was abit skeptical when i entered the restaurant. Firstly, we were the only customers there during lunchtime. Secondly, I had the preconceived perception that lebanese and generally middle eastern food, comes in expensive small potions.

the pictures in the menu didn't really whet my appetite. the colors and photos looked old and didn't look appetising at all. I'm a visual person. Combed thru the entire menu and reluctantly ordered some salad and chicken appetiser which is served with pita.

The rest of the group (15 pax!)ordered their own main courses and some side dishes to share.

We ordered most of the main courses and they came in generous portions and tasted good. The pictures in the menu didn't do justice to the food. They need a better photographer and camera!

We loved the lebanese spices rice (not sure what it's called) that came with some of the main courses. It was fragrant and yummy!

My only grouse was that the food took quite long but forgave them since we had a large group and in return, we had a satisfying lunch.

Advice is to order a less main courses if you are not big eaters and order more side dishes and appetisers to share. They have a huge menu.

I've noted this place quite a long while back when venturing in the vicinity of Arab Street. This time round, I was just roaming around the area again, came upon the restaurant and decided to check them out. The place sells itself as Lebanese, but I guess like many of the other Middle Eastern places locally, it's probably a little bit of Western as well as localisation of some of the items. I'm not so sure about penne arrabiata or crinkle cut fries in authentic Lebanese cuisine. But then again, I haven't really been to Lebanon, so what do I really know?

The experience here was a few hits and misses. But I guess there were more hits since at the end of it all, I didn't mind returning again another time to try something else off their menu. There were a couple of items here which I've never seen elsewhere so there's something for interesting. The options on menu was quite good for variety as well. Service however, was very spotty with very disinterested looking waitresses that didn't know what's in the menu.

We started off with a couple of warm appetizers which was a hummus with lamb and chicken with mollasses.

I'm quite taken in by the lamb and hummus. The creamy chick pea puree was definitely enjoyable despite the lack of lemon and garlic that flavors them generally. There were some toasted cashews and pistachios scattered sparingly on top of the dish, but they didn't taste too freshly toasted. Also, I found it a little strange that the accompanying flat bread came wrapped in plastic instead of being freshly made or even warm. Still, I found myself enjoying this quite a bit. The chicken livers are another item I wouldn't mind at all, having again. I'm not too sure what mollasses are, but the freshly cooked livers tasted like they were cooked in some kind of mildly sweet black vinegar reduction which made them very appetizing indeed.

And there's the 1/2 kilogram mixed kebab platter which the waitress insisted, consists of only lamb. But the truth is, we got a couple of chicken and lamb shish kebabs, a couple of lamb chops, and chunks of grilled chicken and beef. I guess that people who get this stuff go for the quantity of the meats which not surprisingly, wasn't too remarkable in terms of taste. It was in the end, just regular decent meat that would probably satisfy any one with one of those feral cravings. The accompanying spiced rice was pretty good though.

An interesting note, this place actually serves a whole lamb/goat for $400.

pics and stuff here

Haven't been there for a while but i always go there with my other half to have two things.

the 1 kilo Mix Grill (with rice AND fries) and my Mint Shisha on the rocks!

The great thing about the MIx Grill at El-Sheikh is that it never tastes the same. And you really don't know what you're gonna get. There will definitely be tender pieces of beef fillet, lamb kafta, chicken kafta, sometimes even juicy lamb cutlets. Kaftas are similar to sausages in a way, made with ground beef or chicken and mixed with lotsa spices. The meats are rarely overcooked, all flavoured with lebanese spices ( although some of you might find a little tad salty). And the spiced rice is just gorgeous.

MUST HAVE THE MIX GRILL! They also have it 1/2 kilo, if you don't think you can handle that big a portion.

Of course everything else is better with the mint shisha on the side!

Other food items that i've tried are the El-Sheikh sandwich, which is great if you're looking for a light dinner. The chefs can be quite generous with the portions of sliced beef, which are rolled together with capsicums and a great sweet sauce. The chicken shawarma is also a great choice if you don't feel like beef. It's full of tender chicken pieces. I'm quite picky about chicken cos if they're overcooked, i find them tough and just dry in the mouth. The chicken shawarma here is always juicy. Never had a bad encounter with dry chicken yet.

For starters, you should also try the Sheikh Mezze, a mini combo of dips and falafel. The small dishes are great for sharing and pretty much prepare you for a hearty main course. The pita bread is awesome as well. The hummus is quite smooth too.

Desserts-wise, only try if you have a really sweet tooth. Baklava ( i think its called) and another one that starts with a 'B' as well, are simply traditional desserts. I'm not too crazy about the desserts though.

Service here used to be better when i knew the staff but i guess most of them have left and maybe that's why i rarely find myself there too. The chef is still the same and that's the only reason i keep coming back. I think the last time i went there, the staff were prety busy running around with the charcoal and food/drinks. They do try to attend to you as soon as they can but i guess everyone would feel a bit better if they had smiled.

As for seating space, make a reservation guys! i tend to go on the weekend and it can get a bit crazy. Groups of 8-10 people can already take up half the room on the second floor. So i think its better to call and check if they got room. Customers there can get a bit too comfy and sit for hours. :)

Pricewise, it has increased over the last six months. Depending on what you order, it can go up to a hundred for 3 pax. Most times me and my other half pay around 70++. Yes, we eat a lot. :P

Overall a nice place which could do with better service.

if there is one item you should try.. it's definitely the hummus
while im not exactly sure whats in it **i think chick peas is one of them**
it reallie is worth the wait for this appertiser
unlike what i had at ambrosia down the road.. the bread portion was firstly, bigger, warmer and fluffier for the lack of a better word
the shish kebab and shish tawouk.. are some of the better options.. and each main order comes wif a choice of either fries or rice
no u cant have half of both
but serious.. fries? no wayy.. u should take it with this special rice that they serve it with..
i wonder why they do not sell just the rice itself.. hmm
dint try the shesha there though..
well maybe i just dun get the whole shesha thing..
but all in all.. their special rice..and hummus.. try it
and oh.. this place actuallie has like a 2nd level patio.. so you could do a lil star gazing from their bar top like seats..
but everytime im there hardly anyone sits out..
typical singaporeans who'd rather enjoy the comforts of the indoor..
but somethin needs to be done about the service though..
where's the smiles and thank yous people..?

We had a friend visiting from China and thought that it'd be a nice change for him to have something non-Chinese...so on Friday night, the three of us made our way to El Sheikh for a middle eastern experience...

There are 2 floors available for dining and we decided to head up to the 2nd floor since it looked quite interesting with carpets and large cushions strewn on the floor. Our friend ordered a shisha while we ordered drinks and dinner.

The iced lemon tea came out of a can (so much for real iced tea) while the appetisers were quite average. It took them a long time to serve us our mains - we ordered the lamp chops (a bit overcooked and dry), chicken kofta (quite tasty) and shish kebab (OK only).

In spite of the unremarkable food, the relaxed (but non-airconditioned) setting made a nice change for us Singaporeans spoilt with airconditioning.