Toranj Cafe: Newly-launched restaurant in Sheffield promises sweet experience with a side of happiness - review

Given that it is the fasting month of Ramadan and not many establishments that meet our religious requirements are open, I finally caved in to my friend who has been raving about its burgers and milkshakes, and we decided to break our fast there.

Tucked away in a quieter section of Woodhouse, Sheffield, Toranj Cafe looks rather unassuming, given that it's located in front of a garage and within a row of shop lots.

Toranj, which is derived from a Kurdish word, meaning bitter orange, serves all kinds of desserts, burgers, sandwiches, paninis and kebabs and it was launched two months ago.

I noted right away that, despite its modest size, the cafe could comfortably seat 10 people at a time, with small tables positioned against the counter and a display fridge of various cakes.

Shoaib and Anita, the owners who I later learned are husband and wife and originally from Iran, greeted us with smiles and seated us before presenting us with the menu, which I thought was fairly large for such a small place.

From English Breakfast to jacket potatoes to donuts, I was really spoilt for choice so I decided to start with something sweet, a slice of Chocolate Flake Cake (£3.50) and a slice of Biscoff caramel cheesecake (£3.75).

We were also handed some complimentary dates while waiting to break our fast, which are typically the first thing eaten by Muslims after long hours of fasting.

The chocolate cake, which was coated with chocolate icing (you can request that the cakes be warmed), was soft and rich with a note of bitterness. The plate was clean within minutes.

Meanwhile the Biscoff caramel cheesecake was wonderful. The cake, which perfectly had the right base to cheese ratio, is drizzled with caramel sauce and topped with Biscoff crumbs.

I vividly recall my first bite of the cake's delicate, but creamy texture. I was afraid it would be too sweet, but it had just the proper amount of sweetness to make you want more.

Moving on to mains, we decided to order a variety of burgers but I had to try their signature - a Toranj Cheese Burger (£6.50 for 1/4lb) which came with chips and fresh salads on its side with a drink.

The burger is made with 100 percent beef and is topped with mushrooms, cheese slices, grated cheese, and Toranj mayo. It is served on a brioche bun with cheese melted on top.

There was nothing distinctive about the mayo, but I really enjoyed the burger as I could taste the freshness of the patty. I also paired it with the garlic sauce they served on the side.

Next up was the Royal Burger (£6.50 for 1/4lb), also made with 100 per cent beef, but it comes with a slice of fried chicken, beef salami, mushrooms, cheese slice, lettuce, cucumber, onion, tomato and its Toranj mayo.

The burger is also served with a side of chips, fresh salads, and your choice of beverage, and it's wrapped in aluminium foil, which I presume is to keep the fillings from overflowing (and possibly for the patron to take home, given the size of the burger!)

The burger was satisfying, in my opinion, but I'd suggest you come in empty stomach as its 1/4lb burger can take quite an effort to finish. We were actually glad we didn't order the 1/2lb burger.

My friend then ordered a 1/4lb chicken burger (£4.50) which also came with the same sides but there was nothing unique about the burger but I enjoyed the crispiness of the chicken.

The Tuna and Cheese Panini (£4.50) was next, and it was probably my favourite so far. The panini was lightly toasted, giving it crunchiness and allowing the tuna and cheese to melt inside. The only drawback was that I wished it had more filling because I couldn't get enough.

After stuffing our faces, we moved on to desserts (can't believe we still had room in our tummy), so I chose a waffle with bananas and blueberries toppings, that is drizzled with Belgian chocolate sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream (£5.29).

The waffle was freshly made in the kitchen, it was crispy yet soft and the toppings went perfectly together. What I liked about the concept is the customers can customise their own toppings at no extra charge.

We then washed it all off with a large caramel milkshake (£3.50), which I thought was smooth and rich but not too sweet.

Our total bill came to £40.04, which was well worth the meals we had.

Shoaib, who commutes from Hillsborough with his wife to Woodhouse every day, said the cafe has been a welcome addition to the community.

Locals, he said, have however complained that the prices are 'steep,' but he has his own reasons.

"Given that the meat is sourced fresh every day, I believe our prices are reasonable. We don't do frozen food around here," he said.

I have to say, there was nothing ‘bitter’ about my experience as we'd love to come back to try other items on the menu.

Toranj Cafe is open from Monday to Sunday, 9am to 10pm and it is located on 8, Chapel Street, Woodhouse, S137JN.

It is also available on Just Eat.

(Please note that the cafe only accepts cash at its premises for the time being and cashless transactions will be made available soon).