Restaurant Review: Urban Bites Singapore Dishes Out Lebanese Delights in Telok Ayer
PUBLISHED December 22nd, 2017 07:00 am
When one thinks of Mediterranean cuisine, thoughts more often than not head in the direction of Greek and Turkish fare – both exotic flavours with vast similarities, as most of the dishes in that area are known for. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find specific cuisines of the smaller countries in the area. Enter Urban Bites, one of the few purely Lebanese restaurants in Singapore, that has been going strong since it opened in 2007 under the helm of chef Ghazi Khanashat.
16 years on, the reins have been passed to his daughter Christine, who enlisted the skills of executive chef Haroutioun Ara Sayegh from Lebanon in delivering her father’s food with his own twists. He recently delivered a refreshed menu of old signatures and new highlights, including a selection for weekend brunch, with a focus on communal dishes that reflected on the Lebanese culture of sharing (long meals).
The platters that arrived swiftly to our table were loaded with nosh and distributed with plenty to spare. We started with the Cheese Manouche ($16), newly introduced to the brunch menu, featuring freshly baked flatbread stuffed with four types of cheese (the familiar feta and mozzarella, and unusual Lebanese jeddal and Akkawi) from the wood oven behind a glass panel. The source of the delicious smell in the air that greets visitors upon arrival, the melding of rich flavours was utterly savoury, perfect for whetting our appetites before the main courses.
Urban Bites is particularly proud of their hummus, which is touted to be one of the authentic in Singapore. And you’ll find it in the signature Sampler Platter ($28), which also features fried treats such as breaded lamb, pumpkin kibbeh, and falafel joined by sauces and yoghurt-mixed labneh, circling the tabbouleh salad in the centre. Dressed with pomegranate seeds, the platter has something for everyone at the table. The hummus was smooth and creamy, an indication of it being a labour of love.
If you enjoy your greens, the all-new Burghul Salad ($12) is a must-have – a refreshing dish bursting with colour from the burghul (cereal food made from wheat), onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and pomegranate seeds coated with tomato sauce. The acidity from the lemon oil is a refreshing contrast to the sweetness of the pomegranates with every bites.
A hearty brunch isn’t complete until you’ve had your egg fix – and they delivered with Eggs With Lamb Shashouka ($20), also a new addition to brunch. With a side of Lebanese bread baked in-house, pulled lamb and three poached eggs sit in a well of tomato sauce, topped with feta cheese and kale leaves. Upon breaking the eggs and stirring the mix around, you get a most delightful stew, though the lamb might be a tad gamey for those who aren’t major fans of the meat.
Mediterranean food without kebabs is like a bath without bubbles so of course we had their stalwart Mixed Grill ($33) too. The four skewers – shish taouk (cubed chicken), shikaf lahmeh (cubed beef tenderloin) and minced offerings of kafta (minced) lamb and kafta chicken – are cooked over charcoal and served with mesclun salad, fries and toum (whipped garlic) dip. A blanket of pita bread was laid out to soak up the juices from the succulent meat.
End off the meal with the Osmaliyeh ($12) – think fried filo strings, homemade sweet clotted cream and strawberry slices artfully arranged on a plate, with crushed pistachios and dried rose petals scattered around for additional crunch and colour. Light and refreshing on its own, a drizzle of rose syrup elevates the Osmaliyeh’s flavour profile, as the now-sweetened filo strings marries the thinly sliced sour berries and soft clotted cream together, similar to how maple syrup brings together butter and pancakes in the West.
With flavourful dishes made to share and arguably one of the best hummus in town, consider going Lebanese the next time you want to go Mediterranean. Don’t forget to order up a traditional beverage to go with the authentic meal – the Jallab ($6) combines dates, grape molasses and rose water in a soothingly sweet concoction that’ll balance out the robust flavours at Urban Bites.
Urban Bites is located at 161 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068615, p. +65 6327 9460. Opens Mon-Fri 11am – 10pm, Sat 9.30am – 10pm. Closed Sun.
