Ablas Lebanese Restaurant in Carlton, Victoria, Australia | Middle Eastern Restaurant

Ablas Lebanese Restaurant

Locality: Carlton, Victoria, Australia

Phone: +61 3 9347 0006

Address: 109 Elgin Street Carlton 3053 Carlton, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.ablas.com.au/

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• Middle Eastern Restaurant
• Lebanese restaurant

24.01.2022 I’d like that item

24.01.2022 It’s not all bad news!! Ablas will remain open for take away only, Thursday - Saturdays from 5pm access our take away menu through the link in our bio and place an order on 9347 0006 (pick up only)

24.01.2022 Prep prep prep!! Lots going on behind the scenes right now, the ladies of the kitchen are dicing and slicing to bring back your favourite dishes feels good to be back

23.01.2022 I am happy to report there is a little gem of a listing on Ablas in the recent Special edition of Gourmet Traveller: One of the original and best Lebanese restaurants in Melbourne is great value. Thank you Gourmet Traveller!

23.01.2022 I am happy to report there is a little gem of a listing on Abla’s in the recent Special edition of Gourmet Traveller: One of the original and best Lebanese restaurants in Melbourne is great value. Thank you Gourmet Traveller!

22.01.2022 How the Amad’s are feeling because as of next Thursday the 14th we are back open for take away!! From 5pm onwards you can order your fav dishes a refined take away menu is in the works as well as UberEats! We are so happy to be getting back on our feet, keep an eye out for updates

21.01.2022 Get ready for a grilling Three years ago I was awarded an AM. I was so humbled by the occasion that every year since Ive felt like giving something back. So, this year Ive decided to post a few recipes to spice up the traditional Australia Day barbeque. Here are Lamb on Skewers and Kafta on Skewers (but keep an eye out for my next post, Garlic Chicken on Skewers). Note that you can use the same garnish on both the Lamb and Katfa dishes.... Lamb on Skewers 1.5 kg lean lamb fillets, cut into 3-4 cm cubes teaspoon freshly ground black pepper teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 onions, quartered Mix the meat with the pepper, allspice, salt and oil. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour. Thread 5-6 marinated lamb cubes onto metal skewers, alternating with an onion piece between every second cube or so. Cook on a hot barbeque for 5-7 minutes or until cooked to your liking, turning to brown on all sides. Serve immediately with garnish to the side. Kafta on Skewers 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 kg finely minced lean lamb 2 cups finely chopped flat-leaf parsley Combine onion, salt and spices in a large bowl. Add the meat and parsley and mix until well combined. Roll the mixture into 20 sausage shapes and place on 20 metal skewers. Barbeque over a high heat for 4-5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Sprinkle with garnish and serve with home-made hummus. Garnish 1 onion, halved and very finely sliced cup freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 tablespoon ground sumac Mix all of the ingredients until well combined. Set aside until ready to serve the Lamb or Kafta. Photo: Lamb on Skewers

20.01.2022 Abla and the team at Ablas wishes everyone a great 2018 and heartfelt thanks for your support throughout 2017. We will be back on the 15th January.

19.01.2022 2017 was a year filled with honours, but the most precious honour of all is spending time with my family. Here I am surrounded by some of my grandchildren, and so heres to a new year full of fun, family and great food.

19.01.2022 Summer’s Last Fling Summer is truly over and a few weeks ago people everywhere would have dried, smoked, pickled, crushed and bottled, and even frozen, their late summer harvest of vegetables tomatoes, olives, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, beans. But summer always has one last fling, those jewels of the earth that need nothing more than the right place to be stored. Garlic is one of those vegetables and friends from The Life We Want have brought me two generous bags of thei...r last crop. So, with a bulb or two I’m going to make some Taratour bi toum (garlic paste), and lucky I have a friend over to share it with! Here we are peeling the garlic and here too is my recipe for the paste. 1 head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled teaspoon salt 1 cup (250 ml) olive oil 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Place the garlic and salt in a food processor and blend to form a fine past (or you can use a mortar and pestle), gradually adding the oil, then the lemon juice. If the mixture separates, add another 2 cloves of garlic and blend again. This will be plenty for one meal. If any of the paste is left over, spoon into a sterilized jar, cover and refrigerate for when needed again. The paste will last for up to a month. If using a mortar and pestle, be sure to crush the garlic with salt first before adding the oil and lemon juice, and always stir in the same direction to prevent the mixture from separating.

