Sunday Lunch in Notting Hill: The Story of Molokhiye at KINZ
Photographer credit, Helen Cathcart
There is a particular kind of comfort that begins with a pot gently simmering on the stove. The air fills with garlic, warm spice and slow-cooked chicken; rice steams nearby, while torn pitta waits to be crisped at the last minute. Every Sunday, we serve Molokhiye at KINZ, a much-loved Lebanese dish of whole jute mallow leaves, cooked until silky and deeply savoury.
Served with tender chicken, fluffy rice, crisp pitta and a sharp mignonette sauce, it is a bowl that moves between richness and brightness with every spoonful. For anyone looking for Sunday lunch in Notting Hill with more flavour and character than the usual weekend offering, Molokhiye is an invitation into a different side of Lebanese cooking.
What is Molokhiye?
Molokhiye, also known as molokhia or mulukhiyah, is one of Lebanon’s most cherished home-cooked dishes. Made from whole jute mallow leaves, it is cooked slowly in a fragrant broth until tender and deeply flavoured. Earthy, savoury and warming, it is traditionally served with rice, crisp pitta and plenty of lemon.
Molokhiye is shared across the region, from Lebanon to Syria and Egypt, with every country, village and family having their own way of doing it. Naturally, we think the Lebanese way wins. Chef Elene’s recipe is exactly how we do it back home: slow-simmered with chicken and warming spices, then served with rice, crisp pitta and a sharp onion and vinegar mignonette. In Lebanon, Molokhiye is our answer to the Sunday roast: a family favourite, and now a Sunday tradition at KINZ.
“Molokhiye is a dish you cook with patience,” says Chef Elene. “The texture has to be right, and the flavour needs to build slowly. When it comes together, it should feel comforting, but still fresh enough that you want another spoonful.”
Photographer credit, Catherine Fawley
Photographer credit, Safia Shakarchi
A Lebanese Sunday lunch in London
For Lebanese guests, Molokhiye may bring back the memory of a familiar lunch: a pot in the centre of the table, rice being spooned onto plates and everyone adding their own little extra of lemon, garlic or chilli. For those discovering the culture for the first time, it offers a more intimate introduction than the dishes that usually lead the conversation.
This is Lebanese food at its most comforting. Not performative, not overly polished, just a recipe built around warmth, care and ingredients that reveal their depth with time. It is why Molokhiye feels especially fitting for a Lebanese Sunday lunch in London, where familiar flavours can sit alongside the excitement of trying something entirely new.
A Sunday Restaurant in Notting Hill With More to Explore
Molokhiye may be the weekly Sunday Special, but the wider KINZ menu offers plenty to build around it. Begin with cool, smoky Moutabal, chopped Tabbouleh bright with herbs and lemon, or warm Spinach Fatayer with their soft pastry and savoury filling. Each plate brings a different texture and rhythm to the table.
Elsewhere, Shish Barak arrives in a fragrant garlic yoghurt and coriander stew, while Fattet Aubergine layers crisp pitta, yoghurt, tomato and walnuts. Charcoal-grilled Chicken Taouk and Kafta bring their own smoky edge, and Warak Enab offers vine leaves and baby courgettes wrapped around fragrant rice. It is a menu designed for curiosity, whether you arrive knowing exactly what you want or are happy to discover it as you go.
Photographer credit, Helen Cathcart
Sunday Lunch in Notting Hill, Every Week
Every Sunday, Molokhiye gives us the chance to share a dish that feels rooted in home cooking, while opening the door to guests who may never have tried it before. It is soft, savoury, fragrant and quietly memorable, with enough brightness from the mignonette to keep each spoonful lively.
For anyone searching for molokhia in London, or planning Sunday lunch in Notting Hill, join us at KINZ for our weekly Special. Come for the dish, stay for the warmth of the table and leave with a new favourite to look forward to each Sunday.
OPENING TIMES
Sun – Thur || 12:00 – 23:00
Fri – Sat || 12:00 – 00:00
Photographer credit, Elie Obeid
This isn’t just Lebanese food, it’s the Lebanon you didn’t know you were craving.
Photographer credit, Elie Obeid
This isn’t just Lebanese food, it’s the Lebanon you didn’t know you were craving.