Forum Topic

Persian Terrace opposite TVU

Was really excited when I saw it being refurbished.Having seen the 'pipes' in the windows, I am completely psyched out of even going in.Am I alone in my thinking?

Simon Wycombe ● 4922d48 Comments

Re  buying British chicken - frequently they are not.          xxxxxxxxxxxxxx    the answer is to only buy chicken which is clearly stated to be British, and from which I assume it is. And fresh non wrapped etc from a butcher I assume must be from this country, or at least no further away than Europe?

Tony Price ● 4881d

It seems to me that a lot of people may think they are avoiding something but perhaps they are not.  Chickens particularly, are frequently packed/wrapped in the UK but they do not actually disclose where the chicken is actually from so people think that they are buying British chicken - frequently they are not.

Bernadette Paul ● 4882d

Re three-month old halal chicken ready-killed from Thailand.            xxxxxxxxxxxxxx bearing in mind the history of chicken diseases in Thailand and the wholesale slaughter as a result, I avoid chicken meat from that country, including chicken meat in processed form in tins, eg in soups or white sauce. The conditions there are appalling.

Tony Price ● 4882d

Hi John!Stop upsetting us regulars at the Red Loin as you have dubbed. Its correct nickname is the Red Loon, chosen by us local to reflect the colour that the proprietor goes before he loses it when dealing with a customer compliant, the brewery (which usually calls when Colin has been waving his straight-edge razor around too much), or a councillor.The Red Loon does an excellent pint of beer, far better than the pub whose more apt name that you have reported as the Rozzer and Crown down the road. That deserves that moniker as it is run by aspiring would-be filmies and actorrs who make sure that the local bootleg DVD dealers get thrown out and reported to the police citing "our royalties" as the reason. There used to be a guy who hung around there who got nick- named Charlie Calculator whose dad is an eminent copyright barrister. He would spend his time chatting to people about which music download services they used! It is the sort of place where logging onto the free (but highly controlled) Fullers internet immediately "heightens" the interest of the pub staff, and where handing over a copy of the family holiday snaps to your uncle on a DVD in the bar would probably get you a speculative visit from the copyright infringement police!!!

Rudzik Nieszefc ● 4882d

I have been told by an acquaintance of mine in the retails hospitality business that in reality there is very little control over the way that halal chickens are killed that you buy in this country because they are not killed in this country. He says that the Sam's chicken chain imports all their three-month old halal chicken ready-killed from Thailand. Given the nature of human rights in Thailand I would somehow doubt that a chicken's death would feature at all highly in scheme of things.

Rudzik Nieszefc ● 4882d

This RSPCA report may inform the debate:http://content.www.rspca.org.uk/cmsprd/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobnocache=false&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1232998853713&ssbinary=trueReading this, it is my interpretation that a very high percentage of kosher / halal meat is in fact pre-stunned before or immediately just after the cut.If this is true, and, given the stance of the RSPCA on religeous slaughter why would they make something like this up, then surely an awful lot of the recent debate on the subject on this board comes to nothing?It seems that, as usual, we have not let the facts get in the way of a good argument!  :-)

Tony Colliver ● 4882d

Re can ever say we are 100% confident that it was killed humanely             xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx      very true, as I said, the raising of animals ,fowl etc to kill is I M O immoral, that factory farming is not acceptable and at the end, ALL killing is not without an element of cruelty, it is a matter of degree and should be minimised as much as possible. I  imagine if I had the guts to visit any abattoir, I would become vegetarian.

