The Prophet – Affinity with Divinity

So we were one of the lucky ones. We booked two weeks before and managed to get the last table on a busy Friday night; Saturday was already booked out. We were keen to try something different for a change. The Prophet has been hailed by many as a gem on the East Victoria Park cafe strip. We went there to discover why.

The Prophet on the Albany Highway Cafe Strip.

Friday night dining inside. We dined early. A few tables such as the one on the right had Reserved signs.

Two of us ordered the Banquet Menu of entree and meat dish selections, whilst the other opted for a Shish Kebab dish with 2 skewers of marinated lamb, chips and salad. Complimentary Lebanese bread and pickled cucumber and garlic dip were served to us immediately and we dug in, tearing the bread like vultures and floating them about in the nice, tasty garlic dip. The dip was surprisingly light, creamy, and not so overpowering (i.e. the garlic). We were glad that it would not leave our breath lingering with garlic strong enough to kill an entire army of vampires.

We were torn between eating all of the bread now or saving our stomachs for the main courses – we reluctantly chose the latter. That was until the Baba Ganouj (smoked eggplant dip mixed with tahini, lemon, and garlic) and Hommus (chickpea dip mixed with tahini, lemon, and garlic) came out. The bread was starting to harden, so we picked up more pieces and mopped the new dips up. They were so good! The eggplant dip had an element of bitterness and was very smokey – the best Baba Ganouj I have had so far. The Hommus was a puree of yumminess – the good old traditional Hommus that everyone loves (that’s if you like Hommus….). The Taboulleh came out next and it looked as fresh as an Irish paddock on a warm summer’s day. The Taboulleh was a light dish that was fit for the warm night, and was made from tomato, parsley, onion, crushed wheat, lemon and oil. It was not overly sour as most of the Taboulleh served at other Lebanese restaurants.

Lebanese bread, pickled cucumber and garlic dip.

Warm Lebanese bread.

Pickled cucumber and garlic dip.

Taboulleh – tomato, parsley, onion, crushed wheat, lemon and oil.

Now, it was time for entrees. First up, two plump balls of Falafel dressed with yoghurt sat upon a bed of tomato and lettuce. They were extra crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, and we could have easily eaten another 3 or 4. The Shish Kebab and Shish Tawook were so tender and juicy and were cooked perfectly. The combination of tang, saltiness, garlic, and herbs were partying in my mouth – I savoured each bite slowly and steadily.

Falafel - deep fried mixture of chick peas and broad beans.

Shish kebab marinated lamb skewers.

Shish Tawook – chicken fillets marinated in lemon, garlic and coriander sauce.

The last of our meat dishes were the Kibbeh Nayeh (a deep fried mixture of raw lamb, crushed wheat and onion) and the Baked Kibbeh (exactly the same as the Kibbeh Nayeh, but baked). I preferred the Baked Kibbeh as it was light, crunchy and fluffy on the outside, which was opposite to the deep fried Kibbeh being thick on the outside. The mince inside was moist and juicy, and the combination of pine nuts and onion gave the overall mixture a mild nutty sweet flavour – delicious.

Kibbeh Nayeh – raw lamb mixed with crushed wheat and onion.

Baked Kibbeh – minced lamb and crushed wheat layered with pine nuts and onion.

The last dish to come out was a plate of Loubiah Beans, a basic dish made of French beans cooked with tomato and onion. It was a nice savoury vegetarian dish with a nice natural tomato sweet flavour. It was an okay dish but that was because the beans were a little too overcooked. The little voice inside my head was shouting for more lamb skewers! My mouth was hungry, but my stomach was about to give up and die. Too much food…

Loubiah Beans – French beans cooked with tomato and onion.

Our friend on the other hand, who ordered just the single dish of Shish Kebabs with chips and salad was well satisfied and did not regret his decision.

Shish Kebab – two skewers of marinated lamb, with chips and salad.

As part of the banquet, the waitress had told us that Lebanese coffee would be provided. We asked for another cup so all three of us could share. We also ordered desserts – three Baklava, two Turkish Delights, and one Halva (dessert made from almonds, semolina flour, and honey). The Turkish delights were soft, powdery, chewy and filled with pine nuts. They were fantastic. The Baklava was freshly made and surprisingly it was not so sweet. We loved the walnuts and pistachios nestled in layers of thin filo pastry. The Halva cake was soft and moist and incredibly tasty.

An assortment of Baklava, Turkish Delights, and Halva.

As we ate our desserts, a large covered pot of Lebanese coffee in a metallic jug and three miniature china cups were brought to the table. The coffee was strong and slightly thick, and helped to remove some of the sweetness from out mouths. We had about four cups each.

Pot of Lebanese Coffee for Three.

Serving Lebanese coffee.

Lebanese Coffee.

The food and coffee were divine. The banquet was $35 a head (for two people), the Shish Kebab plate was $17 and Baklava and Halva were $3.00 whereas the Turkish Delights were $1.50 each. We were in a state of pure happiness – we loosened our belts by one notch. This was heaven (for tonight). We would think about exercise later.

The Prophet
907a Albany Highway, East Victoria Park
Tel: +61 8 9361 1101

Opening Hours:
Monday – Friday (12:00pm – 3:00pm)
Monday – Sunday (6:00pm – late)