"Fact number one: there are at least three Persian restaurants within a five minute walk from my office. Fact (or promise number two: I will try them all before my company moves to Central London. Alounak is my second experiment, and the one I had the highest hopes for: they have another branch in West Kensington (that is, within walking distance of my house , and heaven knows how much I need a Persian restaurant I can trust, afford, and reach without topping up my Oyster. Going by this experience, I shall try my local branch soon: Alounak 's Westbourne Grove restaurant may not offer the same variety or old school charm as nearby Al Waha, but its food is right on the mark in both quality and quantity, and made me glad to have finally got round to visiting. The lunch menu includes a set of hot and cold starters, and a selection of mains, among which you 'll spot most of the classic meat dishes you 'll no doubt know if you 're any familiar with Middle Eastern restaurants. They also offer one special course for each day of the week; I quite liked the looks of the Tuesday one (Zereshk Polo steamed saffron rice with berries and chicken , which made the realisation that it was only Monday all the more bitter. Not that I 'm complaining about my main: my saffron chicken breast skewer was well cooked and fulfilling, masterfully charred at the edges, and paired with the kind of fluffy, buttery rice that makes you wonder why on earth anyone should pick salad as their side (I might judge you if you do. I 'll try not to. At least get the bread, for Pete 's sake! . I 've recently learnt to master a similar recipe at home, thanks to Sabrina Ghayour 's Persiana , and have, as a result, grown more and more demanding towards its restaurant version. I couldn 't fault this one, just as I couldn 't fault the Kashke Bademjan (smoked aubergine, garlic, walnut and fried onion dip I had as a starter, paired with soft, freshly cooked taftoon bread; both a delight, and large enough to feed two people. Prices are very reasonable for the amount of food you get: £13.50 each (service included bought me and a colleague a generous starter to share, and even more aboundant mains. Not bad at all, considering that in most Middle Eastern restaurants £13.50 would be the price of the main alone. Visiting on a Monday also turned out to be a good idea. I 've walked past Alounak enough times to know it 's often crowded, but yesterday, there was no one but us inside at 1.30pm, and we could benefit from a speedy service that allowed us to enjoy a leisurely, relaxed meal well within our lunch break. Could this be my new recipe for beating the Monday blues? I 'm feeling positive, and might soon make it a Friday treat too. Or Tuesday, as I 'll have to come back for that Zereshk Polo. That 's also a promise."