Tony Price ● 4884d

Having grown up in kent on a dairy/beef farm I have, my paternal grandfather was a slaughterman, and do you realy think that the way we slaughter chickens hanging them upside down on an overhead conveyor belt type set up and plunging them head first into water with an electric current running through it isn't cruel, or that sheep shoved through a chute can't see what happened to its friend in front? but that's okay because he's getting the equivalent of the electric chair, everyone seems to have seen the video's of halal slaughter, but no one seems to have watched some of the mispractice that goes on in so called licensed humane abattoirs,and the fail rate of stunning is over 10% on average in cattle and a lot higher in pigs by the way, I am neither condemning nor condoning halal or shechita practices, but I do believe that none of us as long as we eat meat, unless we have stood and watched the slaughter of the animal, can ever say we are 100% confident that it was killed humanely and pain free, and animals slaughtered on small holdings etc dont have to be stunned either.

Tracey Mehdizadeh ● 4884d

Re  stunning is not always as effective               xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  the operative words there Tracey are  "not always"  but the attempt is made. If stunning is effective say 95% of the time,all well and good. Why do you think some European countries have banned the throat slitting method, why did the R S P C A  try to get it stopped here and why was there a Bill on it in Parliament if there is no reason.

Tony Price ● 4884d

Re  left hanging to die is awful - that's halal!          xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx      you should see what happens to a cow, before, during and after!.

Tony Price ● 4884d

Im sorry John, but do you ask in every butchers, restaurant and take away by what method the animals were slaughtered, because to be quite honest maybe you should if you feel that strongly, even some of the larger restaurant chains hospitals and hotels are buying halal meat, if you were invited to say Royal Ascot, and were taken for lunch in a private box, would you ask the waiter if the meat was halal ? or lets say for sayings sake its Aunty Ethels birthday and the family are taking her to a Beefeater for a treat would you ask there ? One other thing stunning is not always as effective as most people pressume it is, I have seen vets attend horses and cattle to put them down, and the "gun" doesnt always work and requires more than one attempt, therefore my animals are never destroyed by that method.Maybe just to be sure veganism is a better option, because if you read the methods of slaughter used here to be honest they're not much more humanehttp://www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/farm/slaughter/factfilejust to back up what I said re:halal meat http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1313303/Britain-goes-halal---tells-public.html

Tracey Mehdizadeh ● 4884d

To me it does. The though of my pet rabbits having their necks cut and left hanging to die is awful - that's halal!

John Arthur Forest ● 4884d

Dunno John - does it really matter?

Gerry Tan ● 4884d

Gerry, would the chickens, goats, and lambs that were so inhumanely killed agree about the standard of service?

John Arthur Forest ● 4884d

Good to hear that Persian Terrace is still trading. The food there was always tasty and fresh - loved their Chelo Kababe Maksoos with those pickled vegetables and olives. And their freshly baked bread is delish! Good luck to them - hope they succeed in trading. Pleasant and convenient little terrace of eateries on St Mary's Road.

Gerry Tan ● 4885d

Yes it is still there, and I went earlier there this evening, with my o/h, and I really didnt relate any of the comments on here to either the service or the food, both were excellent, having lived in Iran/Persia I do consider myself to have first hand knowledge of the persian cuisine, the food that most people here think of as being persian is made for the palate of the english people, i.e what you get in Persian Palace in West Ealing, most Iranians that I know dont eat there, its a bit like the chinese food we eat, such as sweet and sour, not a chinese dish at all, Im in no way connected to the persian terrace other than having eaten there this evening, and I will be going back again and taking family members. Oh and just one other little point a meal for two (starter, taftoon bread 2 mains and 2 drinks) came to £20-90 :) so before you rely on other peoples palates why not give it a go im glad we did

Tracey Mehdizadeh ● 4885d

I think they've improved their service recently, as we went there the other night and it was fine. We'd read bad things about the service, and so was expecting it, but it turned out not to be a problem. Food was great too.With respect to being 'psyched' by the shisha pipes, not really sure what the issue is as they are outside, so doesn't really affect diners?  And as far as the 100 cigarettes equivalency goes, it should also be mentioned at the same time that shisha smoke is quite different in chemical consistency to cigarette smoke, so it isn't actually equivalent.  There are also tobacco free options for shishas.

