I wasn’t planning on posting today but I couldn’t resist a little bonus post 
This is not following my Vegan MoFo theme. I’ll be back on the A-Z next week, with the letter F on Monday.
As I’m shortly leaving Oxford to move to a new city my Mum asked if there was anywhere I’d like to go out to eat for a “farewell” meal. I didn’t have to think twice about my choice as Al Shami is my favourite Oxford restaurant. It’s not vegan, nor even vegetarian but is incredibly vegan-friendly and all vegan dishes are clearly marked with Ve on the menu. Apparently a new menu is in the works with info for those avoiding gluten and nuts too.
It’s a Lebanese restaurant and if you’ve been reading Coconut and Berries a little while you’ll know that Middle-Eastern might just be my favourite cuisine!
The restaurant’s not particularly fancy at all but it’s definitely authentic 
There are so many dishes to choose from that it’s best to go with a few people so that you can try more! Most of the dishes are “Meze” (small plates) anyway so order lots! Although I was eating with omnivores everyone was very happy to eat vegan and let me take charge of the ordering.
Here’s what we got :
Mohammara Bil-Jawz- Mixed crushed nuts, red capsicum, olive oil and spices
My love of dips probably warms me to Lebanese food as there are so many, and all completely different. This is rich and slightly spicy.
Fattoush- Mixed salad with herbs and toasted Lebanese bread
A traditional salad with plenty of parsley and lemon, just how I like it.
They automatically bring a basket of flatbread and a plate of salad to the table- lettuce, tomato, raw carrot and pepper, radishes and pickles- which is nice to nibble on to start with or to use to scoop up the delicious dips and other dishes. 
Moutabel- Puréed aubergines, tahini, lemon juice, garlic
The phrase “looks can be deceiving” comes to mind with this dish as it looks slightly bland and insipid. I don’t know how they managed it but it had a fantastic smoky flavour. I thought it must be smoked paprika but it’s not red coloured so I’m perplexed… Any suggestions? I really want to recreate this one!
Falafel- Ground chickpeas and broad beans mixed with spices, fried
Does anyone not like falafel?! These were rather a treat as I always bake rather than fry the falafel I make at home. I adore them anyway but they’re quite different to these crispy little morsels.
Ardi-Shoki- Artichokes with selected vegetables cooked in our special sauce
The cute name alone enticed me into ordering this one (!), but it was delicious too. I’ve not had artichokes cooked like this before- I usually just use them to top pizza to be honest but they soaked up the sweet, tangy sauce wonderfully.
It came served with rice…
Mujadara- Cracked wheat, lentils and fried onions (This comes with yogurt but we asked them to omit this).
I’m going to be on the look out for cracked wheat like this as the bulgur I’ve bought before is finer and doesn’t have the same toothsome quality.
I forgot to get a picture of this dish but you can kind of see it in the first photo- Zahra Maqlia- Fried cauliflower topped with tahini, parsley, garlic, lemon juice. Gosh was this good. The cauliflower is wonderfully tender but crisp and draped in silky tahini sauce. We were so stuffed but couldn’t bear to leave any of this behind.
There were four of us eating and it all came to only £8 a head (excluding drinks)! Seriously good value I think. For some reason it wasn’t listed on Happy Cow so I’ve just added it to the listings so other vegans/vegetarians visiting Oxford can find out about it.
Are you a Middle-Eastern food fan? Which dish looks best to you?
Definitely love Middle-Eastern food. It has long been one of my favorite cuisines. Of the dishes you pictured the one that looks most interesting to me is the mujadara. I’d love to know how to make that. The falafel and the fried cauliflower also sound very interesting.
Mujadara is fantastic.There’s a good recipe in the book Veganomicon if you have it? Although that version uses brown rice instead of bulgur.
I don’t have that book, but I did find a recipe online at herbivoracious which sounds good. I definitely prefer bulgur to brown rice.
That all looks very delicious and beautiful! So glad you shared these photos. I also love mujadara. The place near me makes it with rice and lentils instead of cracked wheat and lentils. I have found a really nice looking recipe for this on the blog Herbivoracious but have not yet made it. Maybe I’ll give it a go soon. I also love falafels and eat the fried version for an occasional treat.
