Category: Lebanese

Tony’s Table

It took us quite a while before figuring out that Tony’s Table is a restaurant that we could try. You couldn’t really see the table setting from the outside as it was only a ramp down to the table area.

Their menu is on the premium price range with most main priced between $24 and $42.

If there are not many of you, I’d suggest the rice menu entree size with another dish should be more than enough.

Complimentary Lebanese bread and deep fried bread

Just like in any Lebanese restaurants in Australia, complimentary bread is unquestionable. Tony’s table treated us even further with the deep fried bread!

The dishes at Tony’s Table

Kebe Nayeh – $26 – Raw minced lamb mixed with crushed wheat, herbs and spices. Served with fresh mint and vegetables.

When we see kebe nayeh in a restaurant, we were always so keen to try. If you were wondering if I really wrote ‘raw minced lamb’, the answer is ‘yes’. It’s pretty similar in texture to Beef tartare. However, the mixture was different.

We ordered the dish with an extra garlic sauce on the side. Their kebe nayeh was so fresh and delicious. The complimentary fried Lebanese bread actually worked perfectly!

Siyadiyeh (fish) – $25 – Rice, infused with herbs and spices, and served with toasted nuts.

We actually didn’t know what it was. We just picked this from the list.

It turned out quite well. Since we chose the main size, the portion was quite large with a generous serving of fish, rice and nuts.

Mixed Grill – $30 – Two chicken, one kafta and one lamb skewer. Served with BBQ potato & side salad.

When we ordered the mixed grill, they were offering if we wanted to have a different combination than the menu. However, we stick to what was written.

The meat was very tender and juicy. They also provided a decent amount of sides with the mixed grill.

Knafeh – $15 – Baked fine semolina cream, topped with toasted bread crumbs, and served with rosewater syrup.

Knafeh… yumm!

They were very well made!

The final verdict for Tony’s Table

Having a restaurant pretty close to our home that serves awesome Kebe Nayeh… I can’t ask for more!

Do you think I should go?

The venue is very nice for a special occasion. Having said that, we did try to go there when the venue was booked for a wedding.

Rating:

Tony’s Table

8.0 / 10

Taste: 8.0 / 10

Price: $30 – $40 per person

Place: 8.0 / 10

Details:

Shop 1 / 805 New Canterbury Road, Dulwich Hill 2203

+61 2 8054 9598

http://www.tonysrestaurant.com.au/

Sep 20, 2019
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
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
Manoosh Pizzeria Enmore

Manoosh Pizzeria Experience:

For this week review, we were invited by Margaret and Charlie from Manoosh Pizzeria to try their establishment in Enmore. Manoosh is not your typical pizzeria, as you have probably guessed by reading their name. They are heavily influenced by Lebanese cuisine and more than half of their menu have Lebanese ingredients.

When we were there we saw a few regulars to the restaurant greeted the owners. It gave you a nice comforting feeling when you see this thing in a restaurant.

Kebbeh – $9 – ½ dozen of minced lamb, pine nut & onion filling encased in a burghul and lamb football

Kebbeh is usually the first thing we look for in a Lebanese restaurant. Although we usually look for the raw one, we would also settle for the cooked one. It was quite filling for an entree. Because basically you will be getting meat and carbs.

Babaghannouj – $5 – Smoked eggplant and tahini dip

The eggplant dip is already pre-packaged in a tub (just like the ones you see in the supermarket). The good thing about it is that you can actually take it home if you can’t finish it on the spot. For an extra $2.50, you can order the hot bread to go with your babaghannouj.

Pepperoni Cheese Steak – $17 – Cheese, beef fillets, pepperoni, onion & pickles topped with mustard on a tomato base

This is quite an interesting pizza. In addition to your usual pizza toppings, you get two kinds of pickles and mustard sprayed across the surface. They added a different dimension to the usual pizza. If Lebanese pickles are not your thing, probably this isn’t the best pizza for you.

Meat Lovers – $17 – Cheese, ham, chicken, pepperoni, sujuc & cabanossi on a BBQ or tomato base

I am a big fan of meat lovers. There is nothing like a whole bunch of meat in your pizza! The picture should be self-explanatory, shouldn’t it?

Sujuk Pizza – $7.5 – Cheese, sujuk (sausage), olives, capsicum & tomato

Sujuk pizza came from a different section, called Lebanese Style Pizza. I’m still not quite sure how they worked on the price. This pizza was just a tad smaller than the other two but it costed way less than them.

Ben and Jerry – $4

Ben and Jerry ice cream is a treat for your little ones (or yourself!).

Manoosh Pizzeria

We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of food in Manoosh Pizzeria! They were distinctly better than the two big pizza chains and had a distinct Lebanese personality to the pizzeria!

Did you know?

Manoosh pizzeria has also opened a store in Marrickville. However, the Marrickville store is more a takeaway shop than a sit-down restaurant.

