A Healthy Lunch at Ottolenghi

Last Saturday’s rain was relentless. My parents were here from New York and my dad left my mom and I alone to spend the day together (ie – he didn’t want to be dragged around the shops!). So we were out and about, dodging puddles and rain spray from cars, trying on silly glasses and enjoying some rare mother-daughter time.

In the Spring, Jorge and I were lured in to Ottolenghi on Motcomb Street by the piles of baked goods beckoning us from the windows to find plates of delicious and colorful salads filling the counters inside.

That warm and sunny day, we sat outdoors in the small quiet courtyard sipping fennel soup and dipping in pieces of fresh bread. So Ottolenghi popped into my mind again as a place to take my mom when we were in the area hunting for lunch.

Not only is it healthy, but it’s also delicious.

It’s a tiny little place so they only have one big communal table inside. We managed to get a seat with a few fellow diners and ended up shuffling around to fit more people in. Sitting outside would have been preferable but unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans and everything was soaked. While we surveyed the menu, we started with some tasty juice – carrot, apple and ginger – which was tangy and sweet and refreshing.

The menu might change every day. It had a date on top. Also, they didn’t have the fennel soup we enjoyed before, so we looked over our options.

One of the deals was that you choose a main and two salads. I was going to go with the croquettes but they had run out so I chose the “lamb, pistachio and bulgur kebab with green tahini sauce and parsley”. My salads were “butterbean hummus with dukkah, basil, rose petals and parsley” and “grilled fennel and courgettes with sweet pistachio relish, dill, lemon, goats cheese and watercress”.

My mom also had the lamb dish but for salads she chose “basmati and wild rice with sultanas, nuts, lemon, chilli, spring onions and herbs” and “roasted aubergine with saffron yogurt, hazelnut, pomegranate seeds and mixed herbs”.

All of it was filling and delicious. The only disappointing thing was that we were too full for dessert!

It was time to head back into the rain. But there’s always a next time! Next time, dessert will be mine!

Where’s your favourite restaurant in London for healthy food?