Guest Review : Gyms Kitchen, London
Reviewed by Yamama
It was the second week of January and my friend who had come from Lebanon for the holidays decided to throw me a visit. It was great seeing her again, but the problem living where I do is that the only available halal food is whatever is on the chicken and chip shop menu, and that’s definitely not a place to be taking someone who had come from Lebanon. Especially someone who had been staying in Paddington where obviously the halal food experience in London is literally just around the corner. The search for a suitable halal restaurant closer to the area had begun and as soon as the options unfolded, Gyms Kitchen had grabbed my attention. All my life I believed the two antonyms Gym and Kitchen should never and would never be seen in the same sentence. I was wrong, but also really excited. I checked their menu out, which was something I found very interesting since it showed you the calories, fat, carbs and protein count for everything on it. Also, there was a variety of stuff I was craving. Everything from the king prawns to their mixed grill looked absolutely amazing.
However, the one thing that really caught my attention was their signature lamb chops- Best Lamb Chops in London according to Time Out London. I was on red-alert to confirm if that statement was free from bias- and it was!
I had grilled halloumi, a king prawn skewer, and their signature lamb chops. The show was stolen by their lamb chops that were definitely made to perfection. Usually, the lamb chops I’ve had at other places are more chop than lamb and I’m pretty sure you’ve had the same experience. Too little meat really puts me off. At Gyms Kitchen it wasn’t like that, it was an opposite scenario. So much meat that you get full after the first two -but because you can’t resist how nice and juicy it is, you go for the third and fourth. They were the best I’ve eaten at a restaurant in a very long time. The lamb chops are usually served with a variety of the restaurant’s specialty homemade sauces, light soy sauce, Thai kick sauce, ketchup, and red chilli sauce. All of which that compliment their meat.
The grilled halloumi was so good that I went back home trying to make some myself because I was so convinced that this was something I would want to be having every single day. Salty and chewy. Really, who wouldn’t enjoy those feels?
The last thing I had were the king prawns that were equally as good as everything else and something I would highly recommend. Even though I was very full, I had to try something off of their seafood menu and this was the smallest they had. I wanted to try it because I set very high standards to the quality of their food, and a lot of the restaurants I’ve been to serve great grilled meat but disappointing seafood or vice versa.
It was delicious, fresh and firm and after having it I can guarantee you that whatever you would try on their menu would be absolutely heavenly. So take my word for it. Other than their great food, their presentation is definitely something worth talking about because it makes the food look twice as good and appealing as it is, and even if you’re not one of those people that take pictures of everyone’s food before they start eating, I think Gyms kitchen will surely change your mind and will get you into that habit. Their service is also something that definitely complimented their restaurant. We didn’t wait long for our food at all, and the waitress was an absolute sweetheart. She was very joyful and attentive. She constantly asked us if it was all good and whether or not there was something else she could help us with. The best part of it was when I asked for coke, and she said “when the restaurant first opened we had no coke, only healthy juices. Now we’re cheating and you shouldn’t be part of the crime.”
‘High five’ to her and to everyone else that made our experience unforgettable. My friend is back in Lebanon and she’s waiting to come and back and go to Gyms Kitchen again.
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About Yamama
A full time student and a cake enthusiast currently living in London, who is constantly trying to discover as much as she can before time becomes an issue since every meal is a favourite.