Bored, in the bugis area and tired of Chinese and Japanese food? Take a stroll down Arab street where you will find anything from old carpet shops to spanish bars. When you’re starting to feel hungry, drop by Sufi’s Corner if you feel like some Turkish or Mediterranean food.
The restaurant is dimly lit and there was only one other couple sitted by the windowsill when we arrived.
As the night went on, the restaurant which could seat about 20 people started to fill up with people of all ages and races. Plenty of effort was put into decorating the place, from the tarnished copper jars containing colourful spices and nuts lining the table to the vibrant glass lamps across the ceiling. There is plenty of time for you to admire the surroundings and people-watch if you get a window seat as the food takes some time to arrive.
Doner Durum ($11) came with moist and flavourful chicken slices, bits of onion, fresh tomatoes and lettuce all wrapped up in a hot tortilla. It came with a generous portion of ordinary medium-cut crunchy fries which P quickly wolfed down for his love of carbs.
Patlican musakka ($18) is described as a Mediterranean stew which is baked in a clay pot, so I was expecting the dish to arrive in a well-used brown pot with a charred bottom, but the dish arrived in a plate normally used for baked rice at Swenson’s. The eggplant and ground lamb were moist and the piping hot potatoes and the melted (mozzarella? mix) cheese on top were a match made in heaven. They also provide an option for ground chicken if you can’t stomach the thought of lamb. A side of toasted pita bread with soft insides accompanied the dish and was useful for soaking up the leftover gravy from the eggplant and lamb. This dish will make great comfort food if you’re in a cold country because it leaves a warm feeling in a your belly.
Mixed kebab ($27) came with chunky pieces of lamb, chicken and beef. The succulent herbed chicken was a joy to eat, and I could not resist going back for more. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the lamb and beef, which were extremely dry and hard and gave my jaw a good exercise. Like the previous dish. the bread was toasted and had a crunchy crust, and the softer insides soaked up the delicious meat juices on the plate. Overall, it was quite a disappointment for its high price tag.
Kunefe ($11) was the star of the meal. As stated on the menu, we had to wait 20 minutes for the dish to arrive as it was freshly prepared in the kitchen. Was the wait worth it? Yes! White shredded wheat mixed with sweet honey syrup and string pastry has been moulded into a small circle (like a rosti) which is perfect for people who love their sweets. The pastry sits in a pool of cream cheese, which looks like a lot until you find that you have none left to dip in for the last few bites of the pastry. A few raisins floating in the pool of cream adds a different kind of sweetness to the dessert. Definitely a must-try if you have not tried this before.
After the meal we were all stuffed, and walked around Arab Street and managed to catch a live gig in one of the alleys before heading back.
Will I be back? Maybe for the dessert and the soft pita bread, but everything else is pretty pricey and the chicken and lamb kebabs were pretty bad. And remember the couple I mentioned at the start? They were still there happily chit-chatting with half eaten plates when we left. Perhaps the candle light and exotic ambiance wilil turn Sufi’s corner into your go-to place for date night.
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