Square Meal - Main Guide - May 2006

Shish

Cheap, cheerful, noisy & “very popular”.  Shish remains true to its roots, ensuring diners continue to enjoy strongly-flavoured dishes inspired by the Silk Route - from Turkey in the west to China & Japan in the east.

“Delectable” mezze might include cucumber dressed in wasabi & pickled ginger, chicken fried in pandana leaves or Tashkent lamb dumplings.  The shish themselves are a revelation for anyone whose only recollection of post-pub stomach fillers; “really tasty” grilled kebabs of poultry, meat fish or veg, served with rice or as a wrap with sides of salad & tahini, chilli or mayonnaise sauces.  Shish isn’t the place for a romantic date or a quiet conversation but if you fancy a “filling meal” at “excellent prices”, it’s a sure-fire bet.  A new branch opened in Bayswater earlier last year but the Old Street outpost has a bustling Moroccan-style basement bar, while the Willesden Shish is something of an oasis in a culinary desert.

Branches at:
313-319 Old Street, EC1. 020 7749 0990
2-6 Station Parade, Willesden Green, NW2. 020 8208 9292
71-75 Bishops Bridge Road, W2.  020 7229 7300