Arabian bites

Sample the Syrian specialities of Le Petit Alep

by SARAH MUSGRAVE

When it comes to Middle Eastern food, the 3 a.m. shawarma sandwich has a fond place in many hearts. The only problem is that once you've eaten enough of them, you tend to forget that there's much more to the region's cuisine. The Syrian fare at Le Petit Alep is similar to the Lebanese cooking we know and love, but it brings your tastebuds into a whole new realm. Plus, it's got one of the most welcoming atmospheres of any resto in the city, with good local art on the walls, magazines to read, great background tunes and just the right mix of exotica and comfort.

The list of appetizers may not be familiar at first glance but many are Lebanese standards under different names. Metabal is a dip of puréed eggplant like a pungent baba gannouj, and yalandji are freshly prepared vegetarian vine leaves. More off the beaten track, mouhamara is a slightly lumpy mash of bread crumbs, pomegranate molasses, cayenne and ground walnuts ($2.25). The colour is so fiery it looks like one bite will singe your lips off, but the flavour is a wonderfully complex mixture of sweet and spicy.

The mazza plate ($3.25) includes slices of cucumber, tomato, toasted pita bread and Alep cheese, named for Syria's second-largest city. The texture is dense and firm, the taste is mild but distinctive. You dip these ingredients into olive oil and then into a little bowl of zatar, a blend of spices and herbs like thyme and sumac, which dusts each bite an unusual nutty flavour.

The menu here is very flexible, catering to people in search of a full meal or just a snack. Most items are offered in small or large sizes, like the delicious lentil soup, mellifluously spiced but very natural, thick and dense ($3.50/$7). For a quick fix, there are several open-face sandwiches and salads to choose from, including an excellent fattouch of crispy lettuce, toasted seasoned pita and lots of lemon and oil. Just as all the appetizers are available in varied formats, the main courses of falafel or meat brochettes are served as sandwich or as a platter. The platters aren't enormous, but worth it for the yummy mélange of seasoned rice and superthin noodles as well as the fresh salad that accompanies them.

The chiche taouk here is unbelievable ($5.25/8.50). Chunks of moist chicken, bursting with taste and tenderness, are grilled on a brochette with slices of blackened onion. The meat hides under pieces of pita smeared with a delectably mysterious sauce--it's slightly sweet and there's garlic in there too.

The kebab osmally is like tahine quicksand, with savoury, juicy pieces of beef brochette sinking into the sesame sauce and strips of lettuce struggling somewhere under the surface. Beware that it's strong and the taste stays with you, but when you're really hungry and craving lots of flavour this is your best choice ($5/7.75).

The desserts are amazing too. Mehalabié ($3) is a milk pudding that's light and cool on your tongue. It's flavoured with rose water and the firm outer skin is topped with ground pistachios. It's so cleansing that it feels like you've just had some sort of inner-organ spa treatment. Another favourite is atayef ($3.50), a kind of deep-fried beignet pocket containing either nuts or cream (cream in this case being ricotta cheese). To finish up, there are lots of intriguing coffee concoctions and fresh tisanes that will make you want to linger longer. If you don't have time to sip, hit the road with a shot of arak, a gut-searing aniseed liqueur that goes down very fast.

Le Petit Alep

Address: 191 Jean-Talon E.

Phone: 270-9361

Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-11pm; weekends from 9:30am

Best features: warm atmosphere, exotic eats, desserts

Vegetarian friendly: yes

Credit cards: yes

Wheelchair access: no

Alcohol: yes

Price: $12 per person with tax but before drinks and tip

Rating: HHHH out of HHHH