Family Feasting on Gorgeous Mediterranean Food - El Phoenician

Establishment: El-Phoenician, Parramatta

Cuisine: Fine Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Dining
Allergy information: their delicious menu offers an incredible range of dairy, egg, seafood, nut, gluten and soy free dishes
Suggestions: So many - my personal favourites? Batata b-kizibra (Potato Coriander), Jawaneh (Chicken wings), Fatoush (Garden salad? - yeah, trust me, the bowl is amazing!) and the beautiful dips, particularly the Homous which goes beautifully with the complimentary fresh and crisp breads that continuously appear on the table

The Fatoush overflowing from a crispy bread shell. How's that for a salad bowl? 

El-Phoenician is absolutely one of my favourite restaurants, not least because fine dining and I don't often get to cross paths and yet here I continue to be amazed by just how many of their sumptuous dishes I can actually eat safely and enjoy. 

I remember trying them for the first time with a few friends some years back. Admittedly, particularly back then, my experience at places I would have considered fancier than your average wasn't extensive. That limited experience had taught me that finding allergy-safe dishes or asking about alterations or substitutions in many pricier places was just too difficult so, much relief to my wallet, these weren't places I would run to often, if at all. 

So, when we got to El-Phoenician on Church Street, I admittedly walked in feeling sceptical but when I began working through the menu, I found myself pleasantly surprised. Straight off the bat, I was finding many dishes that already looked safe... and delicious! After a quick chat to the waiter, any other worries were quickly allayed and I ended up having one of the nicest meals out I'd had in a while. It was also my first real foray into Lebanese or even Middle Eastern food - certainly a grand introduction and easily the reason these are now among my favourite cuisines!

A different occasion with my friend, Col, and I feasting it up at the old Walsh Bay restaurant.

I don't get to go all that often, but that just means it's a right treat when I do and this weekend, to celebrate my sister's birthday and Father's Day, it was definitely a treat getting to finally introduce my family to this favourite of mine. 

We sat down to the basket of complimentary fresh and crispy bread. Never fear, when you run low, one of the servers is suddenly there to refresh your supply, it's brilliant. Hard as I try to save them for when I've been able to order the dips, those delightfully curly and crisp sheets of bread usually disappear pretty quickly and this time was no different. My family dug right in and enjoyed them as they began to browse through the menu.

The beginning of a neverending supply of beautiful breads.

A wonderful thing I've mentioned in previous posts, particularly for someone with allergies, is the fact that not only do I know my favourites before having to crack open a menu, but I can order them without having to worry about checking the ingredients. Of course, I generally advise trusting your instincts when it comes to double checking for allergens and menus can change, however it's a happy place where you know you can order a dish straight off the menu and not have to speak a word to staff about allergies.

That total lack of fear is a joyful luxury for anyone who has lived with the constancy of having to flag down staff, walk them through your allergy laundry list, have them check things with the kitchen and eventually find something safe, while battling the self-consciousness all the while. Any dining experience sans that twisting tango will always have me coming back!

And of course, there were plenty of other dishes for my family to dig through alongside my many allergy-friendlier options so while they ordered their cheese pastries and haloumi stacks and various bits of seafood, I snagged my much loved Homous, Fatoush and Jawaneh.

The five spice is perfect on these fried wings. Do note - this contains sesame seeds.

The combo of the fresh and tangy salad, tossed with even more of their excellent bread, alongside those spicy chicken wings is incredible. An extra spritz of lemon doesn't hurt either, particularly if the spice may be on the higher side for your taste.  The accompanying sauce is admittedly spicier than I can handle but my sister enjoyed it with the wings so if your spice tolerance is decent, it's definitely worth a try. 

This time around, I opted not to order the potatoes knowing full well I'd load up on bread (and cheerfully so!), but I would certainly recommend for fellow lovers of potato and coriander. For anyone else trying to veg it up, I also enjoy some zesty Arnabeet, crisp fried cauliflower with pickles and tahina.

And of course those dips, so smooth and full of flavour. Honestly, the bread is good enough to eat on its own, but the dips just top everything off perfectly.

The mixed dips - Baba Ganouje, Homous and Labne.

Alongside the fabulous food, the staff made our evening even more festive - all friendly, funny and attentive, they were so helpful and the source of a lot of laughs over the course of the evening as we dug through the feast in front of us.

Overall, a brilliant night out with the family, filled with hearty food and loads of options for anyone looking for some fine, top quality eats free from dairy, egg, seafood, nuts, soy and even gluten. If you're a fan of Middle Eastern or Meditteranean cuisine and are looking for a fun night out, give them a look in!

And feast your hearts like we did!