18.01.2022 Magical Purslane What a great find! My daughter Patricia brought to me a small bunch of purslane she found growing wild. Straight into a glass of water it went (see photo) and now its a matter of waiting a few days for shoots to form before planting it in a spot thats sunny and well drained. Purslane is a magical vegetable, a hardy succulent thats rich in Omega-3, vitamins C and B, and contains several other vitamins and minerals. Legend has it that purslane was once used... to cure snake bites, wounds from arrows dipped in poison, and to counteract the effects of noxious foods and drinks. Such was purslanes reputation it has been said that deflated knights returning from the crusades would seek to restore their strength only from monasteries where it was known the monks there grew purslane in abundance. Strange that nowadays purslane is often thought to be a weed. But what is a weed, after all? A plant growing in a spot where you dont want it to grow. So, if you come across purslane in your garden you might want to think about eating it before weeding it! The French have a creamy soup made of purslane, Potage pure de pourpier, but I think purslane is best eaten fresh to enjoy its tartness and really get the full benefits of its vitamins and minerals. Heres a recipe for Purslane Salad. Note that you can use the leaves and stems in the summer, but only the leaves during cooler months as the stems become a bit woody. 1 clove garlic - 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sumac 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 white onion, halved and very finely sliced 5 cups purslane, washed and torn, keeping leaves and stems intact 3 tomatoes, diced 2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved lengthways and sliced Using a mortar and pestle, finely crush the garlic with the salt. Transfer to a salad bowl, then add sumac, lemon juice and oil and mix in the onion. Add the purslane, tomato and cucumber and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

17.01.2022 Some of the team from Ablas in Lebanon. At Tripoli Soap Market (left) and dinner at Jamal at sunset.

17.01.2022 Get Ready for a Grilling Part 2 As promised, heres my Garlic Chicken on Skewers. This one is certain to spice up your Australia Day barbeque, as nothing can compare to the flavour that the garlic paste brings to barbequed chicken. Serve it with tabbouleh and you have a meal fit for a prince or a princess! Garlic Chicken on Skewers 3 large skinless breast or thigh fillets, fat removed, cut into 2-3 cm cubes... 1 tablespoon garlic paste, plus extra to serve For the Garlic Paste 1 medium-sized head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled teaspoon salt 1 cup olive oil 2 tablepoons lemon juice Makes the garlic paste first. Place garlic and salt in a food processor and blend to form a fine paste (or use a mortar and pestle), gradually adding the oil, then the lemon juice. If the mixture separates, add another 2 cloves of garlic and blend again. Combine the chicken with the garlic paste, then cover and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour. Thread the chicken onto 6-8 metal skewers and barbeque for 5 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown. Serve hot, accompanied by a bowl of remaining garlic paste.

16.01.2022 Summers Last Fling Summer is truly over and a few weeks ago people everywhere would have dried, smoked, pickled, crushed and bottled, and even frozen, their late summer harvest of vegetables tomatoes, olives, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, beans. But summer always has one last fling, those jewels of the earth that need nothing more than the right place to be stored. Garlic is one of those vegetables and friends from The Life We Want have brought me two generous bags of thei...r last crop. So, with a bulb or two Im going to make some Taratour bi toum (garlic paste), and lucky I have a friend over to share it with! Here we are peeling the garlic and here too is my recipe for the paste. 1 head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled teaspoon salt 1 cup (250 ml) olive oil 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Place the garlic and salt in a food processor and blend to form a fine past (or you can use a mortar and pestle), gradually adding the oil, then the lemon juice. If the mixture separates, add another 2 cloves of garlic and blend again. This will be plenty for one meal. If any of the paste is left over, spoon into a sterilized jar, cover and refrigerate for when needed again. The paste will last for up to a month. If using a mortar and pestle, be sure to crush the garlic with salt first before adding the oil and lemon juice, and always stir in the same direction to prevent the mixture from separating.

16.01.2022 Ablas Lebanese Restaurant will be open for lunch AND dinner this coming Friday (28th) for the GF public holiday!!

