08 July 2009

Summerland Restaurant: $30 Lebanese Dinner Banquet, Bankstown (4 July 2009)

457 Chapel Road, Bankstown NSW 2200
http://www.summerlandrestaurant.com.au


Belly dancing banquet for $30

I don't think I've ever eaten so much food in one day! After enjoying a huge Christmas in July lunch in Rose Bay it was off to a birthday dinner in Bankstown for a $30 per person banquet of freshly cooked lebanese bread served with plenty of delicious dishes. Last year I visited this place on a Sunday and it was deadly quiet with only a handful of small groups dining. This year it's a fully packed Saturday night complete with belly dancing show and lively music by the very talented Alex Hadshiti whose booked in every Thursday, Friday and Saturday and can apparently sing in 6-7 different languages. He was singing plenty of sing-a-long favourites as well as a few traditional ones and really created a fun party atmosphere for the many birthday groups dining tonight.

Once they start serving the banquet the dishes keep coming out quickly from the kitchen along with plenty of freshly cooked lebanese bread. The table space is soon completely filled leaving little room for even your cutlery and drinks. I really liked their baba ghanouj, tasty lamb skewers, fresh fattoush and tabouleh, moist vine leaves and of course the freshly cooked bread. They cook a pretty good falafel too which is tasty and crunchy on the outside although my favourite is still at Jasmin in Punchbowl. Tonight we decline ordering the kibbeh nayah (finely ground raw lamb) which is included in the banquet because we struggled last time to eat it — definitely an acquired taste.

What's your favourite Lebanese restaurant?

Freshly cooked bread
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Olives, picked radish and pickles

Hummus, baba ghanouj and labni

Salatat al gargir

Salatat al za’atar

Marinated mushrooms

Fattoush
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Vine leaves
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Tabouleh
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Mohamara

Soujouk

Battata harra


Kibbeh balls, falafel, ladys fingers

Lahem mishwi (skewered grilled lamb)
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Shish tawook, kefta, lahem mishwi

Kibbeh nayah (included with the banquet but we didn't order this time)

Sweets



Lebanese coffee

The Man, The Music

Alex Hadshiti, singer and musician

The Belly Dancer




The Venue
Most tables were groups of 12

There's some limited parking in front or park on the street


View Larger Map
Summerland on Urbanspoon

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I've since received some insider tips for Lebanese banquets - Zenobia, Nth Strathfield; Cafe D'or, Burwood; Sahra, Brighton le Sands..

Simon Leong said...

Hi Geoff, thanks for the tips although they seem to all score lower on Eatability and their menus seem more expensive. If you organise a dinner I'd go along though to try.

Leona said...

Your making me crave leb food. I cant believe how cheap it is and for all that food!!! I think bankstown needs me to make a trip.


Tho the hard part is saying no to viet food. If im in bankstown chances are im there for viet.

Leb food awaits me Its been way to long since i last had leb.

Simon Food Favourites Map

View Simon Food Favourites in a larger map Key: BLUE - Location visit and review PINK - Simon Favourites and places offering something special

Small Bars in Sydney map


View Small Bars in Sydney in a larger map