Henrietta

75 Chapel St
Windsor, VIC 3181
https://www.henriettachicken.com/

We all know El Jannah, the undisputed champ of charcoal chicken in Sydney, which has since made the leap across the border. But what about its slightly more upmarket rival, Henrietta? I didn’t get a chance to try Henrietta out whilst I was in Sydney, so I was chuffed when I heard that they had opened up in Windsor. And here’s what I think: they are two very different things, in the best possible way. I actually thought the chicken at Henrietta was the weakest part of the experience, whereas the opposite is true of El Jannah. Where Henrietta stands out is its fabulous take on modern casual Middle Eastern food. Everything that came out of the kitchen provoked food envy, and though the prices are higher than El Jannah, the value is undeniable – the next table over from us ordered the banquet, and were too stuffed to eat their mains. I’m very glad we have both El Jannah and Henrietta in Melbourne, because both are excellent places for nosh – just make sure you know what you’re after.

Rating: 13.5/20 – for chicken, there’s el jannah. for everything else, there’s henrietta.
Must-have: we didn’t get any but the dips looked amazing, as did the tahini eggplant and spiced cauliflower.
Rookie mistake: don’t fill up on bread like the table next to us, as tempting as it may be – there are many delicious things to come!

Chris has been on a halloumi bender ever since the amazing version we had at Hazel. The Halloumi, Honey, Grapes, Pistachio ($23) is an excellent riff on the theme, the squeaky slabs of cheese coated with a rich, tangy syrup of fruit and honey.

The Sumac Cured Tuna ($24) was a delightful surprise. Instead of being served sashimi style, the tender fish has been tossed with kisir – a tomato bulgur wheat mixture not dissimilar to couscous salad. I was especially impressed with the dollop of umami-heavy anchovy cream spread over the plate, which replenishes the seafood flavours diluted by the kisir. I loved eating this wrapped in the crunchy leaves of lettuce – it’s light, fresh, hearty, and flavoursome.

I’ll admit it – the Grain Fed Charcoal Chicken ($32, half) was good but not great. It just didn’t have the same explosion of smoky flavour as El Jannah, and the toum was not so pungent with garlic (though for some that may be a relief). The pickles were also a bit too salty for my liking. I will however pay props to the bread, which was freshly baked, and had the perfect balance between soft and chewy – much better than the pre-packaged pita at El Jannah.

It’s back to deliciousness with the Pearl Couscous Salad ($19), which combined the cool tanginess of labneh and the grounded sweetness of roast pumpkin and beetroot to excellent effect.

I didn’t have room for the decadent freshly baked basbousa (semolina cake) for dessert, but I managed to fit in a wobbly Mouhalabieh ($14). Now, this is usually a thick milk pudding, flavoured with the likes of pistachio and rosewater. What we ended up with was a berry panna cotta. Not that I’m complaining – the texture of this was excellent, and the crown of juicy berries and spicy jallab sauce was an apt accompaniment.