Details:

170 Enmore Rd, Enmore 2042

+61 2 9550 6606

http://www.manoosh.com.au/

Sep 5, 2016
Al Aseel Restaurant – Greenacre

Review:

Al Aseel Lebanese Restaurant is consistently mentioned in any “top 10 Middle Eastern restaurants in Sydney” lists… and we are going to put it to the test!

Kibbe Naye – $15 – traditional finely blended raw lamb mixed with burghol, our secret herbs & spices topped with extra virgin oil and mint.

This is the first dish that we were very interested to try. We have eaten raw seafood, vegetables, and beef before. However, eating raw lamb feels like a whole new dimension!

It was presented quite plainly with mint leaves and raw onions. The meat was pretty dense and heavy. Obviously, this is not for everyone to try. But if you are quite adventurous (it was also our first time trying Kibbe Naye!), it was actually a nice dish to have!

Vine Leaves – $10 – rolled grape vine leaves stuffed with rice, tomato, onion & parsley served in a delicious olive oil & lemon juice dressing (4 pieces per serving)

I actually don’t mind eating this vegetarian dish and it was quite filling because of the rice wrapped inside the leaves.

Lamb Shank – $25 – rice cooked with lamb mince meat served with a braised lamb shank & served with yoghurt

I am a big fan of lamb shanks and will always be interested to order every time I see one on the menu. I first tried the combination of rice and yoghurt almost six years ago. I can eat a little yoghurt with the rice, but I still cannot eat a blob of them with rice!

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

They have quite a few mix and match for the skewers, but I felt that this is the one that’s worth buying… Six skewers and garlic dip!

It was one of the better Lebanese skewers we’ve ever tasted in Sydney. They were quite big and was perfectly grilled!

For your information, the other skewers give you tabouli, baba ghanouj, hommus and falafel along with 3 or 4 skewers for around $3 or $4 less. So, if you prefer to have a more variety of vegetables, you might want to get them.

The final verdict for Al Aseel

Al Aseel truly deserves to be mentioned in the top 10 middle eastern restaurants in Sydney. Their skewers was very nice and the raw lamb (Kibbe Naye) was truly an eye opener!

Did you know?

There are five different Al Aseel restaurants in NSW (including one in Wollongong). The Greenacre one is the original venue.

Rating for Al Aseel Restaurant:

7.5 / 10

Taste: 7.5 / 10

Price: $30 – $40 per person

Place: 7.5 / 10

Details:

18 Waterloo Road, Greenacre 2190

+61 2 9758 6744

http://alaseel.com.au/

Apr 28, 2016
El Jannah

Review:

When I wrote about a charcoal chicken place in Petersham, a name came up in the conversation: El Jannah. Some people reckoned it was one of the best in Sydney. Jannah in Arabic means paradise, so I was looking forward to the thought of eating charcoal chicken in Paradise!

They have three outlets in Sydney but we went to the place where it all started, Granville. It was a pretty big place for a charcoal chicken joint and there was always a queue when we were there. Their burgers and rolls are pretty good value for money (for around $12 with chips and drink)! On this occasion, we are more interested in trying their ‘eat in’ menu.

Shawarma Plate – $12.00 – marinated beef, parsley, onion, pickles, tomato, tahini and bread

It was the least tasty dish of the day. The overall feel was very salty, especially the tahini. There was also way too many vegetables on the plate ^_^

Coleslaw – $5.50

I love a proper coleslaw (not the kind of coleslaw that KFC has) and El Jannah’s coleslaw is a proper one!

1/2 chicken – $10.50 – with garlic, pickles and bread

This is the very reason why we came to El Jannah. The Lebanese-style is enjoyed with garlic sauce, pickles and Lebanese bread. However, it wasn’t as mind blowing as we had hoped. Also, I would rather have the chicken with chips instead of the bread. The chips were a lot fresher!

EJ Platter – $19.90 – 3 skewers, chips, homus and baba ganouj, garlic and chili bread

The EJ platter was the redeeming factor at El Jannah. Their skewers were very nicely done and worked pretty well with the usual condiments and hot chips! On top of that, they also gave us homus and baba ganouj which added an extra complexity to the dish!

For the skewers, you have a choice between lamb, mince beef and chicken.

You can actually create your own wrap with any of the dishes above.

The final verdict for El Jannah

The chicken did not live up to the hype for me at El Jannah. Their EJ Platter on the other hand was something else! The coleslaw was also worth mentioning.

Did you know?

There were a lot of halal restaurants in Granville that I could see when we were there!

Rating for El Jannah:

7.0 / 10

Taste: 7.0 / 10

Price: $6.50 – $20 per dish

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

4 – 8 South Street, Granville NSW 2142

02 9637 0977

http://eljannah.com.au/

Sep 21, 2015