Gitane’s Chicken with Yoghurt and Parsley Sauce Roll

Chicken with yoghurt and parsley sauce roll at Gitane, Fitzrovia

I first came across Gitane during my first week of working in Fitzrovia.  I popped out to get some lunch and found that Kaffeine and the Scandinavian Kitchen had queues snaking out of the door.  Not wanting to throw in the towel and go running back to Pret, I pushed on a little further and found this little cafe just a few paces along.

Despite having little presence online beyond a very simple website, Gitane is almost always packed.  When I have gone online to seek out new recommendations in the local area, it is always named with great enthusiasm.  Once you venture past the doors it is easy to see why.  It is a small, but very bright and airy space, with a counter on one side selling vibrant and colourful middle eastern foods:  homely looking tarts, bright salads filled with vegetables and grains, and tiny little cakes of rosewater and pistachio.  In the winter there are always spicy soups to warm you through and fresh breads, and they almost always have a hot option – their harissa salmon is a big favourite.  Last week, however, was the first time I had been in for a sandwich.

There were a number on offer, but it was the slabs of bright yellow chicken wedged into seeded buns on the counter that caught my eye.  £5 later, one was packed into a box and accompanying me back to my desk.

The filling for the sandwich is rather impressive.  At first I thought it was merely a huge chunk of breast meat, but I was delighted to find some equally large pieces of thigh meat nestled underneath.  Both the white meat and the dark meat were incredibly moist and flavoursome and coated in a delicious saffron, yoghurt and parsley sauce.  Accompanying the meat was a large slice of tomato, a couple of pickles, more parsley and a further dollop of yoghurt.  The bread was a glazed, seeded bun.  At first it looked a little on the small side, especially given the amount of chicken nestled within it, but it did its job of holding everything together well.

A sandwich of this kind is not a traditionally middle eastern dish, however they manage to get it just right with the combination of ingredients.  £5 is perhaps a little steep for a take-away sandwich, but the quality and quantity of the chicken makes it well worth it.  I will be back at Gitane time and again.

Gitane, 60 Great Titchfield Street, London W1W 7QF.