Jasmin

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  6      Service  8      Value  9     

I came to Australia following a 5 year stint in Kuwait, and was seriously deprived of good Lebanese cuisine until I visited Jasmin. I went there based on the reviews it received on eatability, and I can say that I will definitely be back.

Food: Very very good, as close as you can get to the stuff you would get in the Middle East.

Ambience: Interesting decor, they have gone the extra quarter of a mile to make this place different, but in the end, it still resembles a very nice kebab shop. Not the cleanest restaurant around, they still use a dishrag to wipe down the tables and don't mind picking up any scraps, olive seeds, et al with their fingers when cleaning up. Takes a little getting used to.

Service: Good - Service with a smile, they even replaced my mint buttermilk free of cost after I spilled it all over the table.

Value: I am a BIG eater and we had a meal for two, and had to take some away in a little container for AUD 30.00. No extra charge for the container.

Conclusion: Go here for authentic and very yummy Lebanese food at reasonable prices and good service. Do not go here expecting a 5 star experience. The Kibbeh are excellent!

Feb 04, 2008 

6.3 Average

Food  8      Ambience  5      Service  3      Value  9     

We have been there about three times now. The place is quite ordinary to look at but the meals are really cheap and the portion sizes are quite big, $12.00 for a mixed plate which even I as a big eater struggled to finish. It came with quite a bit of Lebanese bread and a side plate of pickles and salad, the only draw back though is it tends to be quite salty. If you're looking for a good cheap place to eat then Jasmins is the one.

Jan 19, 2008 

9 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  10     

I regularly travel from the Blue Mountains to Lakemba for the sole purpose of consuming Jasmins. I have been there countless times and have not a single bad word to say about the establishment.

The food is excellent value at $12 for a mixed plate, is always fresh, the staff are friendly, very efficient and I have never had any qualms regarding the cleanliness of the establishment.

A below reviewer was dissatisfied with the "two knarled sausages" he was served. This is a dish called Kaftah, and is not a sausage, but minced meat with onions herbs and sweet pepper that is wrapped around a skewer and grilled. It's very nice dish which I've had in many Lebanese restaurants, but none were as pleasing as those I've had at Jasmines. Having said that I would say their Kibbeh is the stand out dish.

The furniture is somewhat average, but the murals on the wall are great and add some atmosphere. All round a very pleasant dining experience.

Jan 10, 2008 

5.3 Average

Food  7      Ambience  2      Service  7      Value  5     

I had to try this place out since it was on the top of this list for value in Sydney. It is no joke, a very average eat. Personally, I felt pretty gipped that it is the best values eat in Sydney, according to Eatability.com.au.

Food gets a 7 rating because the food is actually presented nicely, with Lebanese bread, mint leaves, onion, tomato, 3 dips, a few pieces of meat, homous, ant tabouli. Ambience gets a 2 because the place looks like its falling apart (tables and chairs mainly) and dirty, but at least has nice wall paintings. Service was good, the guy took our orders and called me "habbib" (which I think means friend).

Value receives a 5 because it was just a really average experience all in all (in terms of the food, $12 for the mixed plate was alright since it equates to be $6 for 2 people which does fill us up, but a small plate of "large chips" cost $5 which isn't great value at all, and was needed to fill us up with the mixed platter. Drinks (cans) cost $1.50. Other food actually cost more here (kebabs were $8 each).

One thing I will say, Jasmin is NOT THE BEST VALUE eat in Sydney, no way near it in fact. It is however an alright place to eat Lebanese food if you are in the Lakemba area. Off topic, Jasmin is similar to the habbibs joint down in the Bankstown area.

Nov 18, 2007 

7.5 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  9     

Popular by word of mouth, it’s no wonder another ‘Jasmin’ has also opened. With the notion that first is always best (though not necessarily right), we go to the original and are surprisingly faced with ornamented walls of rococo designs giving this place just that extra twinkle not ordinarily found at your usual cheap eating casual joint. After being handed the laminated menus, we notice that the most expensive thing on the menu is the mixed plate $12, perfect for sharing between two and has almost a bit of everything on the menu.

The ideal place to bring a group of friends while tucking into a smorgasbord of vegetables, dips and mixed meat plates. A long time “Cheap-eats” favorite, this place never fails to deliver, all for a bargain! Mixed plate $12- kibbe, kebab, kefte, homous, chicken, baba ganouj, felafel, tabouleh, Lebanese bread, salad and garlic sauce.

Nov 15, 2007 

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  6      Service  9      Value  10     

Great place to eat, really nice food and massive portions. I have only been to this restaurant once and I can't wait to go again. By far the best restaurant I have been to in terms of value in Sydney. I order a mixed plate, got 3 pieces of meat with heaps of sides, salads and bread. I would hit this place everyday after a massive gym session if I could. Bit of a far away location from my home in the hills shire.

Oct 10, 2007 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  10     

This is the perfect place to go with the family or a group of friends. The food is delicious and the prices are a real bargain. We've paid much more for Lebanese food that was of inferior quality. The staff are swift but they don't rush you. You never have to worry about a RBT as there is no alcohol allowed. Try some of the imported drinks. Not a clue what I had but it was tasty.

Sep 26, 2007 

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  4      Value  10     

One of Sydney's finest restaurant in terms of food quality and value. Make sure you book during the evening as this place is always packed whenever I come here. I like how customers can wash their hands in the corner at the sink. Strongly recommend if you haven't been here already. I always get the mixed plate, it's enough to feed two people.

Sep 02, 2007 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  10     

I have lived locally for many years, and no place around here (or anywhere else in Sydney, as a matter of fact) comes close to Jasmin for quality & quantity of food, fantastic fast service, and authenticity.

Save the fancy Lebanese restaurants for those who do not want real Lebanese food. The mixed plate is the best dish in my opinion; the chicken is tender and succulent, kibbeh is crispy on the outside & tasty & fragrant within, as is the felafel, the foule is creamy and beautifully pungent... I could go on forever about how fantastic this place is.

Everyone we have brought to this place keeps talking about it. Those who are familiar with Lebanese food and the newcomers to this cuisine (who don't know the difference between a sausage & a kibbeh) all go back for more.

Highly recommended.

Aug 31, 2007 

5 Average

Food  2      Ambience  6      Service  8      Value  4     

Yes, it's cheap and yes it's friendly but I found the food to be horrible. I'm no expert on Lebanese cuisine but I can't see how Jasmins is any different from eating in a really cheap steakhouse. The mixed plate arrives with 2 giant knarled sausages, a chunk of desiccated grilled chicken thigh, 2 enormous falafels and a pile of dips, breads and olives. I also ordered the sausage dish and to my surprise out come a 300 gram plate of diced sausage.

Its one thing to get excited about food that is cheap and generous but that doesn't mean the meal should be industrial cuisine. Maybe these unpretentious dishes are authentic as hawker food but there are a plethora of Sydney Lebanese restaurants that take the basic ingredient, say sausage, and turn it into something more interesting than sausage, for a few dollars more. If you want to spend $10 and be sated, Jasmins is the place. Whether you're eating Lebanese or Americanise is another question.

Aug 16, 2007