SYRIANA
Verdict: 7/10 (Casual Middle Eastern restaurant with decent food)
In June 2008, we visited Syriana, new Lebanese/Syrian restaurant in Hockley, Birmingham. It occupies the ground and 1st floor of this thin building in the middle. In the photo below is the entrance.
A few years ago these premises were occupied by a Chinese restaurant, and after its closure, they have been vacant for a long time until the opening of Syriana in April 2008. The location is rather desolate with only a few pubs and take-aways around. It should be difficult to expect casual passers-by as customers. It might get better, when Snow Hill redevelopment will be completed.
As the building looks thin, I expected the dining area to be narrow as well, but it was much larger than I expected. In the photo left, you see only one side of the dining area, but there is another row of tables to the left. When we entered, we were asked by a waiter if we wanted the ground floor or the 1st floor. I asked him what the difference is. He said there isn't any, so we settled on the ground floor.
We entered at around 7 o'clock and there wasn't anyone eating, and remained to be so until we left at 9 o'clock. Yes, it was a weekday evening, but we thought that it was a bit too quiet. We saw however a few Middle Eastern looking guys hanging around the bar area (although I don't think they offer any alcohol) chatting. We saw also about four male serving/cooking staff.
Judging by the name of the restaurant, I would guess that the owner is Syrian, but the signage says it is Lebanese/Syrian restaurant. According to my research (powered by google), the food eaten in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan is pretty similar, so it is ok.
The menu is long, but reasonably so. The price of mezze (can be served as starters or on their own like tapas) is around £ 3, and the meat main dishes (including rice) between £9 and 12, while fish mains are between £12 and 15. So 1 mezze and 1 main should be around £ 15.
We did not order a la carte, but set meal for two (£14.95 per person). If you order set-meal in 3 or 4 the price per person gets cheaper, so it is a good idea to visit in a group.
In the photo above is an assorted pie dish as a part of starters. The crescent shaped ones are stuffed with seasoned minced meat (Borack B'lahem), the square ones are with cheese (Borack B'jobneh), the triangular ones with spinach (Borack Sabanekh), The rugby ball shaped ones are kibbe, or crockets made of bulgur (cracked wheat) and minced meat. Among these, I found the spinach pie excellent, with unusual (at least to me) pomegranate inside.
This is another mezze, Batata Harra. According to the menu, these are cubed potato and vegetables fried, and then sautéed with garlic, coriander and sweet pepper. Simple but nice.
When our waiter took the order, he asked us if we wanted these mezze as starters or together with the main dishes. We opted for the first, but you can have them as meat dish.
This is tabouleh salad. The green is chopped flat leaf parsley, which is mixed with diced tomato and bulgur, seasoned with lemon juice, salt and olive oil. I liked the tomato at the centre, arranged as a rose.
The dish looks like ceramic, but really is plastic, and I don't like plastic plates, especially in a restaurant.
Lastly, hoummus, nicely plated. it contained high ratio of tahini (white sesame paste) and I felt more bitterness of it than sweetness of chick peas.
Forgot to take a photo, but we were also served with a plenty of pita bread. Hoummus and pitta is a very nice combination, but I need to be careful to leave some space for the main course.
Here is the main course, mixed grill. For the main, there was a choice between grilled meat and couscous, and we both chose kebabs. There are cubed chicken breast kebab, a chicken wing, shish kebab, and lamb kebab. Salad to the left is flat leaf parsley and sliced raw onion. Fine.
As accompaniment, there was a choice between chips and rice. I chose rice which was pilaf cooked short thin noodles. It has a buttery flavour and pretty nice. The chips were served with a mound of tomato ketchup.
We were given also this side dish of cubed carrot and peas cooked in tomato sauce. I ate this with rice, but does anyone know if it was the correct way of eating it?
We had also two small bottle of water, and the total bill came to almost £ 30 (£32 paid). The service was not particularly memorable: we were not asked to choose some of the dishes we were supposed to do according to the menu, and when I ordered a bottle of water, the waiter gave me only one small bottle and one glass, without offering anything to my dining companion.
The food was reasonably tasty, and we were stuffed at the end. We both were pretty happy, even if not excitingly so. Comparing to Beirut, the price is higher, but is sufficiently compensated by the quality of service and food. I think, however, that the current pricing is slightly too high considering the disadvantagious location. I might come back if only I feel like venturing into this area.
Syriana
1-7 Constitution Hill
Red Palace Building, Hockley
Birmingham B18 3LG
Tel. 0121 236 9444
Mob. 07786160193
