by MATHILDE RABBAT

Ville St-Laurent is known to have a high concentration of people of Middle Eastern descent. Though more and more eateries have been popping up in the neighbourhood of late - everything from pizza joints to sushi places - it's never hard to find a falafel in these parts.

Samiramiss is one of the area's Middle Eastern mainstays, and one that seems to have its share of regulars, who come often to nosh on their Lebanese specialities for lunch or dinner.

Black lacquer chairs flank square tables covered in forest green tablecloths under sheets of glass, and tinted mirrors line a wall adjacent to the eating area, giving that smoky '80s feel. In between bites, you can brush up on current affairs (by CNN's standards, that is) by glancing up at the captions on the muted TV hovering behind the counter on the far wall. Not to worry though, if Bush, Sharon and that guy from The Mole don't exactly whet your appetite, tuning them out is as simple as averting the eyes.

Pita bread cut in quarters, pale pink slices of turnip, salty pickles and pickled yellow peppers act as a precursor to a meal at Samiramiss. You can choose to have either the daily special, which is scrawled on a magic-marker board, or something from the standard menu. The latter features a series of entrées ($1.95–$9.95), combination plates (served with hummus, salad, rice or fries), fresh fish and seafood (starting at $12.95), and sandwiches, including shawarma, shish taouk and shish kebab ($2.25–$3.95).

The menu also has a "Vegetarian Corner." There, you can choose between two platters: one with hummus and six falafels ($6.95), and the other an assorted plate with almost a dozen selections piled on ($7.95). The second plate also incorporates a couple of big, crispy falafels, temptingly shaped like golden spinning tops. Though the hummus is light and fairly tasty, it could use a little more pizzazz (perhaps in the garlic department), especially when competing with the stronger flavours of all the other offerings, where it tends to get lost.

Besides yummy, filling falafels, the platter also features such items as eggplant and green beans in a tomato and onion sauce, fried potatoes, fattouche salad, cooked dandelion leaves, stuffed grape leaves and an omelette. Certain elements, such as the megaddara (rice with lentils), were served too cold and could have used a little flavour tweaking. Also, fried items may be a little heavy to digest so moderation is key. Of note, though, are the fattouche, with its crunchy parsley, onions and tomato, and the stuffed grape leaves.

Though the fattouche was fresh and crispy, the same can't be said for most of the other components of the assorted vegetarian dish. The texture, flavour and the tepid temperature of the potatoes were a dead give-away - reheating doesn't generally agree with spuds. Neighbouring veggies on the platter and even the spongy omelette also didn't seem freshly prepared. I'm guessing some of the dishes were left over from lunch.

On the brighter side, I've never been much of a pudding fan, but I can't believe how much I enjoyed the muhallabaeh. Essentially composed of milk, rice and starch, this Middle Eastern rice pudding ($1.75) is drizzled with just the right amount of rosewater and crushed pistachio, a refreshing dessert served in little glass bowls like the kind Mom used to pour Jell-O in before sticking them in the fridge. This should come as no surprise, since this is a family-run establishment, with the matriarch doing most of the cooking. Nowhere does the homeyness come through more than in the daily special, which sometimes includes cabbage rolls, zucchini, eggplant and vine leaves - each stuffed with a concoction of meat and rice.

Dishes at Samiramiss are affordable and the service is friendly and non-intrusive.

Samiramiss
ADDRESS: 885 Decarie (Côte-Vertu metro)
PHONE: 747-3085
HOURS: Mon–Sat 11AM–10PM, closed Sun.
BEST FEATURES: Reasonably priced dishes, courteous
non-intrusive service, good falafel, tasty vegetarian
stuffed grape leaves and delicious rice pudding
ALCOHOL: Yes
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
NO-SMOKING SECTION: Yes
PRICE: $15 per person for a full meal (before tax & tip)
RATING: ** out of ****