while the Afghan pumpkin (£2), which is toasted and blended with spicy tomato and coriander, is a steal.

The main dishes on the north Indian menu also add to the overall variety.

I chose Amritsari lamb (£9.95), a skewer’s worth of succulent lamb fillet in ginger, garlic, green chilli and thick mint yoghurt with green pepper and onion slices and rice on the side.

The portions are big but the delicate flavours are preserved, which makes Shish a definite cut above the often very average fare you find in many world cuisine restaurants.

My partner’s Indonesian chicken satay (7.65) was just as well balanced, with the lemongrass and coconut milk making for a fresh light satay sauce. 

Also pasting the competition are the desserts, which are well worth leaving room for.  My spiced turmeric crème caramel (£3.75) was satisfyingly thick but smooth, with a light honey sauce, but the triple sorbet dish (£3.35) is worth a try too - especially the disarmingly addictive strawberry and basil flavour - refreshing but never overpowering.

A fashionable, good looking and mouth-watering destination that’s definitely worth a trip.

STEPHEN MOORE