Establishment: Al Aseel, various locations
Cuisine: Lebanese
Allergy information: they have a number of options which are already dairy, egg, nut, seafood, gluten and soy free and their menu clearly lists ingredients. The staff also deal very kindly with allergy queries.
Suggestions: The Jawaneh/Fried Chicken Wings with coriander, garlic and lemon are dairy, egg, nut and seafood free and pair beautifully with the lovely, fresh Fattoush
It has been far too long since I've posted about a restaurant on here! Hopefully Covid leaves well enough alone so that we can enjoy eating out again without too much worry. I've actually wanted to post about this place for a while, but then the pandemic hit, forcing us all homebound and rendering many of these suggestions moot. I'm genuinely excited to be posting about places again. I know people have been back out and about for a while now, but my own health has definitely kept me fairly cautious over the last two years. I only hope that everyone reading this has come out well and safe on the other side of it all!
Now, on to the food! I adore Lebanese food. There are so many beautiful, healthy options that are just naturally safe for my allergies to dairy, egg and seafood. However, it was often a fair (and pricy) trek to find some good options. At least, this was the case till Al Aseel opened up at Towers, a bare 20 minute drive away. My family found out about the place right before the pandemic hit and decided to give it a try... and discovered a happy go to for birthday dinners!
For allergy sufferers, there are few things better than having a place to eat where you feel safe and this place is awesome - incredible food, friendly and helpful staff, people bursting out in Happy Birthday choruses all night - what's not to love? We've now been back a good few times since, most recently for Sunday lunch over the weekend. Sadly, our first time, I neglected to get any good shots of the food (too busy enjoying it to even try!), however I've remedied this in our visits since!
If you're a fan of Mediterranean food, you'll know you can't miss out on the dips, accompanied by that crisp bread. Admittedly, it takes a lot for me not to load up on these before the remaining dishes come out!
I'm sure it's a hefty call, particularly not being any kind of expert on the matter, but for me, Fattoush is the Queen of all Salads. Beautiful fresh vegetables, lit up by that gorgeously sweet, tangy dressing and accented further by the crunchy fried bread. What more could you want from a salad? It's also a lovely, bright follow up, particularly when you've just eaten your weight in bread and dips!
Anyone who knows me, knows I love my chicken, and few things beat a crispy, fried chicken wing. Add in some coriander, garlic and lemon and you have this winner right here. I've seen some variations of this in other places, some that are spicier, which also works really well, especially when you add a splash of lemon. The above photo was taken at Bankstown Sports Club whereas on our lunch at Towers over the weekend, the dish was much creamier, but still quite lovely, though I do personally prefer the crispier version.
If you're after some lovely Lebanese, I highly recommend giving them a try! Overall, it was a happy return to a place we've missed for a while and it was a perfect interlude before we all piled into the cinema right across from the restaurant - another thing we hadn't really done in a long while!
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