Anyone who knows us also knows we’re no strangers to being fed well by Oasis Global Eats and Lahmacun, plus we enjoy a good collab. No surprise, then, that we signed up when they joined forces for the first Global Eats Supper Club of ’24, billed as a vegetarian-friendly event representing Arabic food culture, with long tables for breaking bread together. Their doing so felt right and, as Cardiff-based food blogger The Flavourist commented when we re-posted the menu, “it’s one of those collaborations that just makes sense”.

Oasis Cardiff is a charity offering a warm Welsh welcome to refugees and asylum seekers. Supporting around 3500 service users a year, its Splott Road HQ houses one of the biggest such centres in the UK. Its aim is to help integrate clients into the local community, while learning from their cultures and traditions. This reflects clearly in outreach initiatives, including Global Eats which offers clients hospitality training and generates income via popular Home Supper Clubs, street food pop-ups and kitchen takeovers, as well as private catering – imagine how food appealing to all senses could transform your next oh-so-predictable work-do buffet. The Global Eats food trailer also provides a seasonal street food lunch service and makes festival appearances.

Lahmacun shares diverse roots. Beginning seventeen years ago in Oman with enrolment in culinary school, Lucas Wooton has had an impressively eclectic career. His journey, from fine dining to bushcraft, led to Lahmacun’s lockdown birth in partnership with his wife, Sophie, whose father is a Syrian chef. The venture brings together their skills and heritage, focusing on modern Arabic cuisine, fire cookery and use of local, seasonal ingredients. Commitment to quality and flavour mean its supper clubs and presence at Cardiff Farmers Markets have earned a strong following.

As we left Roath, crossing the Newport Road border and headed along Splott’s rain-soaked recycling-narrowed pavements towards Oasis HQ, our anticipation grew as much as our bellies rumbled. Slick organisation soon had 70 plus punters seated in the airy main hall, the promised long tables decorated invitingly with cloths, candles and unfussy florals.

Thankfully the evening’s communal dining wasn’t going to involve the nail-biting sight of progressive dish emptying as food made its way the down to our end of the table. Instead, we were grouped for sharing with four neighbours, kicking off conversations that segued into more when we discovered that they also happened to be food-loving health workers. Bonus points for their introductory declaration that it was ok to forget everyone else’s names within minutes. So convivial were the discussions that we almost lost focus on the food at times. – Almost.

First up was a welcome drink, collected from the bar. Not quite Pantone 219C (aka Barbie Pink), it was a goldilocks blend of prosecco, hibiscus and bergamot – not too sweet or overpowering but off-dry and gently fragrant.

Proceedings then got underway, starting with some heart-felt words from Lucas who gave insight into Lahmacun, the human impact of ongoing turmoil in Syria and their support of The Hands Up Foundation, a charity that focuses much of its efforts funding vital inclusive health and education programmes around the country. An impassioned speech from Alis followed, telling his story from fleeing Honduras with his family and not speaking a word of English, to arriving in Cardiff and beginning as a kitchen volunteer at Oasis. Two years later, he is Catering Manager, cook at Global Eats and, that night, speaking to a packed house. It’s no overstatement that the significance Oasis holds for him touched everyone in the room.

Headlined as “Snacks” the first course was a neat billet of feta coated in black and white sesame seeds. It was suitably salty with textural contrast from its crunchy crust, although the taste of honey was elusive, possibly our portions missed out on the final drizzle. Fritter-like gnarly Jerusalem artichoke crisps were dark, deep and satisfyingly nutty. The Jerusalem artichoke hummus was zingy and garlicky, but we all agreed it could have done with some bread for mopping -perhaps Lahmacum’s legendary flat variety- however, it worked as a kind of sauce for the other two.  Artichoke-based dishes were generous, making repeat rounds of the group.

Mains was also delivered as a sharing dish, so the poor presentation shown in the pictures here is down to the, ahem, enthusiasm of the person filling their plate. Again, there was plenty to go around. The surgeon on our table was elected the task of cutting both cauliflowers into three pieces, using only a serving spoon, and they did a mighty fine job.

