Abla's

With my release from the chains of studying, I am now undertaking an Eating Mission.  Partner in Crime will be Spuey.  He's got nothing else to do until he gets handcuffed on to work, so might as well live a bum life to the fullest.  While I was busy studying, I delegated one task to Spu - compile a restaurant hit-list.  We are gonna trawl the streets, knocking down restaurants one by one.

So today immediately after picking me up from the airport, Spu and I drove to Abla's.  No pit stop to drop off my luggage, nah no time for that.  Must eat food.  Needing to bear the food load, Tina and Shazza completed the quartet and we were ready to draw comparisons to Rumi.  We learnt from our previous attempt that a weeknight reservation is much easier to obtain than Saturday.

The restaurant itself is a modest, converted Victorian terrace with minimal, dated signage.  I've driven past it numerous times and never realised it was there.  Walking upstairs, we caught a glimpse of the kitchen which looked tiny.

I have been avoiding alcohol in desperate attempt to retain brain cells for my exam.  Well, now it's time to destroy them! 

Our initial plan to 'order every main plus starters' was met with a 'that's too much food' from the waitress.  Tina had his doubts but lucky for us, the waitress was right and no food wastage eventuated.

Complimentary pickled... radish (we think) and olives.  Mixed dips with flat bread (labnee, hummous bi tahini, baba ghanooj), $15.  

Mjadra (lentil and rice pilaff served with yoghurt), $15.  Lahem Mishwee (marinated grilled lamb fillet with tabbouleh), $25.  Farrouj Mishwee (marinated grilled chicken with garlic sauce and tabbouleh), $25.  

Cabbage rolls (cabbage leaves stuffed with minced lamb and rice, cooked with tomato, mint and lemon juice), $25.  Chicken and rice (rice pilaff with minced lamb, chicken and almonds), $25. 

Dessert.  turkish delight, $3.  Lebanese coffee, $3.  Home made baklawa, $3.

There pictures don't really demonstrate so, but servings were decently sized and we were all pretty full.  Taste wise, there's nothing I could complain about.  Surprise of the night - chicken and cinnamon go well together!  All the food had a home-cooked feel to it, like it came out of a Lebanese mama's kitchen.... which it kinda did.  The mama's name is Abla.  This is the kind of place you would come to if you craved the comfort of your Lebanese/Greek/Turkish grandmother's cooking.  That seems to be what fellow diner Helen Kapalos did - she was on the table next to us!

Overall I can't say that Abla's kicked ass all over Rumi but there was something ... better about it.  Maybe it's the grandma vibe.