Cedrus, Ryde

I had the pleasure of joining my foodie pals from FCBA at Cedrus, a Lebanese restaurant in Ryde. It's located right across from a body of water and a park in between Meadowbank and Ryde. I had been here once a few years ago for a friend's birthday.

I had good memories of my last visit and eagerly anticipate lunch. The venue has a nice open area outside which I would imagine would be very popular in good weather and there's an inside area too.

My favourite way to start a Lebanese feast is with lebanese bread and dips. The group of foodies share fresh lebanese bread and fried lebanese bread with hummus ($12), labneh ($12) and babaganoush ($13) dips. We also share the tabouli salad ($12) which is dominantly parsley which I love.We also share a fatoush salad ($15) (which has fried lebanese bread) and stuffed vine leaves.

This is completely up my alley as I love babaganoush (eggplant dip) with fresh lebanese bread. There's something about the smokey flavours that really activate my tastebuds, I think complement the smokey flavours with bold citrus and fresh herbs from the tabouli. I highly recommend starting the meal this way.

I then share a series of dishes with the foodie group including this halloumi stack ($18), the lamb skank which sits on a bed of rice ($24) and the Chicken Shawarma ($22) which is chicken breast in special spices with garlic and chilli sauce. The variety of food is great as there's so many different flavours and textures. The halloumi is stacked between tomato pieces, the lamb skank is easily shredded with the flavoursome sweet rice and the chicken is very tasty in that garlic and chilli sauce. The chicken is the most bold in flavour.

I really enjoy the falafels (6 for $14) which were perfection with a crunchy crust and a soft middle. These were so popular, they disappeared very quickly. I think hummus and falafels are the best way to enjoy chickpeas; they provide for a superior flavour and texture than eating chickpeas in original form. These are a must order.

For dessert, I share some baklava which looks amazing although it tastes slightly dry and could do with some more syrup. My favourite dessert is the Rose water rice pudding  because of the smooth texture of the rice pudding with the rose water syrup which adds a sweet rich flavour which lingers on the tongue. Finally I enjoy a cheeky cube of Turkish delight which is really soft, powdery and tasty.

Summary: For a Lebanese Feast, I'd recommend heading to Cedrus. There's also banquet options and the staff are really friendly! My favourite dish would have to be the Chicken Shawarma along with the staples of the trio of dips - hummus, babaganoush, labneh and the tabouli salad.  If you are sitting outside then just make sure you guard your food as I saw a cheeky magpie lurking about.

Price: Most mains $22-28

Location: 1/100 Belmore St, Ryde

Opening Hours: 
Closed Monday
Tuesday to Sunday 12pm to 3pm, 5pm to 10pm

Weekend Food Escapes dined as guests of the venue or their representatives. All photos, opinions and words are my own.