El Jannah – Granville, Sydney
Charcoal Chicken, they do it the best out in west of Sydney apparently.
“Woah! What’s that smell?” I ask Karen (Citrus And Candy) as soon as I park the car not far from the Granville train station, my nose immediately got hit by a waft of smokey air. “That’s the chicken, Billy… the chicken…”, she replies with such confident in her voice as she strides across the street as if she just slaps me in the face telling me why even bother asking such dumb question. Everyone who lives in the area would know what that smell is and exactly why they are here for.
Please forgive my ignorance, I do have to admit that I don’t venture out to the western suburbs as much as I’d have loved to, and I am also dreadfully clueless when comes to Lebanese food. So when Linda, Karen, Fouad and I are planning our first Merivale Dinner meeting, El Jannah in Granville seems to be the ideal center point for everyone to travel the same distance from different directions. Any excuse for some tasty charcoal chicken will do, really.
Clockwise L to R: diners are digging in on the chicken with gusto; the branded table at El Jannah; the long queue all the way to the front door from register; the brightly lit El Jannah new signboard outside the restaurant
El Jannah, the heaven of aromatic charcoal chicken is located right at the corner of South Street and Railway Parade, a stone throw away from Granville station, you simply can’t miss it. If you do, simply follow the smell and the crowd. While me and Karen are waiting outside for the rest of the motley crew to arrive, I am amazed at the constant stream of customers queueing up from the register all the way to the front door.
While most customers are here for takeaway chicken, but inside the shop is just as packed where diners tucking in some hot charcoal chicken with gusto. On a site note, I also noticed that the El Jannah’s logo looks very similar to the Chinese character for ‘horse’ – 馬. Don’t you think? It is tormenting just by standing outside sniffing the smoky air watching everyone goes in and comes back out with a whole chicken in the box and a contented smile on their faces.
Thank god it is only a short wait before our M4 Team is complete, we walk straight in and pounce on the last empty table which is still piled with scraps left by the previous diners. But it is efficiently cleaned up by one of the staffs while they all having to juggle between serving customers and roasting the chickens at the same time.
Falafel $1.50 each - 12 pcs ($18.00)
No-meat-diet Linda is skipping the chicken and has requested a few Falafels which we end up with a whole dozen of them on the plate when they arrive at our table. I usually hate falafel - those cold, soggy lump of mushy lentils and fava beans that had been sitting in the glass display for god knows how long. But these piping hot straight out of the fryer falafels really open my eyes and have developed a new love relationship with them all over again.
These bombs are moreish and dense on the inside, packed with ground chickpeas and chunky fava beans, while the exterior is amazingly crunchy. I find the falafel a little salty which needs much relief from the refreshing Tahina yoghurt dipping sauce on the side.
hot chips (large) - 6.00
Chicken and chips go hand in hand, the large bowl of hot chips we order aplenty to share. I try not to fill myself up with the chips while we are still waiting for our chicken to arrive, but they are simply too good to resist. The golden straws of waxy potato chips are cooked to perfection, so soft yet so crispy, easily one of the best winter snack you could have asked for.
Hummus - 5.50
click for details
An array of dips and pickles soon taking refuge and spread across our table. Light creamy Hummus is swirled around a red plastic bowl, forms a perfect crater to house a vivid yellow pool of olive oil in center with a few smidgen of red paprika to add colour. The hummus is actually quite smooth and creamy with a nutty flavour of the tahini.
The Baba Ghanouj on the other hand is a lot coarser, a rough blend of smokey eggplant mixture dip. “Au-ber-ginee…” I like eggplant and the baba ghanuoj here is actually quite inviting and not too smoky which can be a little overpowering. You will slowly think I am being bias when I tell you even the Tabouleh here is a notch better than what I’ve had in the city. I can taste a good dash of tangy lemon juice in the chopped parsley and tomatoes which makes it a perfect component to cut through all the richness of dips, carbs and meat.
Then there is the holy Garlic Toum, can be easily named as the national dip for the Lebanese within good reasons. The silky smooth toum is creamy and vampire-friendly without the harsh heat of garlic breath but perhaps we are all immune to the ‘garlicky’ sensation after a few mouthfuls.
pickled pink radish and green cucumbers
I am in love with anything that is in flourescent pink! Despite putting my high-blood pressure into jeopardy, I can’t help but keep munching on those overly salty hot pink pickled radish and green cucumbers. Everyone is happily tearing up the Lebanese bread to mop up the dips or making a monstrous DIY wrap filled with falafels, pickles and tabouleh which can be easily a meal on its own.
