Category: Lakemba

Dapur Ibu Alya

Dapur Ibu Alya Review:

We went to Dapur Ibu Alya the first time on the 30th December 2017, one week after their grand opening. They were so new that they had not even put down the signboard from the previous restaurant. Dapur Ibu Alya is located on the main street of Lakemba, Haldon.

Dapur Ibu Alya is an Indonesian restaurant that serves food primarily from the Western part of Indonesia, specifically from the city of Padang. Their main dishes were mostly spicy, except probably their fried rice and noodles.

3 Choice – $11 – Rice + 2 meat + 1 vegetables

The hot bar deal is one of the main features of the restaurant. Basically, you choose three things from the bain-marie and have a quick lunch or dinner meal. The menu might differ from time to time but generally speaking, you will find a few curry options, some vegetables and some fried stuff.

Iga Bakar Komplit – $12 – Grilled ribs with rice

The grilled ribs are actually not spicy (unless you choose to add the chilli sauce in the small container that comes with it). The portion was actually not too bad, given that it was only $12.

Gulai Limpa – $12 – Spleen Curry

This is why we visited the restaurant in the first place. We have heard through the grapevine that they have a very nice spleen curry. Spleen is a part of the internal organ of a cow, obviously not everyone’s cup of tea. Unfortunately, this curry is usually the first one to sell out. If you come to the restaurant just for this, I would advise you to call first to avoid disappointment.

Sate Padang – $11 – Beef Skewer with rice cake

Sate Padang is quite an intereting satay from the city of Padang. Instead of the usual peanut sauce, they have the very distinct-looking thick yellow sauce.

Mie Ayam Bakso – $11 – Meatball noodle soup with Chicken

Mie ayam bakso is usually a favourite of the little one.

Mie Goreng Ayam – $10 – Chicken Noodles Stir-fry

An alternative, if you like the noodles stir-fried instead of just boiled.

Es Campur – $5 – Mixed Fruit Punch

Es campur is a traditional Indonesian drink that is pretty refreshing. Especially during a hot day.

Es Duren – $6 – Durian juice

I don’t think it needs an introduction. You either love it or hate it. We are from the ‘love durian’ side.

The final verdict for Dapur Ibu Alya

I have been here quite a few times after that first visit. It is a pretty good option for an Indonesian restaurant around the area. However, don’t expect fine dining quality and service in this restaurant.

Do you think I should go?
I think Indonesians would appreciate this restaurant more as the taste was pretty authentic. It could be a bit challenging for the others (unless if you are familiar with Indonesian cuisine).

Rating for Dapur Ibu Alya:

7.0 / 10

Taste: 7.0 / 10

Price: $10 – $15 main dish

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

41 Haldon Street, Lakemba 2195

+61 404 910 060

Dapur Ibu Alya on Facebook

Mar 27, 2018
Al Aseel Lakemba

Al Aseel Lakemba Review:

We went to one of Al Aseel restaurants in Lakemba for this week’s review. The restaurant wasn’t as prominent nor as busy as the one in Greenacre. However, they have exactly the same menu and price.

Fried Lebanese Bread – $2 – and Baba Ghanouj – $11 – Delicious eggplant dip made from blended fresh bbq eggplant, tahini & garlic served with diced tomato & extra virgin olive oil

Al Aseel gives you complimentary Lebanese bread and a few pickles. What interests me is that for a mere $2, you can get the upgraded version of the bread, deep fried! I love having deep fried Lebanese bread and baba ghanouj dip.

Shish Barak & Mjadra – $25 – minced lamb dumplings cooked in yoghurt & served with rice & lentils (mujaddara)

This dish is part of their main special item on the menu. The lamb dumplings were quite interesting. Unfortunately for us, the yoghurt was quite prominent. It was quite an acquired taste and we did not get it.

Al Aseel Mixed Skewers – $32 – 2 skewers of marinated bbq chicken breast, 2 skewers of lamb & 2 skewers of kafta served with garlic dip

When we went to Al Aseel the first time, we liked this dish so much. This time around, it was a no-brainer.

Samka Harrah with Rice – $22 – oven baked barramundi fillet topped with a traditional spicy tahini & coriander sauce served with seadieh rice & topped with nuts

Fish is probably the last thing on your mind when you go to a Lebanese restaurant. We chose this just because my wife felt like having a fish that day. It was a good decision!

Crumb Calamari & Chips – $10 – fresh fried calamari rings served with golden brown chips

We ordered this to appease the little one. It is the safest and generic option in the restaurant.

The final verdict for Al Aseel Lakemba

Al Aseel Lakemba has quite a similar tasting to the original one in Greenacre. However, the table setting isn’t as fancy despite the same price structure.

Did you know?

We reviewed Al Aseel in Greenacre more than a year ago.

