JUMA Kitchen

Choosing where to eat in Borough Market isn’t easy. Delicious aromas beckon from all directions. Salt beef sandwiches, dosa wraps, tacos, burgers and plates of paella are doled out at pace, while cured meats dangle enticingly overhead. Skewers are grilled over charcoal, while wayward tourists sizzle in the afternoon sun. Many order gildas at Brindisa, just for a seat in the shade. Yet, in amongst this culinary cacophony, we manage to uncover JUMA Kitchen.

Seasoned veterans of the market, we split up to both nab a table and peruse the menu. You might dismiss JUMA's stall as something you’ve seen on the high street: grilled meats, flatbreads, salads. In fact, Philip Juma’s offering is authentic Iraqi food, and there are many dishes we’ve never had before. Case in point: kubba haleb, an arancini-esque revelation. Imagine the crispy bottom (or rather, top) of a tahdig, but deep-fried. Bite into it and you’ll be greeted by deliciously spiced lamb. Dip it into the lip-smacking amba sauce and you’ll be enamoured.

Elsewhere, spinach fatayers come laced with fragrant sumac, accompanied by new (to us, at least) intriguing sauces. Having devoured these crispy treats, we patiently await our kebabs, people-watching over bottles of Spanish beer (the drinks selection is pretty short, but food is certainly the focus here). 

Succulent chicken tikka, atop a zingy, crunchy fattoush hits all the right notes, especially when drizzled with a bracing chilli sauce. The minced lamb skewers, meanwhile, aren’t quite as exciting, but they don’t last long once bundled into a flatbread with more - you guessed it - sauce. The charming staff insist we try the knafeh to finish, so we do just that.

This oozing amalgamation of spun pastry, sugar syrup and mozzarella might sound like a bridge too far, especially when you throw in pistachio and dried rose petals. But somehow this gratin-esque blend of sweet and savoury works, it really works. We leave the buzz of the market utterly satisfied, knowing that next time, choosing where to eat won’t be hard at all.

With a kitchen history that includes time at Ishbilia, Maze, The Savoy and NOPI, it's no wonder that JUMA has been a breakout hit since landing in Borough Market in 2012. Head chef and founder Philip Juma (hence the name) has English and Iraqi heritage, and he has unveiled a modern side of traditional Iraqi cooking that has spearheaded new interest in Iraqi cuisine in London.

At the heart of that movement is the Borough Market site, where Philip and team cook up a selection of quick and delicious Iraqi dishes that have proved to be a smash hit in the highly competitive food market. Philip has taken his experiences in more upmarket restaurants and applied them to the traditional Iraqi dishes he knows and loves - the potato chap, for example, is a little ball of golden, crispy potato, with a spicy lamb and parsley centre. Substantial lamb, chicken and cauliflower kebabs are also available, and the JUMA knafa (or knafeh) is an unmissable dessert combo of crispy kataifi pastry, cheese, sugar syrup and nuts.

Also not to be missed are the JUMA baklawa, and the mini knafa cones filled with blossom water-infused cream and chopped pistachios. There are other fantastic options on the menu at the Borough Market location, which all combine to make this a valuable addition to Borough Market's burgeoning food offering. 

Meanwhile, JUMA also does a huge amount of private catering, offering more fine dining-style dishes for private events, such as lamb dolma with rice, wrapped in vine leaves and slow cooked in lemon, garlic, and pomegranate, and beautiful mixed mezze platters. Philip Juma is available to hire as a private chef, and JUMA kitchen can be booked for anything from pop up dinners and birthdays to weddings and canape events.