Sabri’s North African Night
Sabri's Restaurant, Bay View Road, Port St Mary
The restaurant formerly known as Horizons now goes by the name Sabri’s, complete with new management and a make-over to boot. Previously resembling a dentist’s waiting room with an atmosphere that felt like entering a void, the redecoration is an improvement. Don’t get me wrong, if atmosphere had calories then this is definitely the slimmer’s version, but the new sidelights and burgundy walls help to soften the surroundings and there was a pleasantly subdued buzz on North African night, which offers a set three-course menu for £19.95.
Starters were a selection of small dishes and we kicked off with bourek, a filo parcel not unlike a samosa, filled with those authentic North African staples of mashed potatoes and tuna. I couldn’t help smiling when the waiter, a genuinely charming young man, emphasized the tinned provenance of the fish, as if the prospect of eating fresh tuna might be as unsettling as an eyeball on a skewer. The bourek tasted better than they sound, and despite a rather workmanlike appearance the filling was delicately spiced and moreish while the filo had a nice crunch.
Lamb meatballs were fine, but under-seasoned for my taste, and I didn’t see the logic in serving chunks of potatoes as a separate dish - both came with a sauce that comprised little more than oil. A carrot salad was cooked, sliced carrots served cold. I don’t mind simple dishes that showcase the flavour of a single ingredient, but these carrots were so tasteless that had I been blindfolded before being held at gun point and forced to guess what vegetable I was eating, I might well be dead.
Although not unpleasant, I’m not convinced these dishes worked as a mezze starter. The separate meatballs, carrots and potatoes were like the components of a deconstructed dish that could have worked in another context, while the John West bourak, although pleasant, was the vaguely awkward interloper.
Service was prompt throughout and next came a choice of salmon or lamb tagine. When it comes to salmon I want the best, and if that means anything other than Princess wild Alaskan chunks then I’m just not interested, so I opted for the lamb. Though not a huge amount of it, the meat was tender and the spicing was in the right ballpark. Apricots added a welcome note of sweetness, although I would have preferred more texture and the addition of some vegetables.
Dessert was Baklava, a classic dish of ground nuts layered with filo pastry and drenched in honey syrup. The chef had obviously put his own spin on the recipe and what arrived was a kind of nut- stuffed Christmas cracker of filo served with cream. Although the taste was pleasant enough and not too sweet, the construction was far too heavy handed. A chisel would have been useful for getting through the pastry while the dense nut-spiced filling was more reminiscent of a mince pie than of melting, rose-scented baklava.
This isn’t sophisticated cooking, and while there’s a lot to be said for simple, authentic dishes cooked with love and care, I’m not convinced that Sabri’s North African food achieves this either. Food doesn’t automatically acquire authenticity by virtue of the chef hailing from a particular county, and this sometimes felt like North African cuisine apologising for being North African. This is food that neither offends nor excites, and long before the tagines were washed and stacked ready for the next novelty outing, I’d simply forgotten all about it.
Sabri's Restaurant, Bay View Road, Port St Mary, IM9 5AE
Tel: 01624 834040
Coco
July 2011
The Bill (for four persons)
North African Set Menu, £19.95 x 4
Mezze
Fish or Lamb Tagine
Baklava
Diet Coke £1.75 x 3
Glass Red Wine £3.95 x 3
Total = £96.90