Rating for Al Aseel Lakemba:

7.0 / 10

Taste: 7.0 / 10

Price: $25 – $40 per person

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

135 Haldon Street, Lakemba 2195

+61 2 9758 0000

https://alaseel.com.au/

Aug 3, 2017
Haji’s Biryani Restaurant

Haji’s Biryani Review:

Haji’s Biryani is located in Lakemba, Sydney. The restaurant is your typical neighbourhood and old-fashioned restaurant with unassuming appearance. Their curry costs between $13 – $16 and a few extra dollars for seafood ones.

There were only the three of us, hence we didn’t order a lot when we first came in. Since then, we’ve ordered their dishes via one of those food delivery service companies.

Biryani – $14.90 – Speciality of the house aromatic nice and tender pieces of marinated meat cooked together with assorted of freshly ground herb and spices

My friend told me this is their specialty and the one he ordered a lot when visiting the restaurant. Biryani is the perfect dish if you don’t share with the table. They give you quite a generous serving of rice and meat with one boiled egg.

For the meat, you have a choice between Lamb, chicken, beef, goat, and vegetables. On this occasion, we tried their chicken biryani.

Goat Curry – $14.90 – Tender goat meat on the bone sautéed and blended in a sauce on onions, garlic & chili with potatoes

It was quite a spicy goat curry.

Naan – $3.00 – $3.50 – Garlic, Peshwari, cheese, butter, plain

They have five different types of naan as written above. On this occasion, we chose garlic and cheese naan. The garlic and cheese taste were not too overwhelming… and that’s good because we want the curry taste to be more prominent.

Raita – $2.50 – yogurt with cucumber

Raita is my best friend in an Indian restaurant! This side dish makes the super-hot dishes more bearable. Considering that a lot of authentic Indian dishes are quite spicy, I am never far away from Raita.

The final verdict for Haji’s Biryani

Hot! That’s what my impression of Haji’s Biryani dishes. Even their ‘mild’ options can still be considered as hot for most people in Sydney. The price was quite reasonable for dishes in Haji’s Biryani.

Did you know?

Lakemba is a suburb generally linked as an Arab/Muslim suburb, due to the many Middle Eastern establishments in the area and the presence of Lakemba Mosque.

Rating for Haji’s Biryani:

7.0 / 10

Taste: 7.0 / 10

Price: $13 – $22 main dish

Place: 6.5 / 10

Details:

158 Haldon Street, Lakemba NSW 2195

+61 2 9750 3993

http://www.hajibiryani.com.au/

Feb 7, 2017
Jasmins Lebanese Restaurant

Jasmins Lebanese Restaurant Review:

This week, we will review a Lebanese restaurant that people talked about (at least in my circles). The restaurant name is Jasmins and it is located in Lakemba.

The restaurant itself is far from the words ‘fancy’ and ‘glamorous’. They are more like ‘down to earth’ kind of restaurant. Apparently, their falafel is quite famous and it is not something that I would normally order. Luckily, they give two falafels in every mixed plate. And I have to agree, they are the best I’ve ever tasted in Sydney.

As with any other Lebanese restaurants in Sydney, you were given complimentary bread, hommus, tabouli, and vegetables at Jasmins. They also gave us a few different sauces: garlic, chili, tomato, and BBQ.

Mixed plate (all shish kebab) – $16.50 – hommus, baba ghannouj, tabouli, falafel + lamb shish kebab (3 skewers)

When you see their mixed plate section in the menu, they were all pretty much the same thing, except for the meat. Basically you get hommus, baba ghanouj, tabouli, 2 falafel and onions.
My wife tried the lamb shish kebab first and warned me that we would be coming back for more. It has become our thing when we tasted something very good. I had no idea that shish kebab could be that good.

Lamb Shawarma (doner kebab) – $12.00 – marinated steaks + spices cooked on rotating skewer

The lamb shawarma was quite salty when eaten on its own. You should create your own kebab with the complimentary bread, vegetables and sauces provided.

Fried Bread – $6 – Fried wedges of Lebanese Bread – great with dips

I agree with the description. The fried bread is nice when enjoyed with dips. If you read my blog all these years, you should know that I like something crunchy in my meal. The fried bread suits perfectly.

Kefta Skewer Pack – $11 – 2x Skewers of Kefta, Hot Chips + juice

For the kids menu, we ordered the kefta (or kofta) skewer pack. It was quite a sizeable meal for the little one.

The final verdict for Jasmins Lebanese Restaurant

The falafel and shish kebab at Jasmins Lebanese Restaurant were on a different level! We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch and would definitely come back for more!

Did you know?

There are quite a lot of Middle Eastern shops and restaurants in Lakemba. They also hosted one of the largest Eid in Australia.

Rating for Jasmins Lebanese Restaurant:

8.0 / 10

Taste: 8.0 / 10

Price: $12 – $16.50 main dish

Place: 7.5 / 10

Details:

30B Haldon St, Lakemba NSW 2195

+61 2 9740 3589

http://www.jasminsrestaurant.com.au/

Dec 18, 2016