Alright Aleppo

I’ve passed by Aleppo on Quinpool Road dozens of times—always on
the way to another restaurant. But today, Middle Eastern cuisine is the
name of the game, so my friend and I stop in for dinner.

Aleppo is a small, simple restaurant with an equally simple menu.
Though the atmosphere is somewhat stark, the server’s friendliness
quickly warms up the place. Our server is new to the position and isn’t
very knowledgeable on the menu, but she makes every effort to answer
our questions, scurrying back to the kitchen to “ask the chef.”

There are some recognizable dishes—the Middle Eastern standards of
hummus, tabouleh and baba ganoush—and some other intriguing ones that
pique our curiosity. We decide to go with a mix of both, the familiar
and less so, starting with a couple of falafels. Sold individually at
75 cents each, the falafels are served warm, drizzled with a creamy
yogurt sauce. The texture is just right, with a light crust and a soft,
mouth-filling centre. However, as the aftertaste sets in, so does the
realization that they are slightly on the salty side.

For appetizers, we try some light, meatless fare in the form of the
olive and pine salads, both at the reasonable price of $5.50. As an
avid olive-lover since birth, I’m instantly excited by the prospect of
an olive salad. This is a mix of sliced black olives, onion, tomato and
plenty of fresh parsley, but my salad doesn’t quite meet my
expectations. Between the meaty texture of the olives combined with the
olive oil dressing, the taste is too cloying. I also have a feeling
that the olives may have come from a can, which would explain their
almost tinny taste.

The pine salad, on the other hand, is a delightful mix of buttery
chickpeas, fresh parsley, tomato and onion in a yogurt and garlicky
dressing. The cool yogurt complements the earthiness of the chickpeas
nicely, creating a lovely texture contrast as well.

For my main I choose the chicken shawarma pita while my friend opts
for the all-barbeque platter ($13.50). When our server informs me that
the wrap doesn’t come with a side, I’m a little disappointed. My
disappointment quickly turns to relief, though, when my plate arrives,
housing the enormous pita—a great value at $6.75. Tender chunks of
warm chicken with fleshy tomato, cool cucumber and crisp lettuce are
bound together by a tangy garlic and yogurt sauce, enclosed within the
soft whole-wheat pita.

My friend’s all barbecue platter is a “little bit of everything”
meal. The stars here are the three kebabs—chunks of lamb meat,
chicken and lamb kafta resting on a bed of flavourful rice, which is
both earthy and slightly sweet. This platter also contains a waha salad
and hummus with pita. Though the hummus is silky smooth, it lacks a
little character and would benefit from another clove of garlic. The
salad is somewhat generic—iceberg lettuce, cucumber and tomato tossed
in vinaigrette that tastes mildly of dill pickle.

We find challenges with Aleppo. The menu only lists the restaurant’s
offerings, with no descriptors—quite the predicament when you’re
dealing with unfamiliar cuisine. Although the restaurant offers
takeout, there aren’t any takeout menus available. And it’s not
licensed, which means no beer with your shawarma and no wine with your
lamb.

Our meal certainly has some tasty moments, but as we leave the
restaurant, we find ourselves less than enthused. The dishes are hit or
miss, with even the staples of Middle Eastern fare leaving something to
be desired.

This article appears in Sep 24-30, 2009.