Sunday May 14, 2023
By Zahra Khaliq
Al-Kahf, in Whitechapel, East London, has been a huge hit with locals and Londoners from all corners of the city - and it even has its own space for women
Mohammed Jama, 48, runs Al-Kahf with his brother Saeed, 38 (Image: Zahra Khaliq)
In a vibrant and diverse city like London, you’re rarely ever limited for food options. Almost every cuisine can be found in every neighbourhood, but only a handful of restaurants can say they’ve nailed their flavours well enough to attract huge queues out the door.
Al Kahf, in the heart of Whitechapel, East London, has done exactly that - and is such a huge hit that some diners are happy to queue for over two hours for a table. It’s even been dubbed London’s ‘best Somali restaurant’.
The venue recently reopened its doors after giving its old ‘humble’ interior a full refurbishment, but one thing that certainly hasn’t changed is the food’s exceptional quality and taste, which perfectly emulates flavours you’ll only find in Somalia.
Before its makeover, the restaurant could only be accessed through Vine Court - a cramped, cobbled alleyway just off the bustling Whitechapel Road. Now, diners can visit through the entrance on the main road, which has been extended to fit an extra floor.
Speaking to MyLondon, co-owner Saeed Jama, 38, who runs the restaurant with his brother Mohammed Jama, 48, said Al-Kahf has been a huge hit, attracting massive crowds outside the door. Within minutes of opening, Al-Kahf's tables are full of hungry diners.
“Originally, the majority of our customers were Somalian and then in the last three years, it just kind of changed. It’s a lot more mixed now - we serve more Bangladeshi, Pakistani and white British customers", he says.
“A TikTok creator came in a couple of years ago and rated us number one for Somali restaurants in London. The video went absolutely viral and we’ve seen huge numbers since.
Saeed says Al-Kahf’s key selling point is the taste, freshness and authenticity of the food. “The freshness of the food and the authenticity is what sets us apart from other restaurants. Our chef is from Somalia, he knows the restaurant game inside out, he’s an amazing and extremely hard working chef."
The restaurant's most popular dish is the Al-Kahf slow cooked lamb shank or shoulder served with bariis (Somali rice) and prepared in a 'special sauce', as well as other Somali delicacies including lamb and chicken wraps, biriyani, and a special Al-Kahf 'Meat Feast' comprising of slow cooked lamb, mouthwatering pan-fried beef, a quarter chicken and rice and salad.
The famous Al-Kahf lamb shank (or shoulder) served with bariis (Somalian rice) (Image: Zahra Khaliq)
Despite being in the heart of London and offering huge portions, prices are on the lower end, with the average meal setting you back anywhere from £6 to £10, and sharing platters starting at £14.
Speaking about the cooking process, Saeed says: “The lamb takes around three hours to slow cook, and then we serve heaps of it. The main reason why people come to us is the freshly cooked food. We make sure the meat is delicious, succulent and falling off the bone. It’s been a huge hit.
“I think the biggest issue for most Somali restaurants is the consistency of food. Making sure it’s fresh and emulating those same flavours you’d expect to find in Somalia. For us, we’ve kept that consistency."
Saeed added that while long queues form outside the restaurant after rush hour, the extra capacity has helped ease the long waiting times for customers.
“Before the refurbishment, the restaurant was in a basement and only had a seating capacity of 60. We’ve extended it, added another floor, and now, we can seat up to 140 people. Word of mouth has brought lots of new customers to us in recent years. From around 6-7pm we start seeing queues out the door.
Al Kahf boasts an impressive new interior, miles away from the cramped basement it used to be (Image: Mohammed Jama)
"I meet new people every day, which is amazing, and a lot of them have never tried Somali food. We also get people who are new to the restaurant but know Somali food, and they’re able to see that we’re different to other restaurants in terms of service and the authenticity of the food.
“My older brother Mo noticed a gap in the market for Somali food in London, so he’s sort of led us to success.
Owners Saeed and Mohammed serve a thriving Muslim community in Whitechapel, so have made some tweaks to the restaurant to accommodate their huge Muslim customer base. The restaurant is just a stone's throw away from East London Mosque, so Muslim customers are often seen heading straight to Al-Kahf once they've finished their prayers.
“We never used to have a separate ladies room. It’s a new concept that me and my brother discussed. We started getting lots for female customers that preferred a separate space so we made a space for them, with their own toilet facilities too. It holds around 35-40 people right now.
There's a brand new seperate seating area for women (Image: Zahra Khaliq)
“We’ve been living in Mile End since around 1985. We know a lot of the Somali community here. We’re known in the community for what we do.
Regular diner Elyas, 32, who makes food TikToks in his spare time under the username
elyasfoodbae, reviewed Al-Kahf on TikTok and his video unexpectedly went viral overnight.
Describing his visit to the restaurant before it was refurbished, he says: “I didn’t really make anything of it. Someone recommended it to me on Twitter and I came to this dodgy little alleyway, so I was a bit sceptical.
“I already knew what I wanted, which was the lamb shoulder and rice, along with the bisbas sauce. When it arrived I was like bloody hell this is a big portion isn’t it?
“I made a TikTok about Al-Kahf and it blew up overnight. Right now it’s at 253,000 views, and the top Somali restaurant where I mentioned Al-Kahf got 394,000 views. Everyone started tagging their friends.
As long as the restaurant is open, it's busy (Image: Zahra Khaliq)