** rumi grill & café has restructured and changed its menu. it is now called rumi express **
as soon as i entered rumi grill & café, i was greeted by the smell of charcoal-grilled meat. the intoxicating aromas were like pavlov’s bell, inducing salivation and an anticipatory grumble from my belly. little brother to rumi, this little café on st-laurent blvd offers a menu consisting mostly of mezes, sandwiches, and grilled meats.
the menu offered a little bit of everything, which made it hard to choose. as always, dining in a small group is best because you get to try bits and pieces of everything. along with the menus came tap water served in a beautiful glass bottle, but i couldn’t pass up the chance to try the homemade juices that i had read about. i ordered the lemon basil juice that came in a rumi-labelled bottle. it was quite intriguing. the taste of lemon was very subtle, but it went quite well with the basil. with only a hint of sugar, i can only describe the drink as fresh. the combination of flavours was odd at first, but once i got used to it, it was deliciously thirst-quenching. i also had a sip of my friend’s blood orange juice. it was good, but i suspect that it was store-bought. it didn’t come in an in-house bottle like mine; it was served in a little glass. next up, i tried the ginger juice. this would be the perfect drink to have when you are sick. it started out with a little tingling on the tongue, but the ginger sneaks up on you and kicks you in the teeth. it was awesome!
to start the meal, we ordered a selection of mezze to share. the mousaqa, a dish of fried eggplants, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes, was served cold. it was good, but the flavours were too subtle to be memorable. the homemade falafels came served with a little cup of tahini. crisp on the outside and soft of the inside, these little fried balls were bursting with seasonings, but i wouldn’t be able to eat too many of them as the spices were very strong (as in flavour, not heat). we were served two kinds of falafels: one made with broad beans and herbs and the other of chickpeas and musk squash. sadly, i wasn’t able to differentiate between the two. an order of marmara gave us three giant grilled shrimps marinated in garlic, olive oil, and lemon. the shrimp weren’t soft or rubbery, but had a nice crunch to them, which is something i quite enjoyed. mouhammara, which is a spread of pureed aleppo pepper, walnuts, pomegranate with spices, and pine nuts was a little strong in taste. after a few mouthfuls, i just couldn’t have any more. the mezze were served with some baladi bread, a flat handmade whole-wheat bread that was like run-of-the-mill pita bread.
on to the pièce de résistance, the reason our taste buds got all excited when we walked through the door: the meat! communal dining allows you to sample a bit of everything, so we decided to share the sultan platter. this dish was composed of a half kilo of charcoal-grilled meat brochettes on a bed of greens, served with baladi bread, two sauces, and some pickles. with this platter, you also get a choice of rice, fries, or half & half. the meat on our plate included kefta, chicken, lamb, and filet mignon. every single bite of flesh was tender enough to melt in your mouth. with every brochette you can taste the difference in seasonings. the rice, although fragrant, was a little muted in taste. next time i will just order fries. the fried spuds came with the skin on, something that i love. they were crispy and seasoned with spice. not the best fries i’ve had, but they are among the finalists.
on the dessert menu, you will find muhallabiya, an “oriental pudding” made with milk, cream, and rose water. let’s just say that it was interesting. my first spoonful of the cold pudding had a taste of orangey freshness, but all subsequent spoonfuls tasted overwhelmingly of rose. it was a little weird. i felt like i was ingesting rose perfume. i kind of got sick of it after a while. it is not something that i would order again. if you’re eating here on a friday, saturday or sunday, halawi should be available. this roll stuffed with kashka cheese, drizzled with orange blossom syrup and topped with pistachios is only dessert i liked.
to end your meal, i suggest a pot of moroccan mint tea. this green tea with mint and infused with cane sugar is simply addictive. i can’t wait to go back for more.
** rumi grill & café has restructured and changed its menu. it is now called rumi express **
rumi grill & café
4403, boul. st-laurent
montréal, québec
H2W 1Z8
T: 514.670.6770
www.rumigrill.ca
payment: cash, debit, credit cards
hours:
mon 11:30am-3pm
tues to wed 11:30am-9pm
thurs to sat 11:30am-11pm
sun 11:30am-9pm