to try by

★★★★★ 5.0 star rating 10/6/2016 Aleppo's Kitchen specializes in Syrian cuisine and is located in the little Arabia district of Anaheim on Brookhurst street. The entrance to the restaurant is actually located in the back of a strip mall. Follow the signs on the side of the AAMCO mechanic shop that will lead to a large parking lot. The restaurant has a decent amount of patio seating as well as indoor seating. I had heard that Aleppo's has an English menu as well as an Arabic menu with items not listed on the English menu. I made sure I brought a co-worker who was fluent in the Arabic language with me to the restaurant to order the specialty items. My group ordered the following items: Shish Borek ($16) - This item was not on the English menu. It consisted of small dumplings filled with seasoned ground beef. The dumplings were the size of tortellini and just as tender and were served in an extremely thick yogurt sauce. This dish reminded me of a popular Afghani dish called mantu. I was surprised to see that this dish came with a white basmati type rice as one would not expect a noodle dish to come with rice. This dish was a hit at our table. Shingleesh ($8) - This salad was a refreshing surprise and had a very unique taste. It consisted of a blend of goat cheese, pepper, herbs and spices, served with chopped onions and tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil. I liked the mouthfeel of this dish with the silky smooth cheese and the contrasting salad. Shakryeh ($16) - This item was another dish not on the English menu. This dish consisted of extremely tender roasted lamb served in a thick yogurt sauce. I enjoyed the delightful taste combination of the yogurt and lamb. Like the shish borek it was served with rice. Mixed Kibbeh Platter ($20) - I really enjoy eating kibbeh and was surprised to see so many different variations. The kibbeh dough is made from bulgur (cracked wheat). Kibbeh Swar (baked cupcake like kibbeh packed with ground meat, onions, nuts), Mishwiyeh (kibbeh dumplings stuffed with meat, onions, and nuts, and chargrilled over mesquite), and Fried (hollow kibbeh shells stuffed with ground meat, onions, and nuts, and fried in vegetable oil). My favorite was the fried kibbeh which had a crunchy shell and nicely seasoned ground beef. I've had better kibbeh at some other establishments but this was still very good. Lamb Kabseh ($16) - This was my favorite item of all the dishes that I tried. The rice was extremely fragrant and tasted incredible. I especially liked the roasted almonds that were served atop the super tender fall off the bone lamb. The lamb didn't have any funky smell to it and easily fell apart. This dish also came with an extremely fresh cucumber yogurt dip, as did the mixed kibbeh platter. All the entrees came with pita bread (store bought and not freshly made) and all the food served here is halal. While the pricing may seem to be on the higher side, the quality of food was incredible and I thoroughly enjoyed eating all these unique offerings. I'd definitely love to come back and try some more of the wonderful dishes that are prepared at Aleppo's Kitchen! Aleppo's Kitchen specializes in Syrian cuisine and is located in the little Arabia district of Anaheim on Brookhurst street. The entrance to the restaurant is actually located in the back of a strip mall. Follow the signs on the side of the AAMCO mechanic shop that will lead to a large parking lot. The restaurant has a decent amount of patio seating as well as indoor seating. I had heard that Aleppo's has an English menu as well as an Arabic menu with items not listed on the English menu. I made sure I brought a co-worker who was fluent in the Arabic language with me to the restaurant to order the specialty items. My group ordered the following items: Shish Borek ($16) - This item was not on the English menu. It consisted of small dumplings filled with seasoned ground beef. The dumplings were the size of tortellini and just as tender and were served in an extremely thick yogurt sauce. This dish reminded me of a popular Afghani dish called mantu. I was surprised to see that this dish came with a white basmati type rice as one would not expect a noodle dish to come with rice. This dish was a hit at our table. Shingleesh ($8) - This salad was a refreshing surprise and had a very unique taste. It consisted of a blend of goat cheese, pepper, herbs and spices, served with chopped onions and tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil. I liked the mouthfeel of this dish with the silky smooth cheese and the contrasting salad. Shakryeh ($16) - This item was another dish not on the English menu. This dish consisted of extremely tender roasted lamb served in a thick yogurt sauce. I enjoyed the delightful taste combination of the yogurt and lamb. Like the shish borek it was served with rice. Mixed Kibbeh Platter ($20) - I really enjoy eating kibbeh and was surprised to see so many different variations. The kibbeh dough is made from bulgur (cracked wheat). Kibbeh Swar (baked cupcake like kibbeh packed with ground meat, onions, nuts), Mishwiyeh (kibbeh dumplings stuffed with meat, onions, and nuts, and chargrilled over mesquite), and Fried (hollow kibbeh shells stuffed with ground meat, onions, and nuts, and fried in vegetable oil). My favorite was the fried kibbeh which had a crunchy shell and nicely seasoned ground beef. I've had better kibbeh at some other establishments but this was still very good. Lamb Kabseh ($16) - This was my favorite item of all the dishes that I tried. The rice was extremely fragrant and tasted incredible. I especially liked the roasted almonds that were served atop the super tender fall off the bone lamb. The lamb didn't have any funky smell to it and easily fell apart. This dish also came with an extremely fresh cucumber yogurt dip, as did the mixed kibbeh platter. All the entrees came with pita bread (store bought and not freshly made) and all the food served here is halal. While the pricing may seem to be on the higher side, the quality of food was incredible and I thoroughly enjoyed eating all these unique offerings. I'd definitely love to come back and try some more of the wonderful dishes that are prepared at Aleppo's Kitchen! Posted on October 14, 2017