Al-Sultan
1813 Douglas St.
250-590-4044
www.alsultanrestaurant.ca
Al-Sultan is a stones-throw away from the heart of downtown, but it’s a worthwhile refreshing few blocks walk. At first glance, the interior may seem lugubrious and defeated, but it grows on you as you enjoy your meal. I liked the Arabic pop music playing as I sipped on my tea, the no-frills cafe style decor is just that, it’s not trying hard. Sure some of the pictures are kitschy and gawdy, but it reminds me of many other ethnic restaurants.
There was a handful of people eating at Al-Sultan this afternoon( Monday), this restaurant still seems to be finding its foothold, and building clientele. The menu is simple and I recognized a few items, and stumbled upon a few that I had not heard of. I ordered a beef wrap which came with tea for $6.99. I ordered a lentil and onion soup on the side in case the wrap wasn’t filling enough. The food arrived shortly after( maybe 15 minutes or so), and it smelled great.
The bread used for the wrap was thin and crisp on the outside to combat the yoghurt dressing on the beef kabob. The beef itself was seasoned well, and the lettuce, onions, and tomatoes were fresh. The soup, despite the baby-food-like consistency, had great flavours and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I saved room for some baklava, but unfortunately the family that makes it for Al-Sultan had not delivered it by lunchtime. I’ll definitely come back to try some of their desserts( baklava, basbousa, and konafah).
Overall, this was a good meal. Al-Sultan is a family-run operation, which is nice to support. They could spruce up the interior a bit to make it more inviting. As I was leaving, the server gave me a business card in case I wanted to take advantage of their delivery service. I look forward to seeing how Al-Sultan develops over the next few years. Check it out for an affordable lunch, or some tasty meat from the grill for dinner.
