Middle-eastern food is one of my favorite cuisines, but it's really difficult to cherish something which burns a hole in your pocket. In Singapore, people run to Arab street to get a taste of their favorite Middle-eastern/ Mediterranean dishes (and it's literally just a taste as you won't be able to afford more than that.) But yesterday we discovered this place near Tanjong Pagar which caters to Mediterranean as well as Western palates. Located on the side of a desolate (thankfully, not dark) street, it makes you question why you are going there, but once you enter and realize that you're not the only customers, you heave sighs of relief. The food is not exceptional, but it's pretty palatable. The restaurant serves its fair share of Shawarmas, Koftas, Kebabs, Hummus, crepes, pizzas and Mediterranean desserts. It's called Urban Bites Mediterranean Restaurant.
So here's what we ordered:
1) Cheese Rolls: Rolls filled with three cheeses and herbs, they were slightly on the greasy side, but it's supposed to be like that, apparently. Taste-wise: average.
2) Hummus: (How do you pronounce it anyway?) Chickpea paste mixed with olive oil, spices and lemon juice, it's my favorite vegetarian Mid-eastern dish and I HAVE to order it every time I go to this sort of restaurant. This one lived up to its expectation. Lebanese bread complemented them well.
3) Falafel: Can't judge, didn't taste, vegetarian friend said it's good, or did he? But in general, falafels are scrumptious. They are basically pakora sort-of fritters with Fava beans as the filling, served with salads and a sesame dip.
4) Mixed grill: This was the showstopper (obviously, because it's non-vegetarian :P ). Skewers of chicken, beef and lamb served with salad, yellow and aromatic Arabic rice and garlic and mayo dips was enough to feed two hungry souls, and that's what it did. The kebabs were tender, especially the chicken one were flavorful and filling.
5) Assortment of desserts: We concluded the meal with some random sweets picked up from the counter. Some of them were recognizable, such as the Backlava and Turkish delights. Some resembled Indian sweets, both in texture and taste.
As the reviews say, the food and the ambiance deserve a thumbs-up but don't expect much regarding service, even though it's quite quick. An Indian waitress was cordial but the rest were quite curt in their manner (and honestly, I'm not being racist). So if you can bear that, I'd suggest you give this place a try. We spent around 20 $/person.
I'd rate this place a 4.2/5 and definitely visit again.
So here's what we ordered:
1) Cheese Rolls: Rolls filled with three cheeses and herbs, they were slightly on the greasy side, but it's supposed to be like that, apparently. Taste-wise: average.
2) Hummus: (How do you pronounce it anyway?) Chickpea paste mixed with olive oil, spices and lemon juice, it's my favorite vegetarian Mid-eastern dish and I HAVE to order it every time I go to this sort of restaurant. This one lived up to its expectation. Lebanese bread complemented them well.
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| Clockwise from left: Falafel, Hummus, Lebanese bread |
4) Mixed grill: This was the showstopper (obviously, because it's non-vegetarian :P ). Skewers of chicken, beef and lamb served with salad, yellow and aromatic Arabic rice and garlic and mayo dips was enough to feed two hungry souls, and that's what it did. The kebabs were tender, especially the chicken one were flavorful and filling.
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| "Woah, this looks awesome!" |
5) Assortment of desserts: We concluded the meal with some random sweets picked up from the counter. Some of them were recognizable, such as the Backlava and Turkish delights. Some resembled Indian sweets, both in texture and taste.
As the reviews say, the food and the ambiance deserve a thumbs-up but don't expect much regarding service, even though it's quite quick. An Indian waitress was cordial but the rest were quite curt in their manner (and honestly, I'm not being racist). So if you can bear that, I'd suggest you give this place a try. We spent around 20 $/person.
I'd rate this place a 4.2/5 and definitely visit again.
"3) Falafel: Can't judge, didn't taste, vegetarian friend said it's good, or did he? But in general, falafels are scrumptious. They are basically pakora sort-of fritters with Fava beans as the filling, served with salads and a sesame dip." 😂😂😂
ReplyDeleteFava beans? Is that coz they are your FAVArite? They are made from chickpeas in the Middle East FYI! Converse more with your "vegetarian friend" to get the correct ingredient!
SO RUDE last line. You can make them with Fava beans also. I tried it with green peas few weeks back and it was EPEAC! :P
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