In a stretch with such a dense concentration of eateries as Holland Village’s Lorong Mambong, it takes something extra for a place to stand out. In Al Qasr’s favour is Lebanese head chef and owner Ghazi Georges Khanashat. Astonishingly, he uses no salt in his cooking – herbs and spices are cleverly mixed to create flavour; though in the case of the eggplant, garlic and walnut salad, this translated into a rather bland dish. But most flavours are clean and pure, whether it’s the astringent green of rice wrapped in vine leaves, a creamy hummus fragrant with toasted pine nuts, a fresh halloumi cheese salad or the fluffy pita wraps of shredded lamb scented with cloves.
Main courses $10-$25.