Focus

Mid-Eastern promise, but long way to go

By B.W. Liou (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-04-20 07:56

Two minutes hadn't passed since our first main dish arrived at Falahfel before owner Falah Ali came to check up on things. Without noticing that we were still to take a bite, he asked: "So how is everything? How is the taste?"

The subtle misstep was one of several stumbles by the owner and staff over two separate visits to Falahfel, the latest addition to the row of respectable cheap eats in Wudaokou, though the restaurant also has a way to go with its mediocre Middle Eastern food.

Still, how do you rate a restaurant where the service is at least cheerful, where there is a small den in the back replete with pillows for an unrushed night of shisha smoking with friends, where college students gather to play dominoes, turning the place into a homely gathering? It's difficult to disparage Falahfel, which indeed has a lot of promise.

On my first visit, Ali - a broad-shouldered man with a warmth that puts you immediately at ease - sat down with me to explain the dishes like a patient doctor. He had moved to Beijing from Jordan 17 years ago and opened the surprisingly roomy restaurant in October in the hope of presenting his mother's traditional dishes. It seems he spent far too little time on the menu.

The lamb chops, for instance, were a strong recommendation that had little to win me over. Though they were nicely salted and cooked to a medium rare, the three hearty chops each had thick sinews running through them, making them difficult to cut and chew. The accompanying fries were warm.

Another disappointment was the chicken shawarma and hummus sandwich. The meat was underwhelming, the pita wrapper a bit too dry and the sandwich too small. Instead, I recommend you opt for the plate of chicken shawarma and hummus. It's a massive dish in which the sweet roasted chicken is tender and nicely charred. I like how Falahfel leaves the slightly crispy skin on the chicken chunks. At only 35 yuan, this dish is a must-have.

My second visit, however, was marred by the restaurant's uneven service. Our waiter mistakenly gave me lemon juice instead of orange, and, after returning from the kitchen, he told me they were, in fact, out of orange juice. I was also keen on eating the restaurant's falafel, but sadly it never turned up. Luckily, the lamb shawarma sandwich, with its three thick cuts of tender lamb and garlicky hummus, saved the night.

Ali said he will be updating the menu's look and adding at least three more dishes in the near future. If that happens, it will be an encouraging move to a potentially fine restaurant.

China Daily

(China Daily 04/20/2011 page)