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Narang Restaurant, Parktown North

Hours

07:00 - 00:00 Daily

Cuisine

Middle Eastern
Syrian

Halaal

Muslim Owned

Price Range (p/p)

Medium | R100 - R300

Breakfast
Casual Dining
Dinner
Late Night
Light Meals
Lunch
Takeaways
Parking - Off Street
Credit Cards Accepted
Waiter Service
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Updated: 24-10-2024

We visited Narang, a new Syrian spot in Parktown on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Making a quick dash from the car as the clouds loomed overhead, we just missed the downpour as we entered the cosy restaurant.

We were warmly welcomed by Nigel who seated us, presented some menus and suggested some drinks to start with. We chose a pomegranate and watermelon mocktail, a fruit cocktail made with layers of fresh pressed juices and milk and Taufeeq of course went with the Oreo milkshake. For the son of a foodie he has very predictable tastes in drinks and ice cream. I’m working on that…

The name “Narang” derives from the rich history of the Middle East. There it is used to describe the characteristic bitter orange trees, whose scent and fruit spread across Iraq, Iran and Syria. In Syria, especially in Damascus, the Naranj tree is a symbol of hospitality, often found in the courtyards of traditional houses.

The décor at Narang is warm and casual. A huge colourful mural of middle eastern streets and interiors cover a wall in front of which 2 comfy yellow couches and coffee tables stand ready for patrons to settle with a coffee and dessert. Sturdy natural wood and white tables are ideal for comfortable family meals and an outside patio area overlooks the street where you can watch the cars go by while enjoying a hubbly.

For starters we opted for a meze of Pesto Hummus, different from any I have had. It was a green colour due to the addition of a herb pesto. We had Aton which is a dip made with roasted red pepper, tomato, olive oil and walnuts. We really enjoyed the delicious smokey flavour scooped up with the generous laffa bread. Our waiter also suggested we try the falafel. These were the lightest falafels I have ever tasted with a perfectly crisp coating. They were easy to eat and not stodgy at all as I have found at some other places.

For mains Taufeeq had the chicken shawarma which comes cut up and served with salad and fries. I liked that the fries are a crinkle cut slice and not your standard fries. Zulfi ordered the Narnj Burger which comes with a beef patty and smoked meats on top. This was a generous burger but the bun was too soft and the burger broke apart while eating it. A sturdier roll like a brioche would be better for this meaty burger.

I had the Spicy Rizo, which is a rice dish with crumbed chicken. I looks a bit like Biryani at first glance but is quite different. It comes with a side of 3 different sauces, yoghurt, a spicy orange sauce and something more sweet. Looked like tomato sauce but it wasn’t. What I liked about this dish was all the different and unexpected textures. There’s the crispy crumbed chicken fillet pieces, the soft rice and there’s also bits of fried crunchy pita chips in between. It’s not too spicy so it was tasty while being easy to eat.

Syrian restaurants have a focus on fresh fruit-based drinks and Narang offered a nice selection of these. They are like a fruit milkshake as they also contain milk. The date and avo was calling my name but will have to wait for my next visit. Special mention for the pomegranate and watermelon mocktail which was not fizzy and just sweet enough with a hint of tartness from the pomegranate.

The average price of a meal is about R110, though the burger was R150 and a grill platter is about R240. It has an easy and relaxed vibe and a great spot to while away a Sunday afternoon with authentic Syrian flavours.

Please note: Hungry for Halaal is not a certification body. We do our best to verify that an establishment is Halaal Certified or Muslim owned but we cannot guarantee information that is supplied to us.