Ali Baba Middle Eastern Cuisine

By John Redmond

Contributing Writer

A rule of thumb when trying out a new restaurant is to look in the window and see how many people are dining there. If the place is crowded with lots of happy, smiling customers, chances are favorable the food is going to be great.

This rule doesn’t apply to fast food outlets and the like. But what if the restaurant is located on a floor other than the ground level, which in Seoul is pretty much the norm? Then it’s a case of potluck.

Ali Baba, a middle-eastern food restaurant situated on the main street of Itaewon, between the Itaewon Hotel and the Hamilton Hotel is located on the third floor.

Specializing in middle-eastern cuisine, the decor is straight out what one would expect to see in a typical ’Indiana Jones’ type movie. Not exactly authentic, but enough dressing to create the illusion of not being in Seoul.

In the far right corner, for example, is a large seating area that resembles a parlor, complete with Lebanese style drapes, perfect for larger private function’s.

The rest of the dining arrangement consists of tables, with seating for four people, lined along the outer wall, offering views of the main street at night, and providing natural light during the day.

Along with prints depicting traditional food and cultural icons, the feeling is decidedly contemporary with the rather upbeat middle-easternstyle club music playing in the background.

At first glance the food looked rather pricey, until you take into conconsideration that most dishes are meant to be shared.

From the grill includes, Reash Mashui, (lamb ribs with grilled garlic, oregano, lemon served with salad) 19,000 won and Gampary Mashui, (shrimp with garlic and oregano also served with salad) 22,000 won.

The appetizer section was more to my liking with old favorites Tabbouleh (tomato, mint, scallion, parsley and lemon juice), Hummus (chick peas, tahini, sesame seeds, garlic and lemon juice) and Baba ganoush (eggplant dip), all reasonably priced at 4,000 won.

Another popular middle-eastern favorite is the Falafel sandwich (chick pea balls served with salad wrapped in pita bread).

6,000 won. The main course section of the menu, mislabeled as ’Entree,’ with prices starting at 14,000 won, includes Grilled Beef, Shish Tawook (beef kebab) and Shish Kebab (chicken kebab), and Lamb Shawarma (grilled lamb kebab) all served with salad. Pita bread must be bought separately.

For value and variety I opted for the Falafel sandwich, Baba ganoush and some pita bread and for my main, the Lamb Shawarma, served with salad, hot sauce and white salad sauce.

For what it’s worth, the falafel sandwich was great. The pita wrap was light and crisp, the salad was lean on lettuce and rich in other ingredients, and the chick pea balls were cooked to perfection.

A common problem is for the falafels to be either to oily or to dry. The baba ganoush was a touch oily but by no means bland. I felt the servings could have been a little more generous.

The lamb was cooked to perfection. Served on a bed of salad still on the skewers, with a spicy red sauce with sliced green peppers and cubed potatoes, and a white cream garlic sauce, the lamb was very tender.

Though spicy, the lamb was not very salty. A common problem is for the meat to be too salty. Must be something to do with the marinating process. The salad was a little plain, consisting of lettuce, tomato and sliced cucumber.

Drinks choices are very limited comprising of local beer, soft drinks, tea and coffee. Staff at Ali Baba are exceptionally polite. At one stage I was their only customer. The food, although a little pricey, is perfect for a small group if you’re prepared to share a variety of dishes.

Ali Baba is located on the main street of Itaewon opposite the fire station. It’s on the third floor.

For more information call Khalid Ali on 02-790-7754