Bedouin in Arabic is "desert dweller." It refers to a group of nomadic people who have historically inhabited desert regions across the Middle East and North Africa.
At The Bedouins restaurant in north Edmonton, the food also seems to cross different borders, with a particular emphasis on Libyan and Morrocan cuisine.
Situated in a strip mall at the intersection of 137th Ave and Castledowns Road, The Bedouins checks all the boxes on what makes a hidden gem. It's almost like a desert oasis, smack dab in the middle of Popeye's Supplements, a butcher shop, and a medical clinic. If memory serves me right, the location used to be a Vietnamese restaurant back in the day. They've kept much of the original booth seating, but added their own personal touches, including arch motifs, ornate pendant lights, and patterned fabric draped across the ceiling.
SC was back in town for the long weekend and we both agreed to brave the treacherous roads, hoping that the promise of roasted meats, smoky spices, and large portions would warm us right up.
The customer flow was pretty steady on a Sunday night -- but reservations are still recommended as the restaurant likes to ensure they have enough food (as well as the freshest ingredients) to feed everyone.
Since it was our first time at the restaurant, our server treated us both to complimentary bowls of lentil soup. An introduction, he explained, to some of the flavours that we should expect throughout the night. It was a flavourful soup. A light broth with the slightest heat and plenty of lentils and diced veggies throughout. It was most certainly a warm welcome after coming in from the freezing cold.
We needed a little more time to decipher through the main entrees, but we placed an order for The Bedouin's mashweeya dip ($6.00) to start. Made in house, it's a pureed blend of flame-roasted vegetables. Served with pita, the dip is wonderfully smoky with a light kick. For some reason, both SC and I found the flavour really familiar (ie. it tasted "Asian"). We couldn't quite put our finger on it but I guess I'll just have to keep eating it until I find out what it reminded us of. A definite recommend.
We were also given a sample of their hummus alongside it, which is your more mainstream chickpea puree with tahini and lemon juice. It was good, but it paled in comparison to the mashweeya dip.
There were three lamb entrees on the menu, but we settled on the mendi ($20). Steamed lamb with fragrant spices, served over top a bed of aromatic basmati rice. For some reason, I associated steaming with bland, grey meat, but this was anything but. The lamb was soft, flavourful, and succulent. Slow-cooked until it was fall-apart tender.
For $20, it's a ridiculous value, considering the portion size can easily feed two or more people.
The mendi also came with a side of sharmoula salad. We got two small ramekins, filled with diced cucumbers and tomatoes, lightly dressed with a lemon herb vinaigrette. It was nice and fresh. A good palette cleanser of sorts in between heavier bites of meat and rice.
We were also given another sauce -- I couldn't find out what it was, but it was citrusy and slightly spicy.
We probably could have been satisfied by the lamb alone but we also ordered the grilled chicken ($19.00). Two leg portions, seasoned and simply grilled. There was a good char which gave the chicken a nice smoky flavour. If you needed to be eased into North African cuisine, this is probably the safest choice that would please even the pickiest eater.
The grilled entrees are also served with your choice of side. Since we were already getting rice with the mendi, we decided to get the fries, which are fresh and hand-cut.
The grilled entrees are also served with your choice of side. Since we were already getting rice with the mendi, we decided to get the fries, which are fresh and hand-cut.
For dessert, there's a small selection of traditional Libyan sweets ($3.00 each). A young server led us to the display case to help describe what each of them were. A date square, an almond tart, a Nutella/chocolate tart, and baklawa. We got two pieces of the baklawa, which was a bit different to the baklawa I'm used to. The layers were more densely packed together, with honey being the most dominant flavour. Like a petit four, the small bite is all you would need to end the meal on a sweet note.
All the praise surrounding The Bedouins is certainly well-deserved. A humble but welcoming environment, large portions with affordable prices, and most importantly, delicious food. I'll be back!
The Bedouins
13716 Castle Downs Road
Edmonton, AB
(780) 478-6979
- CT
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