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There’s no shortage of well-loved Lebanese restaurants in Southwest Sydney, but Al Yasmin in Punchbowl is my favourite. The menu is huge, the portions are huger, and the can’t-stop-eating-it flavours go even harder. It’s also incredible value – come hungry.
The vibe
Al Yasmin is a brightly lit restaurant on the main drag opposite Punchbowl train station. It’s a big enough place to go with a group for an affordable get-together, or you can just grab takeaway.
Confusingly, even though the sign out front and on the menus (and Google) say Al Yasmin, the waitstaff wear uniforms that say Jasmin 1 – a nod to its previous life as one of the many Jasmin 1 Lebanese restaurants across Sydney. The name is the only thing that’s changed – this Punchbowl institution still delivers the same great food and value that it has for more than 30 years.
The food
There’s no way you won’t over-order here, especially because they drop complimentary Lebanese bread, pickles, tomatoes, fresh mint, onions, garlic sauce and chilli sauce on the table before any of your actual selections arrive. As they start fulfilling your order, you'll realise you're in for a feast.
Everything is excellent, but I’d recommend getting their lemon garlic chicken ($26) – it’s grilled shish tawook, removed from the skewers and mixed into a thick sauce made with yoghurt, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt, topped with a bright sprinkling of sumac and chopped parsley. The decadent creaminess is perfectly balanced with the garlic, lemon and sumac.
The mixed plates are stacked. The vegetarian mixed plate (with fried eggplant, fried cauliflower, three falafels, two dolmades, chickpea salad, tabouli, hummus and baba ganoush) is $30 and it’s more than enough to feed two.
The four of us didn’t need more food, but we couldn’t resist adding a plate of lamb shawarma ($32), which is perfectly rendered but still juicy. Put it all together with dip and salad in a triangle of flat bread and you’ve got yourself a very happy mouthful.
If you want to go even more cheap and cheerful, you can grab a wrap for around $10 (an absurdly low-cost feed these days).
The drinks
They have the usual soft drinks, aryan salted yoghurt, and a range of juices (including a refreshing and tangy tamarind juice).
Time Out tip
Before too long, the Metro will stop at Punchbowl, right across the road. Get on over there now to try Al Yasmin before the rest of Sydney realises it’s the place to be.
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