Syrian Rose, Fordsburg

Updated: 03-10-2024

In the heart of Damascus, where ancient alleyways whisper tales of time gone by, and the scent of spices dances through the vibrant souks, Syrian life, food and culture unfolds in a tapestry of rich and cherished traditions… Fast forward to the bustling streets of downtown Johannesburg in the midst of Fordsburg, and you’ll find the flavours of Damascus at Syrian Rose Restaurant.

A Syrian run business, they have been around since 2021. It’s a simple spot set on the corner of Albertina Sisulu and Mint Raod, a step up from street level. There are a few tables inside and balcony seating outside along the outside from where you can watch people and taxis passing by. We spotted Alcazaba Lodge, which is a halaal hotel right next door.

We tried them out on a Saturday afternoon for a quick lunch. It wasn’t too busy but it was nice to note that the crowd inside was diverse. The service was speedy and friendly. The menu is kept fairly simple and the food is hearty but well priced. They also make their own fresh juices and fruit shakes.

We opted for the Beef Hummus plate and the Chicken Shawarma meal, and a side of Kibbeh, which is minced meat in a coating of Bulghar wheat and deep fried. The Beef Hummus plate comes with shredded Beef Shawarma meat on a bed of hummus with red onion and tahini sauce and handmade laffa (Syrian bread).

The laffa is made at the front of the store in the traditional way. The chef pulling and stretching the dough and tossing it in the air when foodies like me come to take a photo. It is stretched over a cotton pillow and then turned onto a hot steel plate to quickly bubble up and tossed onto the growing pile once cooked. These are made fresh and I couldn’t help thinking the poor guy who has to spend the whole day making laffa must have it coming out of his ears by the end of the day.

I used pieces of laffa to assemble my hummus and meat on, added some onion and tahini and tucked in. It’s not spicy, and I felt the hummus needed more flavour but the tahini and onions made this very enjoyable. The Chicken Shawarma on the other hand had plenty of flavour. It comes with chips, garlic sauce and crunchy red cabbage, onions and tomato.

While their avo and date shake is popular we opted for the fresh orange juice and pineapple juice. A refreshing choice to offset the sticky heat of the afternoon and round off our Syrian experience.

Our shawarma meals averaged about R130 each, but they also serve grilled chicken which is priced much lower. It’s a good spot for a quick meal or takeouts to enjoy at home.