I visited Oswaldtwitle’s new Arabic restaurant, Tazaj and was blown away at its authentic taste!

A new restaurant serving Arabic and Turkish cuisine is on the block in Oswaldtwistle so I went to try its food.

Tazaj has only been open for a few weeks but has managed to secure a five out of five for its food hygiene rating.

The business has also made its food available on popular delivery app, JustEat as it attempts to spread business into a wider area.

Join our new WhatsApp Community to get the latest news and top stories from across Lancashire directly to your phone.

Despite only being a small shop, I was impressed by the decor which helped to create an authentic and homely feel paired with the traditional Arabic music playing in the background.

Upon arrival, I was kindly greeted by a sole worker who provided excellent service throughout my time there and this started with a complimentary Turkish tea.

Having this type of tea was a first for me but it was nicer than first expected as it provided a good level of sweetness whilst maintaining its heat.

Now, looking at the menu, I was getting more of a fast-food vibe from Tazaj as it had options such as burgers and pizzas yet balanced these out with more traditional dishes.

For starters I decided to go with the hummus and bread which came to a total of £4.90.

For this price you get a healthy amount of hummus drizzled with olive oil, spices, tomatoes and pickles to be wiped up with four pieces of pita bread.

Being honest, the pita was slightly disappointing as it didn’t feel that it was very fresh but the hummus did make up for this as it was super light, creamy and really carries the dish.

Onto the main, where I wanted to stay with the authentic side of the menu so opted for the Biryani meal which came with chicken, rice, salad and two sauces.

Sign up for our free newsletters now

On Tazaj’s social media they claim that their ‘Middle Eastern cuisine has irresistible flavour due to their traditional cooking having a modern twist’ so I had big expectations.

For £8.40, you get a large portion of food yet despite its cheap price it did not disappoint when it came to flavour.

The chicken was well-spiced and juicy and paired perfectly with the fluffy biryani rice as well as the fresh Turkish salad.

A tangy chilli sauce and a garlic mayonnaise sauce really helped to round the meal off and left me feeling full and satisfied.

However I still had room for one more sweet treat and the impeccable service continued as the staff member handed me a complimentary piece of Turkish baklava which was delicious.

Overall, whilst the starter didn’t blow me away, the main as well as the overall service and extras such as the tea and baklava made the eating experience enjoyable and I would recommend Tazaj to any local residents in the area.

Starter: 2/5

Main: 4/5

Vibe: 4/5

Service: 5/5

Price: 4.5/5

Total: 19.5/25

Why not follow our East Lancashire Facebook Page for more news in the area.