Soon after that he was running a pop-up restaurant in east London that was so popular tickets sold out in 24 hours, which led to him opening the doors of his Carnaby Street restaurant in 2021. In some respects, the recipes in Imad Alarnab’s debut cookbook, named after his recently relocated Kingly Court restaurant in London’s Soho​​, are secondary to the author’s story of journeying as a refugee from his hometown of Damascus in Syria to London in 2015. Throughout, the recipes are simple and straightforward, with almost all the ingredients obtainable in your local supermarket. I really recommend this book – both as a cookbook with very tasty recipes, and as the story of a man who risked everything to come to London.

The recipes were all easy to make, though some of the timings needed extending (possibly due to our oven’s idiosyncrasies). Later on, he talks of the frustrations of Syrian refugees, who believe the plight of their countrymen have been forgotten by many in the West. Alongside delicious recipes, Imad will share the unforgettable details of how he came to settle in London, as well as the story of his home country, Syria. But that is his reality, the light and the dark sitting incredibly close, and one that thankfully most of us will never have to endure.Firstly, the exact dimensions of the pan are not given, and secondly, it makes it very difficult to halve the recipe, as you cannot calculate ratios. sensational recipes celebrating the flavours of Syria, that can easily be made in the comfort of your own home This is the first cookbook from Imad Al Arnab, a renowned chef from Damascus.

Imad now runs an acclaimed restaurant in London, which was named GQ’s ‘Best Breakthrough Restaurant 2022’. In the book he shares traditional Syrian dishes that form the basis of his cooking at the restaurant. Syrian cuisine remains relatively unexplored in the UK, and Imad’s Syrian Kitchen ​offers a vibrant introduction to it. Many of the dishes that have become signatures at Alarnab’s London restaurant feature, including the falafel, which are strikingly shaped with hole in the middle for a ‘crispier texture’.The only complaint I have, is that when water needs to be added (to lentils, bulgar wheat etc) we are directed to add enough to come so many centimetres above the dried food. My favourite recipes were ‘Katif Ghanam’ (slow cooked marinated lamb shoulder baked in a parcel with herbs, carrots, potatoes and onion), ‘Mujadara’ (bulgar wheat and brown lentil salad) and ‘Muhammara’ (a red pepper and walnut chunky paste).