16.01.2022 Easter Hope Did you know that the original meaning of maamoul is hope? I think that explains why this traditional Lebanese biscuit is popular at Easter. There is a wonderful little article called "Enjoy a Little Hope this Easter" (posted on the Hamper Store website last year) which tells us why baking biscuits and sweets breads at Easter has been a long-established tradition all over the world for much longer than the giving of chocolate eggs. The article also includes my re...cipe for maamoulor hopeand what a great thing that is to enjoy at this time of year. I wish you all a joyful and hopeful Easter holiday. Ingredients 3 cups (480g) fine semolina 250g unsalted butter, softened tsp white sugar 1 tsp mahlab (optional) 1 tsp dried yeast 2 tbsp orange-blossom water cup (60 ml) milk Icing sugar, for dusting (optional) Filling 1 cup (120g) coarsely chopped pistachio nuts cup (55g) white sugar 1 tbsp orange-blossom water Directions Place semolina, butter and sugar in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips. Leave to rest for 1 hour covered with plastic film. Add the mahlab (if using), yeast, orange-blossom water and milk and mix together to form a dough. Turn out onto a work surface, then knead. Return to the bowl, cover and leave to sit for another 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 220 C. Knead the dough for 5 minutes to help bind together. To make the filling, combine all the ingredients. Spoon 1 tbsp semolina dough into your hand and shape into a ball. Make a hole in the centre and fill with 1 tsp of the filling. Seal firmly and flatten slightly in the palm of your hand. Press the dough firmly into a maamoul mould, then tap out. Continue with the remaining dough and filling. Place the maamoul about 2 cm apart on baking trays and bake for 15 mins or until golden. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Sprinkle with icing sugar (if using). Maamoul can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks. (If you would like to read the article, go to https://www.hamperstore.com.au//enjoy-a-little-hope-this-/)

16.01.2022 Tonight We are back open for take away Our refined menu is below and linked in our bio To place an order from 5pm, call on 9347 0006

16.01.2022 Abla is thrilled and elated to learn she will soon be a great grandmother. Congratulations for Georgie Amad and Michael Jamison.

15.01.2022 Nothing beats the winter blues like Ablas chicken soup recipe! 1 large skinless chicken breast on the bone 1 cinnamon stick or tsp ground cinnamon 2 bay leaves... 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, including stalks 2 tomatoes, finely chopped 1 tsp salt tsp freshly ground black pepper tsp ground allspice cup crushed egg vermicelli Place the chicken breast in a saucepan of water and add the cinnamon and bay leaves. Cover and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes (the meat should be starting to come away from the bone). Add the onion, parsley and tomato to the pan. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Shred the chicken meat from the bone and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return the chicken to the pan, then add the salt, pepper and allspice and simmer over low heat, covered, for 20 minutes. Add the vermicelli and cook for a further 23 minutes. Serve immediately.

15.01.2022 It’s not all bad news!! Ablas will remain open for take away only, Thursday - Saturdays from 5pm access our take away menu through the link in our bio and place an order on 9347 0006 (pick up only)

15.01.2022 An example of the legendary mezza spread (left), and another legendary Lebanese spread at Al Falamanki in Beirut.

15.01.2022 The Conquest of Tyre by the Amads.

13.01.2022 Craving this but don’t want to leave the house? Ablas is doing take away, bringing the Lebanese love to your couch access the menu through our website and call on 9347 0006 to place your order ! Pick up only!

13.01.2022 Yesterday, I had a fun-filled morning making Silverbeet Rolls with the wonderful Maeve OMeara at a photo shoot for a forthcoming recipe book, Food Safari Elements (due for release in October). The morning summed up the joy I feel whenever Im cooking, by turns splendidly familiar and lightly mystical. Thank you Maeve!

13.01.2022 Enjoy a Little Hope this Easter, a lovely story about Easter and maamoul. Includes my recipe for making maamoul: https://www.hamperstore.com.au//enjoy-a-little-hope-this-/

12.01.2022 To everyone dining at Ablas for Valentines Day, I want to share a few of my favourite words from Kahlil Gibran, one of the worlds greatest philosophers and poets. In a letter to May Ziadeh, he wrote: I walk side by side with a shadow more beautiful and more lucid than the reality of all men. I walk with my hand holding a hand that is silken and yet strong, with a will of its own; a hand whose fingers are soft and yet capable of lifting weights and breaking heavy chains. And every now and then I turn my head to behold a pair of glittering eyes and lips touched by a smile that wounds with its sweetness. And, from his collection The Earth Gods, Let love, human and frail, command the coming day. I hope this day brings to all of you the greatest joy. [Illustration by K. Gibran]

12.01.2022 Its not all bad news!! Ablas will remain open for take away only, Thursday - Saturdays from 5pm access our take away menu through the link in our bio and place an order on 9347 0006 (pick up only)

12.01.2022 Old souk in Douma, a stunningly classic Lebanese village.

12.01.2022 Great day and night spent with Abla and Maeve

12.01.2022 Fridays are for feasts!! Lebanese feasts to be exact we are open for take away tonight and tomorrow night! Call on 9347 0006 to place an order

11.01.2022 How the Amads are feeling because as of next Thursday the 14th we are back open for take away!! From 5pm onwards you can order your fav dishes a refined take away menu is in the works as well as UberEats! We are so happy to be getting back on our feet, keep an eye out for updates

07.01.2022 Thinking of our beautiful home finding joy in the simplest ways, we hope you are doing the same and saying safe x

07.01.2022 The Roman ruins of Baalbek believed to be the temple of Bacchus, Roman god of wine, and always a gorgeous sight are the Cedars of Lebanon in summer.