Clockwise at 11:00 we have Lahmacun’s pickles, which are punchy, vibrant and fresh. M. NotLeafy buys them at every Roath Market opportunity, as they are a fine example of the art; head, shoulders and torso above the ubiquitous jarred versions. Shown alongside the traditional beetroot-tinged turnip and pickled peppers is Lahmacun’s signature herby onion salad with its mouth-watering dressing.

 At 1 o’clock is cauliflower shawarma, roasted to gentle caramelisation, coated with a balanced blend of classic herbs and spices, dressed with nuts, and drizzled with tahini. Happily, its leaves were included too, rather than wasted. In the centre of the clockface is the amazing stuffed carrot, cored out (we would love to know how), stuffed with muhammara – a walnut and pepper dip beloved of Mme. NotLeafy – then cooked to a pleasantly yielding texture and served in Matbucha, a sweet, rich Moroccan pepper, tomato, chilli and garlic sauce.

At 6:30 is Toum, a Lebanese garlic sauce, not too strong but a great condiment and, finally at 7:00, we can declare Lahmacun officially kale-safe. Their twist on the dread leaf with almonds and Urfa chilli oil was skillfully prepared and did not forever grow in the mouth, in fact it disappeared all too quickly and left you wanting more.    

Dessert was pre-ordered from a choice of white or dark chocolate mousses with blood orange and came plated individually. We’d inevitably gone for the dark because we find white chocolate can be a bit sickly. The dark was indeed beautifully dark and bitter, however, M. NotLeafy got to taste some of the rose-scented white chocolate version and immediately wished there was an option to have both. Yes, we should have known better to trust Lahmacun’s hand with the white stuff and ordered one of each.

A limited selection of soft and alcoholic drinks, including a red and white wine by the glass, was available from the bar throughout the evening, Although the prosecco went well enough with the meal, we wonder if Oasis might also consider introducing BYO with corkage, it would be nice to be able to take a favourite bottle along to complement an event menu on offer.

Leaving the building, we chatted with an Oasis team member and were delighted to hear that supper clubs are being planned on a monthly basis. It’s an experience we’re up for repeating and, importantly, it’s about more than ‘go and gobble’. Mme’s mum having been a refugee, we’ve an understanding of some of the challenges people coming to the UK can face, and the difference organisations like Oasis can make. And, from the diners’ side of the table, a couple we met at the event echoed our feelings about the profound meaning meals from the Oasis Home Supper Club had during coronavirus lockdowns. At a time when sights were set indoors, they took us outward and connected us to the world, tasting new foods and learning of new places. Being now able to join other locals eating-in consolidates a circle of cultural exchange.

Since writing, Oasis has posted details of its upcoming Global Eats Supper Club on its socials, a South Korean evening with Kitchen Manager and chef Song Yeon. The three-course fixed menu (omni and vegan options) includes a welcome drink and, like the one above, is ticketed at £35. Hopefully, the lunchtime trailer will be returning too with Alis and Mansur at the helm, we’re missing their baleadas and papusas.

Meanwhile, Lahmacun’s Insta reel captures the life and colour of the Supper Club collab so well, it’s a joyous reminder of being there and the cauliflower shot’s more like ours should’ve been: https://www.instagram.com/lahmacuncardiff/reel/C3xuSeBIC4G/?hl=en

Want to go there?

Check out their socials detailed below, as dates and times of Global Eats Supper Clubs and the food trailer vary.

Oasis Cardiff
69b Splott Road
Cardiff
CF24 2BW

Tel: +44 (0)29 2046 0424
info@oasiscardiff.org
Catering enquiries: catering@oasiscardiff.org

Web: Supper Clubs: https://www.oasiscardiff.org/Pages/Events/ & Catering https://www.oasiscardiff.org/globaleatscatering
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OasisCDF/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/oasisCDF
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/global.eats.by.oasis/?hl=en-gb

Opening Hours:
Please note: Events only, see socials above