27 February, 2023
What are the Most Comforting Foods Available at an Arabic Restaurant in Sydney?

Every cuisine has its own set of comforting dishes. Comforting dishes bring you warmth, assurance and temporary joy when the weather is poor and you’ve had a bad day. Even though August promises better weather, we’re likely to experience a few rainy and gloomy days. At our Arabic restaurant in Sydney, we believe that food is the way to cure a soul. We invite all of our customers, those who are celebrating and those who need to indulge in a satisfying meal, to come to Zahli and feel alive through our food.

Background to the comforting food at Zahli

Our founder, Mohammad Issmail grew up with the richness and variety of Lebanese cuisine, and eventually found his inspiration for Zahli in the fond memories of his mother’s cooking. Mohammad describes his cuisine as food inspired by the simplicity of humble beginnings. 

Our Executive Chef and his team create their own interpretation of contemporary and flavoursome dishes. Executive Chef Elie grew up in Lebanon meant being surrounded by notoriously good food and fresh produce. His childhood was spent cooking with his family, utilising the abundance of amazing and fresh produce that was handled with age-old traditional methods. 

Zahli has a foundation of comforting motherly cooking that’s refined by classic techniques and a love for fine dining. It’s the perfect combination for anyone seeking satisfying dishes that are elegant, delicious and polished.

5 most comforting dishes served at our Arabic restaurant

Labneh

Like most comforting things on this list, labneh’s satisfaction comes from its high dairy content. This yoghurt is thick, creamy and slightly tart and very similar to cream cheese (it is more spreadable). For those who aren’t familiar, labneh is a yogurt that has been strained to remove most of its whey, resulting in a thicker consistency. It is often garnished with olive oil and served with Lebanese bread, olives, cucumbers and mint. 

Labneh is a part of mezza and provides balance with dishes that are very spicy and contain strong flavours. It’s easy to see why this luscious dish is comforting.

Sambousik cheese

Our sambousik cheese is a traditional Lebanese pastry with feta cheese and parsley.  It features a crisp flour shell and a succulent filling. This is our Lebanese version of an Australian pie. If ordered at our restaurant, it will come out piping hot, slightly crisp and oozing with melted cheese. The cheese is what makes this very comforting and indulgent. It is often served as part of mezza and is one of the most satisfying things on our menu.

For those who prefer meat, sambousik comes with a meat filling. Our meat filling contains minced meat, onion, pine nuts and spices. 

Makanek

Makanek is pan-fried Lebanese sausages tossed in fresh lemon juice, vinegar and pine nuts. Apart from being extremely delicious and flavourful, this dish is uniquely satisfying. The meat is extremely juicy and slightly smoky while the acids make it incredibly moreish. Meat-lovers will find this dish a joy to eat – it’s sure to brighten up any gloomy day. 

Our mixed grill 

Our mixed grill is hearty, delicious and comforting. It contains a little bit of everything and includes a combination of 3 skewers (kafta, lahem mishwee and shish tawook) which are served with grilled tomato and onion, tahini sauce and chilli bread. 

Knafeh

One of the most comforting things in life is desserts. At Zahli, we serve authentic knafeh which contains two things that are extremely comforting – sugar and cheese. Our knafeh is made with a fine semolina base, layered with cheese and baked until golden, topped with bread crumbs and pistachio, served with sweet syrup. It’s a joy to eat and will bring comfort to anyone.

Zahli offers both dine-in and takeaway service

Zahli offers a wonderful ambience complete with warm hospitality to enjoy your comforting Lebanese feast. While we love when customers dine-in, we also know that sometimes, a comforting dish can be enjoyed at home as well. You can find many of your comforting Lebanese favourites here.

Zahli is here to provide you with comforting dishes throughout the year

If you are interested in trying any of the dishes mentioned in this article or any other authentic Lebanese food then Zahli, Modern Middle Eastern restaurant can gladly provide a memorable meal. 

At Zahli, we take the traditions of our people seriously and aim to do every dish justice. Our restaurant is here to provide you with a culinary experience like no other. Call us on (02) 9318 2228 to reserve a table or for pick-up orders.