Ful moudames @ Al Boufia
98 Lodge Ln, Toxteth, Liverpool, L8 0QN
I was concerned to see, on my last walk down Lodge Lane, that well-loved Yemeni restaurant Anam’s Kitchen seemed to have closed down. In its place was an eatery called Al Boufia.
Fortunately, it turns out this is just a change of name — and one which hasn’t even made it as far as the menus yet or the interior signage yet.
The kitchen is still turning out the same menu of southern Arabian staples, including Saltah (lamb broth with potatoes, tomatoes and fenugreek) and Mendi (charcoal baked chicken or lamb with spiced rice). Their best dish, however, is to be found on their breakfast menu — which, like every truly great restaurant, they serve all day.
Ful moudames is a warming stew of fava beans cooked down until it’s the texture of a thick soup. Heavily spiced with cumin, and with tomatoes added for sweetness, it’s served in a scalding hot stone pot. Alongside it is an enormous clay-baked bread the size of a hub cap – soft and pillowy but with a delicious crisp and blacked base, perfect for scooping the deep brown ful.
Best paired with a hot mug of Adeni (milky black tea with cardamom and nutmeg) poured from the urn next to the counter. Really wonderful.
