Omar Shah is a name familiar to many food-loving residents. For the uninitiated, he’s the multi-tasking restaurateur behind several long-running joints on Kentish Town Road, including Guanabana and the legendary Bintang, a mainstay of this stretch, dating back almost forty years to 1987 (read my recent history of its many incarnations here).
He has no less than three upcoming launches this spring. First up is Hoodwood, which has been softly open for a week or so now, but officially launched last Saturday: perhaps you were lucky enough to grab one of the free patty pies being given away? As a sister to his Caribbean dining room Guanabana, this one has a more casual daytime setting: on the menu is oak-smoked jerk chicken, curries and more. @the_hoodwood
Nearby is Cafe Mama & Sons, a Filipino-Japanese cafe whose launch was also last weekend, with free ensaymada (pastry) banana puddings to the first lucky hundred folk.
The daily menu will comprise baked goods, matcha, coffee and sandos — if their creamy egg sandos anywhere near as good as those at the former Panadera, you can count us in. @cafe_mama_sons
Lastly, Belly is the memorable name of the new “neighbourhood bistro” where the long-running ramen shop Ramo — also owned by Shah — previously stood. Centred around wood-fire cooking, it will draw “from French and Southeast Asian traditions using the best seasonal produce,” he says.
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Belly, which opens at the end of April, will see the team “bringing bold flavours and warm hospitality rooted in Shah’s heritage” to the spot.
“We’re all about simple yet elevated dishes, a killer wine list, and a space that feels like home,” he says. “It’s inspired by family and the vibrancy of London, with a focus on ingredients that celebrate the best of each moment.” @belly_bistro