Nathan Brown ● 4887d

I note that the University of Worst London is one of the founders of the new Valentine Ealing Festival, This seems like a throwback to the University of Worst London participation in the Ealing Summer Festival rather than an attempt at appearing "serious". How is this goiung to improve the univerity's image? What about a technology festival, or a language festival, or food festival instead of yet-another-student-and-music-p*ss-up?

John Arthur Forest ● 4887d

Is Persian Terrace still there?

Gerry Tan ● 4888d

I have started another thread loosely related to this about halal meat, please let me know what you think?

Marie Shelny ● 4889d

Re  animals that haven't been stunned before slaughter.             xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx      good on you, well said. ( although most of the " fresh meat " available in Ealing now is halal ) For the first time in ages, I went to ASDA in North Acton at the weekend and was horrified to see ALL the merchandise on the butchers counter was halal. At one time in this country the only meat that was not of animals killed in as humane a method as possible was that by Jewish slaughterers but non pre- stunning sadly has now become commonplace because of the vast increase in Muslims here . In fact, practically all  the meat sold in supermarkets, apart I think Morrisons , is halal. All New Zealand lamb is halal but supposedly the animal is stunned before hand. Australia refused to send live cattle to Indonesia in particular because of the appalling cruelty in their slaugher houses ( I saw a video taken in secret which made me weep ) but the Australian farmers kicked up a fuss  re lost sales, so the export ban was lifted by the Government.

Tony Price ● 4889d

Can't say I'll miss it if it folds - the service is abysmal and the fact it's Halal means I won't be eating there on the basis that I won't eat meat derived from animals that haven't been stunned before slaughter.

Tony Gould ● 4889d

White elephant? Could be 'cos since Oporto, that excellent Portugese restaurant went, those premises have been doomed - the last one called EatTalian didn't last long. This latest eatery Persian Terrace looks doomed too. Pity, 'cos theeir food was OK - loved their chicken wings and house salads and their Tafteet(spelling) bread was very different and delicious. Sad really.

Gerry Tan ● 4889d

I haven't seen this open for a while.Is it another white elephant?

Simon Wycombe ● 4889d

''Hot kebab'' now available. As opposed to cold ones!

Simon Wycombe ● 4901d

Does remind me of 'The Lido' 'restaurant' which, for years, proudly displayed the sign "Open both Lunnch and Diner".

Nigel Brooks ● 4908d

I am not surprised,in the slightest.Nor am I surprised by the fact it's always empty.

Simon Wycombe ● 4908d

Shame that the sample menu on the site has several spelling mistakes. You'd expect chefs to know it's tartare not tartar, beurre not beuree and caesar not caeser.

Andrew Mcauley ● 4908d

Re  Should have mentioned              xxxxxxxxxxxxx    thanks again

Tony Price ● 4913d

Should have mentioned that booking is essential at the Vincent Rooms.It isn't crowded with good table spacing but it does get busy approaching Christmas and on Fridays for leaving lunches and, for some reason, birthdays.

Nigel Brooks ● 4913d

Re  Tony, the entrance is (was) on Warwick Road.             xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  thanks, will have to give them both a try one day. Never thought of any place like those.

Tony Price ● 4914d

Tony, the entrance is (was) on Warwick Road.Beware though it is only open for lunch Mon-Fri from 12:00-13:00. The food and service are excellent.For a more relaxed lunch (and afternnon tea) at a catering college I would highly recommend The Vincent Rooms of Westminster Kingway College on Vincent Square SW1. Absolutely superb food and service at very competitive prices.

Nigel Brooks ● 4914d

Re  try lunch or dinner at Pillars,          xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx      interesting, where is this establishment and is it open to members of the public?

Tony Price ● 4914d

I am sure UWL will turn-round by focussing on those subjects it can actually deliver rather than trying to be the 'broad spectrum' university it considered itself a few years ago.It excels in catering (do you actually have to be a university to be a catering college?), nursing and (some aspects of) media. Leaving the truly academic subjects to other places is/was a wise move.

