IT’S hard to get past the appetisers when poring over the menu at a Middle Eastern restaurant.

For us, it was a toss-up between the eggplant-based moutabal and baba ganoush at Mozer’s, a Syrian eatery in Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur. We also wanted the hommous with lamb, stuffed vine leaves and fried cauliflower.

Then, we spotted the Mozer’s Mazza (RM35), a platter of five appetisers, and persuaded the manager to add two more – one each of the falafel and samosa.

Moutabal is a creamy dip of roasted eggplant blended with tahini. Mozer’s version of baba ganoush has the vegetable, also roasted, mashed and combined with onions, lemon juice, chilli and parsley, and topped with walnuts and black olives. It tastes fresh and a little tart.

The hommous with grilled lamb cubes (RM15) goes so well with the thin Syrian bread served alongside. Straight from the fryer, the samosa bursts with a lovely spiced sweet potato filling. I also like the falafel, made with ground chickpeas.

The standout in this platter has got to be the cauliflower fried with tahini and a variety of spices, cumin among them. When asked, our friendly waiter brought out a small dish of the “secret” spices used for us to taste.

Moist, fluffy and aromatic, the rice in the Kabsah Rice with Lamb (RM20) is absolutely delicious. The chunks of flavourful, juicy meat make it even more irresistible.

This is rice we couldn’t stop eating. The spiced long-grain basmati is terrific with the accompanying chicken gravy, as well as the tomato chilli dip.

For the Shish Tawook (RM20), large cubes of chicken breast, marinated in tomato paste, lemon juice and spices, are roasted. It comes with French fries and a yoghurt dip.

We shared a pot of refreshing Arabic tea with mint (RM10) throughout the meal, and ended with Turkish coffee (RM10), brewed in a little brass pot. The coffee, fragrant with cardamom, is great to sip on.

Our dessert pick was the Churros (RM10), which came out of the kitchen piping hot and crispy on the outside, and dusted with sugar. You get twin dips of chocolate and caramel, and the former is especially delightful.

While Mozer’s offers mainly Syrian cuisine, pasta dishes, like the Spaghetti Bolognese (RM18), Beef Lasagna (RM18), Aglio Olio with Prawns and Mushroom Pasta, are also on the menu, as well as other Western selections like the Salmon with Mashed Potato (RM35) and Garlic Eryngi Mushrooms with Bread.

Other dessert options include the Banofee Pie (RM8) and Mozer’s French Toast (RM14).

There’s an exotic feel about the restaurant, which is decorated with artworks and fitted with long settees with colourful covers and cushions.

Mozer’s is located at Plaza Damas, Hartamas Shopping Centre, 60 in Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, Taman Sri Hartamas. It can be reached at 03-6419-9472. Delivery is available.

Another branch is at D’Bayu Business Centre in Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam (03-5021-4195). – May 23, 2020.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.