Glad you liked the post Eve
Yes, the Mujadara I’ve made before, from the book Veganomicon, also uses brown rice instead of bulgur and it’s still delicious. I really like the blog Herbivoracious and the recipe for Mujadara there looks very similar.
oh geez, this post makes me so jealous. I wish we had a good Middle Eastern spot nearby. I love love love love love Middle Eastern cuisine so much. It is just delicious and fresh and flavorful, perfectly spiced… sigh.
So so good, right? Love all the flavours- lots of lemon, spices and fresh herbs
I love food like this, just full of flavour. I live in Oxford so I will have to add this on my list of restaurants to try.
I missed that you lived in Oxford! Definitely try and get to Al Shami! Jericho’s lovely for a wander too.
I love Lebanese cuisine! That eatery sounds yummy, thanks for the mention! Btw, great lighting, I bet the restaurant has loads of windows? I would love to try the Moutabel & the Ardi-Shoki! The Mujadara looks so delicious with the fried onions! I’m a Middle Eastern food fan, I love hummus and falafel! Almost everywhere I travel, I always have a hummus sauce around (except for Asia, they don’t do hummus at all unless if it’s a modern cafe, etc).
I chose a table next to the window! Restaurant lighting is usually terrible for pics though you’re right. I love that hummus and falafel are available almost everywhere you go now. The best falafel I’ve ever had is still the stuffed pita I had at L’As du Falafel in Paris
Funny, I made my husband switch tables last time we were at a restaurant, so I could have the good window light for photos!
Teehee. Aren’t we the cool ones?!
Suddenly I’m craving Middle Eastern food
All of it looks great but I’m especially drooling over the Mohammara Bil-Jawz and the Fattoush.
I want that Mohammara again! I am seriously considering asking the chef how they make it next time I visit. I need to know!
What a delicious spread, Middle Eastern mezes are perfect for sharing with groups of people. The secret to smoky flavoured eggplants is to roast them over a flame until the skin blisters and blackens and the eggplant becomes tender. Moutabel/baba ganoush is my favourite dip!
Thanks so much for the tip Mel! Can’t wait to try it myself. I don’t want to include any of the blackened skin in the dip though do I?
The skin should be removed prior to blending/pureeing, it peels off quite easily after the eggplants have been charred. If a small portion of the skin is pureed into the dip it’s not a big deal though.
Lovely photos - it all looks so good!! Celeste
Thank you. I was lucky it was such a bright day
I ate too much but it was all very very tasty!
Wow, the food looks amazing, great food great photos. The descriptions are enough even without the visuals though. Thank you, will be going there again soon!
Thanks Rich
Such a good meal. Whenever I’m back in Oxford I’ll be heading there I think!
I LOVE Lebanese food! And all the dishes you’ve mentioned. Mujadarrah makes the whole house smell divine. As for the motabel- you roast the eggplant and char the skin. That’s what gives it the smoky flavour.
Just found your blog through Poppy.
So good, no?! I’ve just been given that tip to char the skin so I’m definitely going to have to try it myself. It was insanely smoky tasting.
Thanks for stopping by
Ooh yes, I remember this place from when I lived in Oxford. Looks like an absolutely delicious spread. I love love love Lebanese too.
These restaurant looks amazing… and what great value! I adore Middle Eastern food too, so I’ll definitely have to look up this place next time we’re in Oxford.
Your pics are absolutely stunning! I usually have trouble with the lighting in restaurants and my pics look pretty poor. Did you use your camera or phone?
Thanks Sharon. I actually used my camera this time. I don’t usually take it out to restaurants but we were eating at lunch time and I knew it would be quiet and so not too intrusive.
Looks amazing! Photos are great too- i always struggle with restaurant photos. I don’t often go to Oxford but the next time I do i will be going here!!
It was such a tasty meal…reminiscing about it already…!
I love Lebanese cuisine, but unfortunately, all I know about it is what they serve in Lebanese fast food chains where I live. It’s good stuff though! I do love Mohammara, and don’t know why I haven’t made some at home yet. That restaurant looks fabulous.
It was a great meal. I still need to recreate mohammara too.
Blergh..I always hate walking past those “kebab shops”! They do often have falafel but the smell of the kebabs is enough to put me off ever going in.