06.01.2022 Ablas Birthday at Ablas Last night I had the perfect birthday present ever -- a feast at my own restaurant with family, family and more family. Four generations in all! Thanks to my daughter Margaret-Anne for this short clip of me dancing with my staff to some great traditional Lebanese music.

06.01.2022 My heartfelt thanks to all of you for your wonderful birthday wishes. I am so deeply touched by your words that my heart is still dancing. I adore you all. Here are some photos from a great evening.

05.01.2022 Why have these dishes stood the test of time? And perhaps more importantly, have you tried them all?

05.01.2022 Lebanese Twist on a Classic Australia Day Favourite For a sensational finish to the days festivities, why not have a go at making a Classic Pavlova with Pomegranate or Rose Water? When youre using pomegranate or rose water you want to bring out their subtle fragrance and hints of their flavour, so be sure not to add too much. If you prefer using rose water, make sure too that youve bought a quality one. Enjoy! For the meringue base... 6 egg whites 1 cups caster sugar 3 teaspoons cornflour 1 teaspoon white vinegar 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses, or rose water For the cream 1 cups cream 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses, or rose water For the fruit 1 punnet strawberries, halved 1 punnet blueberries, or raspberries Seeds from half pomegranate, or 1-2 tablespoons rose water Handful of fresh mint leaves Preheat oven to 150C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Beat the egg white in a clean, dry bowl while gradually adding the sugar. Beat continuously until the sugar dissolves and firm peaks form. The mixture should be thick and glossy. Add the cornflour, vinegar and pomegranate molasses, or rose water if using. Beat again until well combined. Spoon the meringue mixture onto the baking paper and spread to form a disc approx. 20 cm in diameter. Use a flat-bladed knife to shape the meringue and make furrows. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 110C and bake for a further 1 hour, or until the meringue is crisp and dry. Turn oven off and leave meringue in oven to cool completely. In a separate bowl, add cream and pomegranate molasses and whisk until firm peaks form. Spread the cream over the top of the meringue base. Place all of berries in a bowl, add pomegranate seeds and gently toss to combine well. Spoon the berry mix onto the meringue and cream. Scatter fresh mint leaves over the top and serve. Pavlova magic!

04.01.2022 Craving this but dont want to leave the house? Ablas is doing take away, bringing the Lebanese love to your couch access the menu through our website and call on 9347 0006 to place your order ! Pick up only!

04.01.2022 Yesterday, I had a fun-filled morning making Silverbeet Rolls with the wonderful Maeve O’Meara at a photo shoot for a forthcoming recipe book, Food Safari Elements (due for release in October). The morning summed up the joy I feel whenever I’m cooking, by turns splendidly familiar and lightly mystical. Thank you Maeve!

03.01.2022 https://www.facebook.com/broadsheet.melbourne/posts/10154545850073091 Thanks broadsheet for featuring Ablas as one of Melbournes institutions.

03.01.2022 One recipe with a double treat Need to keep cool in this hot weather? Try my Cucumber and Yoghurt Salad. But as a bonus you can easily turn it into a surprisingly vibrant and refreshing drink just by adding chilled water! Here are the ingredients: 2 cloves garlic, peeled... 1 teaspoon salt 4 Lebanese cucumbers, peeled, quartered lengthways and sliced 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint 1 heaped teaspoon dried mint 800g natural yoghurt Using a mortar and pestle, finely crush the garlic with the salt. Transfer to a salad bowl, then add the cucumber, fresh and dried mint and yoghurt and 2 tablespoons water and mix well. Add more water if you prefer a thinner consistency. To turn it into a drink, add as much chilled water as you prefer. Enjoy!

03.01.2022 Fridays are for feasts!! Lebanese feasts to be exact we are open for take away tonight and tomorrow night! Call on 9347 0006 to place an order

02.01.2022 Byblos Fortress, built by 12 century crusaders (left), and at the Amphitheatre with the ancient city in background

02.01.2022 Tonight We are back open for take away Our refined menu is below and linked in our bio To place an order from 5pm, call on 9347 0006

01.01.2022 Id like that item

01.01.2022 My mother with some of my nieces and nephew. Love my family.