ishbilya - downhill alert [London]

[howler]

it pains me to write this.

my last meal was awful. but not awful in a made-some-mistakes way, but cynically awful. everything looked like it was supposed to, but there was a complete and total lack of flavor. the chicken taouk was cardboard, the kafta kash kash rubbery. mezze were rank - the rahib was tasteless, the hummus felt like the chickpeas were out of a can. on and on it went.

what on earth happened?! it was so bad that i don't even dare hope it was an off night - you can't recover from that sort of insult.

[zuriga1]

Oooh, sad news. I haven't been there for quite awhile but think I'll avoid it and try elsewhere. Did you say anything to the manager? Maybe the chef was on holiday and a child replaced him or her?

[J Sheridan]

Oh, disaster! I have eaten there several times, though I've never managed to get past the mezzes, and had superb food.. And unlike Harters I've never had anything but courteous and efficient service. Lets hope it was a one-off.

[Harters]

Believe me, h, that I will be the last in the queue to praise Ishbilia after the service I had there.

But it's always disappointing to hear of bad food, particularly from somewhere where the quality has been consistently good (I couldn't fault the food on my one visit - never to be repeated, as I've said before).