Nigel Brooks ● 4914d

Luke,I am sure most of what he said was tongue in cheek but not helpful.I was just in UWL handing back a purse I found in the street and it was a very 'happening' place!

Simon Wycombe ● 4914d

John, perhaps you might like to investigate further about UWL before publicly deriding it. I work there and I can assure you that good things are happening and that much work has gone into moving away from the old days and reputation of TVU. Sure, it is not Oxford or Cambridge, but it is a centre of excellence for culinary arts and other more vocational degrees. I suggest you try lunch or dinner at Pillars, the silver-service restaurant run entirely by the students, where you can have a top-notch 3 course meal for £10, or come to one of the many recitals by the talented musicians at the London College of Music. Our students leave with real skills and this is borne out in our employment rate for our graduates which is among the best in the country. It's always easier to criticise for a cheap laugh rather than trying to look at the positives in life.

Luke Stoughton ● 4914d

That may be the case but if you try and sell a profit making and nice looking business premises,surely even more money to be made.The chicken shops you refer to are a joke. But Persian Terrace has(had) every opportunity to make a killing and has now lost the plot.Every day a different sign goes up. ''Coffee shop'' being the latest!

Simon Wycombe ● 4914d

Re  carry a government health warning too?          xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx oh I think that's bubbles in the sky John, RACISM don't forget!.

Tony Price ● 4915d

It is worth explaining here how the business model for this type of restaurant works. It is all about property values. Provide minimal service, just about cover the mortgage and then sell the restaurant on three to five years later making a bid profit of the hike in property values. Any "small" losses made by the restaurant are insignificant compared to the propery value increases. Hence the birth of what is locally referred to as Ealing's "greasy mile" which starts on St Mary's Road and stretches down along the South Ealing Road - endless chicken shops selling chicken of unkown origin.Remember, it is all about PROPERTY VALUES not about the RESTAURANT BUSINESS.J.

John Arthur Forest ● 4915d

FYI. Its no longer TVU, it is now UWT, the University of Worst London (UWL) (formerly known as the University of West London) which is next to Ealing's most unpleasantly run pub the Red Loin (formerly known as the Red Lion). So now we have the Poison Terrace opposite the University of Worst London, which is next to the Red Loin pub.

John Arthur Forest ● 4915d

Perhaos in response to the previously-unkown-to-me fact that a few minutes of shisha smoking is equivalent to a hundred cigarettes it should be re-named the: "Poison Terrace" and carry a government health warning too?

John Arthur Forest ● 4915d

RE  it is a good tax write-off        xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    you are pre-supposing one thing?

Tony Price ● 4915d

The one near me is generally empty.  I guess it is a good tax write-off, if nothing else.

Charles Campbell ● 4915d

Re  the English people living in area.        xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    I thought all busines premises had to have all details in English and maybe in the language of the owner's country, otherwise we haven't a clue what is going on in our own country.

Tony Price ● 4917d

Now have 'Persian' writing in window, just to ensure they do not attract any of the English people living in area.

Simon Wycombe ● 4917d

a 40 minute session on the "pipes" is equivalent to smoking 100 cigarettes.The food is actually quite nice at Persian Terrace but the service is spectacularly bad - nearly 45 minutes to take our order and they wouldn't even take a (soft) drinks order in that time.The restaurant is a BYO - so bring some wine with you, prepare to wait 45 mins to order and maybe 1 hour before you see any food.

Tony Gould ● 4922d

Shishas - yuk. Tried it once but all I got was a terrible headache. Never again.A propos the restaurant, I think this new place will have to be very good to take any significant business away from the "Little Persia" that is West Ealing. Good luck to them, though.

Alex Weel ● 4922d

I am, for my sins, an occasional smoker.Howevee the thought of inhaling that much tar and nicotine from a shisha fills me with dread.

Nigel Brooks ● 4922d