Haz Restaurant

Haz is always packed at lunchtime and busy in the evening. Little more than a stone's throw from Liverpool street it's in the heart of the business district and does a roaring trade in city lunches and dinners. There's always a delightful smell wafting onto the street from the grill vents and the look is clean, crisp and classy.

A group of work colleagues and I went for dinner a couple of years ago and had a very pleasant time. Service was pretty swift and polite, food was good and despite the fact that they then allowed people to smoke it was an altogether good evening.

The cuisine is modern Turkish but quite brit friendly with a good range of spicy and not so spicy food, although as you'd imagine there are pretty slim pickings for any vegetarians.

The menu is quite extensive and reasonably priced for the area and they do three set menus starting at 8.45 per person for two courses.

Second time round (a few weeks ago) the experience was rather disappointing. This time was for lunch. Although we arrived just before two, so they weren't as busy as at peak time, it took quite a while for us to be served. When the starters arrived mine was missing, assuming that it was on the way I waited a few minutes and then the mains arrived but then I'd filled up on bread and olives and so wasn't too fussed. I had the 'Haz', a lamb casserole. The plentiful supply of bread was fortunate as the portion was rather inadequate but I must say the lamb itself was amazing. Literally melt in the mouth, succulent and tasty.

I forget what my lunch partner had but I recall he wasn't as impressed as me but said it wasn't bad.

Unfortunately we were cleared away before we'd quite finished - I guess the waiting staff were keen to get on with their on lunches. Dessert was baklava for me, which was miniscule and rather sickly. We then had coffee. Having never tried Turkish coffee I was happy to go along with my colleague but then again never having had Turkish coffee before I wasn't aware that it was made with sawdust! Shan't be drinking that again!

Dishes:

Haz - "Gently stewed lamb and smoky flavoured aubergine pure" Devine' melt in the mouth Lamb - the best I've ever tasted.

Hellim - "Grilled Cyprus cheese" Never arrived so can't say

Baklava - "Filo pastry with pistachio, walnuts and honey syrup" Don't waste your time unless you like sickly sweet

Turkish Coffee - Yuk!


Haz has recently opened another restaurant in Mincing Lane