Ceru is not your run-of-the-mill Middle Eastern restaurant
CERU, the new Middle Eastern addition to Kings Cross has finally materialised after what you could call a full-on feng shui extravaganza.
PERHAPS wisely, this new Middle Eastern addition to Kings Cross has finally materialised after what you could call a full-on feng shui extravaganza.
Such was the bad juju around this particular site, wedged in between the famously grimy Penny’s Lane and Kings Cross Road, new owner and head chef Tom Kime decided that nothing short of a complete spiritual overhaul was in order.
Indeed, a quick Google search reveals no less than four food businesses have crashed and burned there in the past few years, including an Italian joint called — wait for it — Time To Vino.
“So many businesses went broke there,” Kime, a Brit (pictured below left), laments.
“I wanted to really change the energy and make it a place that people wanted to walk into.”
Five months later and Kime has finally flung open the doors of his mezze outpost Ceru.
Draped in recycled timber, oxidised copper and splashes of cerulean blue (hence the abbreviated name), Ceru feels breezy and clean, with a simple fitout that includes booths and one giant communal table.
It’s not an unpleasant change from the usual direction that Middle Eastern restaurants take, with their wall rugs and deep lighting.
And Kime is keen to stress that Ceru is very much a contemporary take on street mezze from the Levant region, which is less smoky flamed meats and more oven and stovetop fare such as steamed mussels and simmered lamb meatballs.
Our enthusiastic server advises that three dishes each from the menu is a recommended amount, along with, say, a selection from the nibbles section.
We start with a mix of the dips, which is essentially four large, colourful blobs made up of hummus, fried zucchini dip, roast beetroot and a spicy red pepper for a hefty $17 — all of which are deliciously flavoursome but the dip-pita ratio is a bust and we’re forced to order an additional serving of bread. For which we’re charged extra.
Sydney rock oysters, $4 each, are splashed with a zesty pomegranate and chilli liquor and are perfectly serviceable as a starter.
The next dish of roasted aubergines ($13) is also a great lead-in dish and the eggplant, golden and creamy, is nicely teamed with spiced almonds and fresh yoghurt as well as a rich tomato sauce with hints of cumin and chilli.
A seafood dish of prawns and mussels ($22), piled into a steaming sauce of red peppers and cherry tomatoes, could win a beauty contest with big fat banana prawns the star attraction.
Better still, the slow-roast lamb shoulder with shawarma spices, slow-cooked overnight and served with a mint and pistachio dressing ($24).
It’s rich and heavenly but a relatively small serve for the price, and with the meat removed from the bone in the kitchen it loses some of its moistness.
We finish with the set lemon pot ($12). Made with buttermilk and vanilla and topped with poached berries, it makes for a zingy palate cleanser.
There’s also a homely baklava dish served with honeycomb ice cream and roast nut brittle. As well as traditional Turkish rice pudding, which is inhaled at our neighbouring table.
Sustainability is high on Kime’s agenda and that, perhaps, translates to the pricing. With small dishes priced at about $14 and mains at about $20, you could eat for less.
Is it the best Middle Eastern fare in Sydney? Not entirely but it’s headed in the right direction.
All meals are paid for and visits unannounced.
CERU
2-14 King’s Cross Road, Potts Point.
Rating 7.5/10
Phone 02 9332 1532
Style Modern middle-eastern
Open Monday: 7am to 11pm
Tuesday to Friday: 7am to midnight
Saturday: 8am to midnight
Sunday: 8am to 10pm
Highlight The prawns and mussels and roasted aubergine
Lowlight Some big prices for some small dishes
Like this, then try these:
● Al Aseel, Newtown
● Jasmin, Lakemba
● Stanbuli, Enmore
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