Al-Shami - Middle Eastern Food & French Cookies
Yesterday evening on the way to Square One, my partner and I stopped in at a newly opened restaurant at the South East corner of Hurontario & Dundas.
Newly opened last week, with the decorative balloons outside not quite yet completely shrivelled in the cold, is Al-Shami. The cook is from Syria and is actually a French pastry chef who has opened up a restaurant so he can sell savoury food along with his sweet treats. Fabulous. A large display of those treats from chocolate shortbread to baklava sits near the back of the restaurant.
The two of us ate kibbeh, then a shawarma plate and a mixed plate with kofta, kefta kebab and a beef/roasted pepper kebab. Each came with extremely generous helpings of creamy hummus, fresh tabouleh, olives and pickled vegetables. The glaze on the chicken was delicious. So was the insanely garlicky accompanying dip. No vampires near us last night! I can't pretend to be an expert in the cuisine, but it was definitely tasty.
All this for under $20. And we finished with incredible, buttery, crumbly, truly melt-in-your mouth cookies. The service is just staring off so it's a little shaky but very friendly and helpful and I'm sure will improve with practice.
I'll definitely go back and highly recommend if it you're in the area.
By FrenchSoda
on Nov 27, 2009 08:05 AM
View »
Video
Do you recall any specifically Syrian dishes on the menu? Your dinner choices sound mostly Lebanese or else dishes common to many Middle Eastern cultures. I'm just wondering if the chef will be offering any specialties from his homeland. I'm virtually never in that area, but I'd make a special trip there for something beyond the typical Lebanese fare.
Permalink | Reply
Sorry, I'm not familiar enough with the cuisine to be able to say if some of the other dishes were specifically Syrian. I'll keep an eye out next time I'm there though. We have a regular dance practice out that way and are always looking for places to stop.
Permalink | Reply
Syrian style mulukhiya would be a great.
Thanks for the tip - I'll try it out in a few weeks.
Permalink | Reply
Ya'll- anything further?
Permalink | Reply