Allergies Make the Menu

Chefs are improvising to cater for food intolerances,
reports Sue Bennet
March 28, 2007

How times have changed. Cheryl Price recalls an occasion when a fellow coeliac disease sufferer was asked to leave a restaurant because the owners thought she was contagious. For 25 years Price has tried to eat out with varying degrees of success. In the early days it was almost impossible with a roast (no gravy or accompaniments) and salad just about the only option. She describes todays choices as "a dream".

But the litany of diets, allergies and medical conditions requiring special grown foods and treatment, has grown yearly. It's long and, frequently complex. When it comes to meeting diners' requests, restaurants and cafes are in the front line.

"At the moment it's crazy" Rockpool restaurant owner Neil Perry says. "The number of people that come in and say they have some food issue - an allergy - or they are coeliacs - is gaining a lot of momentum."

At Lebanese/Middle Eastern restaurant Sahra in Parramatta, owner Talal Alamein adapts recipes to meet demand and about 90 per cent of his menu is now gluten free.

A restaurateur for 35 years with businesses in Brussels, Baghdad, Beirut and Sydney, he adds: "These days people are discovering all sorts of allergies and they want to know about many of the ingredients, including oils.

"We don't use anything artificial so we only use, say, extra virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed orange juice and we don't take any shortcuts.

We adapt recipes and we substitute some things to make the dishes gluten free and they are very popular."

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Sahra - Come for the Perfectly Spiced Mains

Linger for dessert with a view
Margaret Merten
June 30, 2006

Sahra's menu has a kind of mission statement: "At Sahra restaurant we strive to make you leave our establishment happier, healthier and wiser." It's a big call, but this light and airy restaurant on the Parramatta River certainly had us feeling happier, wiser and, if not healthier, certainly fuller after Sunday lunch. The decor is modern, with starched white tablecloths and an outdoor undercover eating area.

An excellent starter of hummus, baba ganoush and labne whets our appetite for the mains. The fattet batenjan (grilled eggplant on a bed of toasted Lebanese bread and chickpeas topped with house yoghurt and roasted nuts) is a revelation with its wonderful creamy, crunchy texture. The Bedouin mansaf of rice cooked in chicken stock and topped with grilled chicken fillet disappears in a flash. The meat dishes are succulent and the kafta perfectly spiced.

Linger over the view and order jallab, a sweet drink made with grape juice and rosewater.
 

 

Taste the world on a plate

Helen Hawkes
October 28-29, 2006

... At the popular Middle Eastern eatery Sahra, guests most often order the sultan’s banquet. Owner Talal Alamein says it includes 12 traditional hot and cold dishes as well as a choice of samkeh harrah (fish served with saffron rice and a walnut and tahini sauce), Persian fassenjoun (chicken done in pomegranate, walnut sauce), or saffron and Morrocan couscous served with lamb shank. On weekends, a gypsy fortune teller and belly dancer perform.
 

Taste of Lebanon with a View

Scott Howlett
November 1, 2006

 
Sahra by the River which opened in October 2005, is a welcome addition to Parramatta’s vibrant restaurant scene in Phillip St. It’s white-tablecloth, five star fine dining. Lebanese Style, overlooking Parramatta River and Elizabeth St Bridge. The view from the massive windows towards the bridge is one of the best in Parramatta. Belly Dancers are featured on Friday and Saturday night. The Menu is Extensive. There are 13 main courses priced from $21 to $32.

Banquets are particularly popular. The top-of-the-range Sultan’s Banquet ($42 per person), has 12 hot and cold mezza dishes, grilled kafta (lamb, mince mixed with herbs and spices), lamb and chicken, and a host of Lebanese side dishes such as tabouli, coriander potato and sabousik (lamb pine-nut pastry) and labneh (yoghurt dip).

Owner Talal Alamein finds it hard to pick his favorites, but selected Persian Fassenjoun, which comes with Chicken Fillet, Pomegranate and Walnut sauce, rose saffron rice and vegetables ($35). Mr Alamein also chose the Moroccan couscous, vegetables and prunes ($25).

Sahra by the River, 2/76 Phillip St, Parramatta, is open for lunch from Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 3:30pm, and for dinner between 6pm to late. It is open on Sunday, between noon and 10pm. Is is fully licensed. Bookings are recommended. Call 9635 6615.
 

 

Philosopher, developer and restauranteur

February 15, 2006

 

Talal Alamein is a happy man: he's managed to combine the arts of being a property developer with those of restaurantuer. And, when time allows for intellectual pursuits, he's a philosopher. Each of the three tasks fills a need in Talal's heart and Mind.

Talal operates the Sahra Restuarant sited at the back of the award winning building at 76 Phillip St Parramatta - that overlooks the Parramatta River and the footbridge from Phillip to Elizabeth Street.

The authentic Lebanese Restaurant has warmth, elegance, culture and ambience with imported artwork hanging from the walls and oriental ornaments dispersed tastefully throughout the restaurant.

One of Sahra's mouth-watering offerings, the Saltan's Banquet, is presented with more than 13 meat and vegetarian dishes.

And there's the grilled kafta, falafels, and baba-ganouge and many more offerings.

Talal Alamein ensures the Sahra Restaurants inviting atmosphere runs with swiss like efficiency in service with genuine Middle Eastern Hospitality

Sahra is open for lunch and dinner and can cater for all occasions including corporate functions, birthdays, christenings and weddings. Talal, with more than 50years experience between Beruit, Brussels, Baghdad and Sydney, makes sure diners are in good hands.