Jan. 18, 2006 - Issue #535: Sisters, Such Devoted Sisters

Here’s Taloukin’ at you, kid

Of all the Lebanese bistros in all the towns in all the world, you have to try La Shish Talouk

In my wife’s absence, I was deprived of my accustomed second opinion and seized on the opportunity to invite a prospective Dish reviewer who had approached me speaking highly of La Shish Talouk’s Lebanese cuisine. We entered the crowded little bistro early on a Tuesday evening and passed into another world.

The space was geared towards its abundant take-out crowd (the outdoor patio would almost triple its available space), but we seized one of the four tables and craned our necks to read the brightly-coloured menus above the grill and till. The atmosphere was a little distracting: under searing flourescent lights, bright yellow warred with sky blue on the walls, broken only by tourism posters featuring breathtaking scenes of Lebanon. Nonetheless, the array of mysterious combinations pictured on the menu was a delight. Shish Talouk, Kebabs and Kafta shared space with shawarma options, sides of falafel and odd vegetarian choices.

My companion had already eaten before, so she volunteered to share whatever I chose. I decided on the Shish Combo ($12.95) with falafel and garlic potatoes ($4.45 each) on the side. I joined the crowd milling at the counter to place my order. While I waited, I grabbed a strawberry-guava and a guava nectar ($1.85 each) from the cooler and figured I’d risk the “two-piece dessert” option for $1.95. I was delighted to discover four pieces of baklava on my trays when I was called to carry the feast back to our table.

The restaurant was louder than I generally prefer, a curse of its size and phenomenal popularity, but any irritation I felt at the boy striking his bottle cap against the marble counter vanished at the sight of our meal. Our forks flashed into action as the seductive aromas of garlic, roast tabouleh and grilled meats battled for luscious supremacy in our noses.

I started with the most recognizable side dish, a mound of potato chunks under a generous dollop of intensely garlicked mayonnaise. The potato was firm but yielding, and I decided to treat the sauce with caution. I carved into one of the four fist-sized falafel balls next. I was undecided at first about the grainy texture, but the warm, hearty similarity to experimental vegetarian meatloaf won me over. My enthusiasm was also due to a wonderful, light Middle Eastern ranch dressing and a heap of chives.

I tasted my strawberry-guava nectar in an effort to cleanse my palate before assaulting the Combo. I found myself tasting the drink a couple more times. It was thicker than I expected, with a syrupy sweetness that satisfied a deeper craving than thirst. Unfortunately, the strong strawberry tones masked much of the peach-infused pear flavour of the guava. The nectar was far more effective at washing down Lebanon’s boisterous cuisine than North America’s anemic juices or criminally sweet, sugary pops.

My companion was already a couple of bites ahead of me before I started into La Shish Talouk’s combination plate. She pointed out the sensational salad of thick tomato and cucumber chunks glistening in olive oil and coated in herbs. I also scooped a couple of mouthfuls of darkly speckled rice accented with dips of rich hummus before spearing my first piece of meat off one of the three kebabs.

The first piece happened to be grilled chicken, its surface seared to keep the interior juicy. My delighted bites sheared through effortlessly and I reached immediately for the beef kebab that my companion was ecstatically devouring. The tender beef was more sharply spiced and left traces of delicious heat on my tongue. I was very happy with both, but then shifted aside some violet garnish on my plate to spy the kafta kebab.

The spiced ground beef was simply exceptional. Even more tender than the beef kebab, it left a sweet spice aftertaste that carried hints of cinnamon and cloves. I grudgingly allowed my companion one of the pieces from the skewer, while I tried one of the violet stalks and grabbed up my nectar after biting into the mouth-puckeringly pickled turnip.

There was no way that two people could finish this staggering amount of food. I packed up a hearty lunch’s worth of leftovers before we split the baklava. Out of the two types, I found the cookie-like stick to be quite dry and without much flavour. However, the bite-sized, round baklava redeemed the pair. Honey permeated the treat without drenching the crisp layers of phyllo pastry. It left the burning sweetness at the back of my throat that is the hallmark of great baklava.

My companion and I were stuffed, and I think I may have recruited another writer. Our table was immediately occupied by the next pair of guests. I threw some toonies into the jar on my way out, bringing my total to over $30, and swore I would return. Next time, however, it would be for take-out. V

La Shish Talouk
10106-118 Street • 452-1333

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