‘invite’ – We were invited by the team at Kan Zaman for the purposes of this review. On this occasion we were not asked to pay. No conditions were given on attending or writing the review. Everything written is accurate and our unbiased opinion. For more information on our policy, click here
This is what I love about Mill Road. You can walk down a hundred times and still find hidden gems that you were blissfully unaware of.
Tonight, I had the pleasure of being invited to Kan Zaman, a lovely little Lebanese restaurant at the Cambridge centre end of Mill Road. I had no idea this place existed and I was delighted to be able to visit and explore their menu as I am a big fan of food from this part of the world.
We started off with a few drinks. The team at Kan Zaman offers every sort of non-alcoholic drink you can’t think of, including fruit smoothies, milkshakes, mocktails and fizzy drinks. No alcoholic drinks are available. Gerry went for the mango smoothie which was absolutely perfect. He said ‘it was like an entire Solero ice cream had been melted into a glass’. Refreshing!
We were also treated to some hummus and flatbread which was beautifully presented in ceramic bowls and a basket.
We quickly moved onto two salads which were a lot bigger and bolder than we were expecting! The first was a salad called ‘fattoush’ which consists of mixed salads, lettuce, tomatoes, mint, sumac and fried Lebanese bread with a pomegranate vinaigrette dressing. I thought this was absolutely sublime and the lettuce leaves were especially big and fresh, with a healthy deep green colour. The freshness really shows and the fried bread really added a satisfying crunch which also complimented the crispy salad.
We were treated to a spiced potato dish called ‘batata harra’ (located on the left on the square white plate in the picture below). This is essentially cubes of potato in spices, garlic, coriander, and peppers. These were incredibly soft and lacked any real crispiness. I am not sure if this is the style but they were still very flavourful none the less.
We were also gifted these delightful treats below. The two lighter coloured rolls are called ‘bourak’, one with a cheese filling and one with a spinach filling. The middle one is ‘kibbeh’ and on the right hand side is ‘falafel’.
I am a big fan of both the cheese and the spinach bourak which are freshly rolled in the kitchen to order but the real stand out for me was the kibbeh. This is long-grain white rice dough filled with minced lamb, onion, spices and then deep fried. This bad boy was stuffed and is incredibly filling in its own right. It was great for dipping in the side sauces and worked quite well in the sour cream.
Next up was a gargantuan shared platter for two. This behemoth comes with two cold mezze choices, followed by one skewer of lamb kofta, chicken taouk, lamb meshwi, and a large portion of chicken shawarma.
This dish was all laid on top of a bed of chips and rice (just to really make sure that you aren’t going to finish it 🤣). The plate was also garnished with a chilli pepper, cabbage, tomatoes, lemon, and greens which gave the plate an exciting visual pop.
Just watch out with the chili peppers, as I bit into one and it EXPLODED everywhere. I have never seen a chilli pepper filled with so much brine 🤣
The sharing platter went on forever and had us both thoroughly defeated by the end. It also came with three side sauces that are all home made and complimented the meat really well. It also makes sure the dish is not too dry which can often be a problem with big portions of meat
The lamb kofta was one of the stand out parts of this shared platter. The meat was incredibly flavourful and succulent. I have had a few bad experiences with ordering kebabs in the past where they come out half the size you expect but these are big! I thought the chicken shawarma was sensational, it was so juicy and was perfect for picking at and mixing with other things.
There was a selection of desserts on display, including my favourite, baklava. Also available was ma’amoul which is like a buttered biscuit. I didn’t get a chance to try these but they are a perfect end to a big meal.
There is also a courtyard garden with a lovely flower display to give it a garden feel. There are shisha’s available so you can relax after your meal and digest your food. I am a big fan of shisha, so there is no doubt I will be back again to take advantage of this!
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Kan Zaman. This is a place that does meat so well! I love the fact that everything is done fresh and is mostly home made. Portions are generous, the service is good, and the courtyard offering shishas means you can make an entire evening out of it. The place was packed the entire time during our visit, which for a Tuesday night, says a lot!
Thanks for reading and don’t forget to check out the video of my visit below 👇
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