Rumi

Rumi has been receiving quite a bite of press of late, including being awarded one of the ten most innovative meals for under $15 by Nina Rousseau, editor of Cheap Eats. Whilst I don’t particularly agree with Nina on this one (I’m sorry…but there is NO way I would call the Sigara Boregi a “meal” – see pic below), the place itself is certainly deserved of the hype. I too was impressed.

The place isn’t huge, which means one can feel quite at home without feeling lost in a cavernous expanse. And there is the element of breeziness – perhaps it’s the whisp of silk organza draped from the ceiling, or the runic arabic script running across the green tinted walls. Either way, I like sitting at the school style plywood table and chairs, admiring the little details; tall thin turkish water glasses, “i so want to take one home with me” green water jugs, interesting mismatched crockery, Turkish coffee paraphernalia, and front of house staff who know exactly what’s going on in their neck of these middle eastern woods (…and they were fantastically friendly to boot!)

A suggested aperitif saw us venturing down a pomegranate, vodka and lime route. Served in a tumbler rimmed in white sugar, it was a refreshing and sweet start to what would be an interesting culinary journey.

The first plate to arrive was dolme, or “filled vegetable” that change on a daily basis. Today we scored perhaps one of the more traditional versions – plump fist sized lebanese zucchini stuffed with rice, onions, tomatoes, minced lamb and spices. They sat atop a seriously hearty tomato sugo and were drizzled with runny white yoghurt and olive oil. They tasted deliciously home-made and traditional.

We also tried the Sigara Boregi (as mentioned above), which literally translates as cigar shaped pastries. They were pretty good, but then you can’t go too wrong when you wrap something in pastry. Stuffed full of haloumi cheese and toasted pine nuts, the surprise was the fresh grating of nutmeg, which added both heat and fragrance.

Next up were the delightfully named joojeh kebabs, or skewered quail with poached grapes in a grape syrup. The quail was tender and sticky from a good grilling, and the grape syrup was superbly piquant to the point my mouth puckered in delight.

Fried cauliflower with onions, currants and pinenuts was a surprisingly tasty little side dish. Also of note were the amazing persian meatballs in a tomato and saffron sauce. A big dollop of yoghurt was perfect to cut through the richness of the sauce and spiced meat. Mmm.

Lamb fetteh, or braised lamb tossed with toasted seasoned pita, chickpeas and yoghurt was an absolutely amazing dish. The lamb tasted like it had just come off the spit – it was smoky and sweet, and just a little caramalised. Topped with slivered almonds and fresh herbs for taste and further crunch, I think this was perhaps my favourite dish.

A simple cos, radish and herb salad was also one of the highlights as it was dressed in the most wonderful sweet and sour dressing, which the waiter later divulged was a white grape syrup (where can I find this?!).

Oh…I almost forgot that I had another favourite dish . The roast pumpkin and chickpea salad absolutely rocked. It was mixed/dressed with tahini, parsley, dukkah and yoghurt. I term this a “put me in a corner with a spoon and leave me alone” kind of dish. Mmm.

To finish, cardamom coffee and some complimentary dried mulberries were delivered on the most delightful birdcage-like tray (you will know what I mean when you see it). Just remember to let the coffee settle somewhat, and don’t drink the dregs!

And yes, we had to go the persian fairyfloss, which was quite nutty in flavour.

Rumi also does take-away – you can choose from a range of mezze and delectable Turkish-style pizzas, which run long and boat shaped (one of them has a roast pumpkin/tahini/parsley/dukkah topping – yum!). These can be ordered in the restaurant or from a hole in the wall at Alderman, a rather funky little bar next door.

I really like the honesty of this place. From the great staff to the great food to the great space. It is doing something a little differently, but doing it darn well.