As fans of Moroccan, Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine, The Man Bird and I were excited to discover a Lebanese restaurant, Hadia, not too far away in Mansfield. We set off in the jalopy, having google-earthed the venue and ascertaining that there is no on-site parking or even any on-road parking immediately adjacent. There is, however, a car park on Toothill Lane, a mere 2 minute walk away, so that’s where we headed for; after 6pm it costs £2.50 for the evening, so no time limit that means you’ll be clock-watching whilst eating.
The Mansfield weather was looking decidedly un-Lebanese, so we were hoping that Chef, Ash, would provide some culinary warmth and sunshine via his food. Hadia is accessed via a street-level door, and then you ascend a couple of flights of stairs into the open-plan restaurant. Plain walls are decorated with an assortment of colourful woven rugs, and wooden balustrades are very much in the ‘Med/Middle Eastern’ style. Archways, textured ceilings and simple white-cloth laid tables add to this vibe. Seating is provided by mid-back, dark wood chairs, some of which have rich red pads on them.
A super-polite young lass greeted us and sat us at a table near the window – the natural light would be better for our photos. Hadia is a BYOB (bring your own bottle/booze) venue, and our server went off to grab us a pair of glasses, as well as bringing out a jug of water and additional glasses for us. There is a fairly extensive menu, with several dishes suitable for vegetarians, so His Nibs and I got stuck in to giving it our full attention. After a bit of perusal, we opted for the ‘Today Platter’ to share (£12.99) as this has both hot and cold Mezze dishes to savour, adding on a portion of Hadia Kalaj (baked Arabic bread filled with Halloumi, £6.99).
Hadia is a popular choice with local residents, the delivery drivers were constantly pulling up to collect orders then driving off. When we arrived, there was already a group of diners in and Chef kindly sent out some Houmous, Breads and a bowl of Hadia Salad for us to graze on as he didn’t want us to be waiting for food and going hungry. To our minds, we weren’t waiting at all, but that is the Eastern hospitality for you.
Personally, we love the fresh salads that you get in the Med and Eastern cultures, and the one at Hadia was literally a rainbow in a bowl! Crisp, crunchy, flavoursome veggies and herbs were combined and dressed with Lemon and fruity, Extra Virgin Olive Oil; our taste buds were flooded with the symphony of tastes and textures, lapping up the experience happily. Lebanese bread is very thin and crisp, completely different to flatbreads of other cultures, though still jolly tasty and the perfect means with which to scoop up the creamy Houmous.
Our ‘starter proper’, the Today Platter was certainly big enough to share as a starter and would actually be a complete 2 course meal in itself for one person. More of the creamy houmous was gobbled up, this time with the Hadia Kalaj, and so was the Moutabal Baba Ganouj (charcoal-grilled Aubergine with Tahini, Garlic and Lemon juice); both dips were extremely moreish. I am a total salad freak, and I also love salad, so most of the Tabbouleh went into my tummy, but His Nibs did try a bit – baby steps, baby steps, for this salad dodger! As a concession for me scoffing most of the Tabbouleh I let The Man have most of the falafel; I did have one half though, and it was blooming fab. A crisp outer revealed a pleasingly dense filling of seasoned Chickpea that remained gently moist, rather than dry and claggy.
The pair of grilled skewers that we chose for our platter were the Chicken Shawarma and Kafta Meshwi. We are used to Chicken Shawarma being large pieces of breast meat, but at Hadia, Chef finely chops the chicken; just as tasty, but a different way of presenting it. Both the chicken and the minced Lamb were lovely and juicy, and although the Lamb was spicier it didn’t have the dreaded [by me] repeat factor.
No surprise that we were already feeling stuffed by this point, and then our lovely server brought out large bowls containing my Tagine and The Man’s [barely contained!] Lamb Shank. Immediately after, she came back with another two bowls heaped with the Lebanese Rice and the sunny-toned Saffron Rice. My slow-cooked Lamb was cut into sizeable cubes and bathed in a thick sauce that was richer and earthier than the Moroccan Tagines I’m used to; I would say it had more of a curry profile to its spices, as I couldn’t taste any ‘sweet’ spices in it. Whatever, it was absolutely marvellous and had my taste buds in raptures. The Lebanese Rice reminded of the rice we had on our first holiday to Turkey and, as I bit into the pieces of crunchy Vermicelli Noodles, I was transported back to a very happy memory.
His Nibs was mightily impressed by his Lamb Shank; falling off the bone, the meat was super-tender and intoxicatingly sweet and rich in taste. The tomato-based sauce was enriched with Onion, Red Pepper, Courgette and Mushrooms, all combining to provide a multi-layered partner to the meat. Chef Ash cooks his Saffron rice in tasty vegetable stock before he introduces the fragrant Lebanese Saffron and earthy Turmeric to the simmering grains; the result is a delightfully seasoned accompaniment that goes with any dish on Hadai’s menu.
Originally, we had planned to partake of a sweet treat, but in actuality we couldn’t bring ourselves to face another crumb! However, what we had had, we’d thoroughly enjoyed and we both said that we would happily come again to Hadia Lebanese restaurant in Mansfield – Hot Wings happily given to this fab Nottinghamshire venue.
Hadia is open 7-days-a-week: Mon and Tues 3.30pm-10pm, Wed and Thurs 3.30pm-11pm, Fri and Sat 3.30pm-Midnight and Sun 3.30pm-11pm – Bank Holiday Hours may vary. To book a table or place a takeaway order ring 01623 571003, and visit www.hadiarestaurant.uk for menu details.
