"Khamsa is very good place to eat the fact that it is run by a husband wife duo with no extra help (an accountant and a lawyer in their previous lives , however, makes it great. The menu suits this home style approach to catering: cold starters (less work for the kitchen , and hot mains. Very little salt in the starters, which is what I would expect if I was eating from, for example, my mother 's kitchen. This is no Gordon Ramsay approach where butter and salt are used to airbrush food into peaks of rich fragrance at Khamsa, it 's the ingredients that do the talking. The peppers, the tomatoes, the smoky chargrilled meats, the unadulterated cous cous. Whether you prefer rich cooking or this more stripped back approach, there is room for it on the London food map. (Though I am more of the butter and salt variety! My friend and I share starters, an Algerian salad with loads of peppers and tomatoes, and a dip made with aubergine and walnut. These are served straight from the fridge which makes them too cold to appreciate all the flavour nuances, but our wonderful, marvellous, moist bread melts these chilly foods into bliss the bread is legendary. Just go and order bread, bread with olive oil, and you 'll eat like a king. My main is called Modern Cous Cous, which is cous cous topped with a variety of juicy grilled meats, with a bowl of vegetables and broth on the side. I love all of this, but am mindful that I don 't know the provenance of the meats (this is not specified on the menu , so eat with a mixture of trepidation and guilt (I don 't usually order mystery meats but want to do this small is beautiful concept justice. Desserts are small Algerian pastries which you choose from their display. Nice enough, but of Khamsa 's baked goods, the bread continues to stand out. Lovely little enterprise, family run and loved from top to bottom. Would definitely recommend to anyone in the neighbourhood who wonders what their family would cook like if they were Algerian."
