Address: 93 Caversham Road, Reading RG1 8AN

Telephone number: 0118 9393111

Website: www.altarboush.com

Date of visit: 13 May 2010

Approximate cost per head: Around £20 for several courses

Comments on wine list/beer: Very extensive list of Lebanese wines

Summary:

I would never believe that a Lebanese Restaurant would open up in Reading. This one has apparently been here for nearly 6 months.

There had been several restaurants on this site over the past years but none has survived. It’s on the main road between Reading Town Centre and Caversham.

There is no car park. Nearest place to park is across the road near TGI Friday or in one of the side streets behind the restaurant.

They have a sitting area outside to accommodate the smokers. On the day I went two people were smoking the “water pipes”.

The room is large with tables well spaced apart. The menu is basically divided into, cold mezze, hot mezze, grills, fish, vegetables and deserts.

The lunch time I went, I had falafel (chick pea fritters), kebbeh – kebe, or kebbi - (minced lamb croquette with burghul wheat and pine nuts) and kellage halloumi. Kellage halloumi is thin Arabic bread stuffed with a thin layer of  halloumi and toasted – in fact it is a thin toasted cheese sandwich. The falafel and kebbeh were both crisp and hot in the middle – you can over cook this if it’s frozen. The dishes were served with a small side salad of shredded lettuce leaves – similar to what you get with an onion bajee.

The meal with 3 bottles of Almaza (Lebanese beer) came to just over £20.

I will go back and test the grills but as far as I can tell, it is pretty authentic.

E

Location: 3 Johnstone Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2PW

Web site: http://www.hanams.com/

Telephone number: 0131 225 1329

Date of visit: 28 October, 2009

Approx. cost per head: £20

Comments on wine list/beer: No alcoholic drinks are served

Review:

Hanam’s is a charming place in the heart of Edinburgh’s old town. It bills itself as Edinburgh’s authentic, Kurdish/Middle East restaurant, and the quality of the food and friendliness of service that we received confirmed this insofar as any of us were qualified to judge.

If you fancy a glass of wine with your meal this is not the place for you, as only “de-alcoholised” wine and beer is sold. We stuck to water and lemonade and concentrated on the excellent food on offer, which my boys, aged 7 and 11, also enjoyed very much.

For a starter we were served hummus, kulicha (salad with a thick bread), and perfect, unleavened, middle-eastern bread. Our main courses were as you’d expect very meaty. They serve very nice on-the-bone, tender lamb and chicken dishes such as qozy and fasolya gosht. We also ordered two lamb kebabs, one in the Kurdish syle served with bread, dips and salad, another in the Iranian style served with rice, which was delicious and very filling.

Hanam’s provided us with a really good meal, in a tasteful, Middle-Eastern atmosphere, and with very friendly service. And it was good value too. 

Damian@bottlesandcooks.com