Sumac

Sumac is sort of the big daddy stalwart of Mid East food in HK. It’s been here for seemingly ages, and continues to serve great Mid East food. It’s a bit off the beaten track, up at the end of Caine Road and Glenealy Road, but is well worth the trip. Just make sure you have booked or checked the opening times, as they do get very busy, and sometimes randomly seem to close for no good reason.
The food is, of course, the champion here. Typical starters include; hummus, baba ghannouj, tabbouleh, falafel, and my favourite lamb kibbeh, and mains; marinated chicken, and lamb kofta. As with most Mid East cuisine, I find the mezze much more interesting and find myself ordering these, rather than the main courses. However, if you are a few of you, say four or more, you may need to order a couple of each mezze, as they are not what I would consider family sharing size — little too big to two, not quite enough for four.
It can be a bit expensive (there corkage alone is punishing!), so I find myself coming here on the more special occasions. The atmosphere suits that sort of intimate dining anyway, so maybe leave it to an anniversary.
Service is usually good and perfectly efficient, not particularly engaging or friendly, but I suppose the staff are here to serve food, not have a lovely conversation. When it gets busy, it can take a little time to expedite food. I tend to find the starters are quick to appear, but the wait for mains can be a bit long. No worries, just enjoy the traditional Arabic interior, it’s very pleasant.