A Delicious Authentic Middle-Eastern Dining Experience | Brighton
I had an opportunity to visit Brighton for an evening. I immediately jumped on the opportunity. Getting there was quite tense as I was unsure whether I’d make the train. Fortunately, I got there in time to have a meal at an authentic Middle-Eastern restaurant. The experience of dining there was like no other. I then had two back-to-back malfunctioning e-bikes on my uphill ride back to the train station.
Date: 29 Nov 2023
Location: Brighton
19:30 Do I have enough time for the train
I started heading towards my train schedule at 19:30 to take me from Haywards Heath to Brighton. I had booked the first available train since thinking I could make it. The train arrived promptly and took me to Brighton in about 15 minutes. I was in a mostly empty car I reached Brighton in about 10 minutes.
20:00 Yay! Beryl bikes
The station had a sepia hue from sodium vapour lamps and had high ceilings. As soon as I exited the station, I saw some Beryl Bikes. These are similar to TIER wherein you hire bikes by the hour. I hired an electric bike and made my way towards the restaurant.
Brighton is quite a hilly city. The elevation difference between the station at one end and the beach at the other was 40m. That’s equivalent to climbing about 10 flights of stairs. Travelling downhill was a breeze … literally!
20:15 By the beach
The nearest Beryl e-bike parking I found was close to the beach. Once I parked, I saw the beach in all its glory. It was quite wide and spanned a long distance.
It was a bit too cold though, and so standing there, even for 5 minutes made my hands feel like they were freezing. This was despite wearing heavy-duty gloves (I have since lost these gloves 😔).
There was a grand hotel right opposite where I stood. It had been lit up with beautiful lights possibly for the upcoming holiday season.
20:30 Am I in Dubai?
ETCI Kitchen had really beautiful interiors. Made me feel like I was transported back to Dubai where I was the week prior. The first pita bread was given for free. Since I was a big fan of hummus and pita bread, I ordered hummus with lamb and two breads, along with a turnip drink.
The lamb was super soft and the Hummus was very delicious. I could tell a stark difference between what I was savouring, and what I usually have from a grocery store. The pita and hummus were clearly authentic. It made me yearn for some Mezze (my favourite Middle Eastern restaurant in Chennai).
The turnip drink on the other hand was something I wanted to experiment with. It had a spicy taste which was unlike any other I have tasted before. It wasn’t to my liking but I was glad to’ve tried it.
21:30 This isn’t what I signed up for!
After finishing dinner, I headed towards the station to catch my train headed to Haywards Heath. The train I was aiming for was due to leave at 22:00.
Given the abundance of electric Beryl Bikes, I decided I’d take one of them back. And since the alternative was a herculean climb back, I felt more inclined to take a cycle.
Halfway through my ride, I realised that the electronic assistance didn’t seem to be working. Add to that a steep hill and the additional weight of the battery made for a difficult workout.
I reached the station panting from the unsolicited workout. It would have been uncomfortable in nice weather, let alone in freezing temperatures after a nice meal.
The train departed on time and I reached my hotel at around 23:00.
Despite the faulty bike and the limited time, I had a great experience in Brighton. I look forward to experiencing it for longer at some point!
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