(eat in) Whole chicken with garlic, pickles and bread - 21.00
After a 20 minutes wait which seems longer, our platter of whole charcoal chicken has arrived at our table. Chicken wing! Yoink! But little did I know that the chicken is extremely hot straight from the grill when I try to picking it up and quickly drop it on my plate beforemy fingers get burned. The blackened skin is thin and crispy, while the flesh is intensely smoky from the charcoals. As mush as I love the chicken, it gets a little too salty after having few pieces too many, and I simply have to stop before salt-pickling myself from inside out.
We went a little overboard with the ordering and end up with lots of food left at the table but surprisingly no one volunteers to doggy-bag them home. The queue at the register is now twice as long just before the dinner hours. Customers still keep flowing in through the door as we are walking out the shop, clutching our bloated stomachs in agony.
Never underestimate what food bloggers’ stomachs are capable of. A good stretch and a lady burp, we soon find ourselves further down the street having some Lebanese sweets and a few sweet puffs of shisha in the hope of finding the magical creatures. The rest of the evening was a blur.
El Jannah Restaurant 4-6 South Street, Granville, Sydney Tel: +61 (02) 9637 0977 Open 7 days 10am-10pm
A Table For Two (ATFT) is Billy Law's food blog that features best eats in Sydney and around the world with drool-worthy food photography to salivate your appetite. I also throw in a smidgen of my food and travel photography for good measure. Billy Law also happened to be a contestant on MasterChef Australia 2011. 
I don’t think i’ve seen a better looking charcoal chicken
All of the food looks YUM! and its the kind of food I wouldn’t usually go for
it’s a shame it didn’t live up to its look with the taste
kristy @ ksayerphotography´s last [type] ..102
“That’s the chicken, Billy… the chicken…”
LOL!
All hail Granville – my holy temple of chicken and garlic sauce. Omg, you’re just tempting me to go out and get some for dinner!
Karen | C&C´s last [type] ..Sweets for my sweet- Honeycomb- Caramel Chews and Peanut Brittle
You went into the deep, dark suburbs and survived? Just kidding. OMG that chicken is getting me all tingley just looking at it. That pink is SO your colour! Shisha scares me, the last time I had it was in Egypt and I threw up and passed oit in the hotel room!
john@heneedsfood´s last [type] ..Baroque Bistro Patisserie- The Rocks
Hummus!
Note to self : add a dash of red paprika to mine when i cook it next time!
maameemoomoo´s last [type] ..Slow Pork with Soya Beans & Star Anise
This is why I’m so adamant that Western Sydney has the best and cheapest food in Sydney. Mmmm chicken. Hummus. TGIF!!
Margaret | fangirlish´s last [type] ..electric heart
ah the chicken is good. But it does not look like a horse, it looks like a bird – 鳥!
yewenyi´s last [type] ..Photo Mondays – 2010-07-19
Yep love this place, so close to my home as well. Takeaway prices are cheaper if dine in isn’t your thing!
Howard´s last [type] ..Guillaume at Bennelong- Circular Quay
Oh that looks delish!
Fiona´s last [type] ..Thirty before 30 Or Happy 28th Birthday to Me
i love this place, their garlic dip is the best!
AUBERGINE! lols @ karen hahaha the garlic toum is so freaking awesome i buy extra containers to eat with everything haha
chocolatesuze´s last [type] ..alphagetti 28
The chicken is El Jannah is amazing. I am addicted to toum but I gotta say the falafel at Jasmin are still the best in Sydney!
Helen (grabyourfork)´s last [type] ..Win two tickets to the Efendy Celebration Dinner worth 110
Yum, Billy, that I can reach out and touch the chicken your photo is so vivid. Haven’t done El Jannah, but have you tired Franks in Fairfield? It’s not bad.. they have a garlic concentrated sauce that’s to die for!
I love the chicken here – so good! I have friends who venture down from the mountains just for the chicken here – not too dissimilar to your crazy trek from the central coast i guess!
Forager´s last [type] ..Discovering Indian at Aki’s- Woolloomooloo
This chicken is seriously good despite smelling like a garlic clove afterwards. Last time I was picking up my takeaway there was a table full of food and chicken that the previous customers had left. I was on the verge of sitting down and tucking into free chippies whist waiting for my purchases to be ready.
Mark @ Cafe Campana´s last [type] ..Real Tough Guy Sport – Osso Buco
on my wishlist. thanks for the reminder. looks sensationally good. i travel anywhere for good food, especially if it’s cheap good food
Oh mann now I am craving their garlic toum yet again… Could eat that with everything mmmm
FFichiban´s last [type] ..L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon – Tokyo- Japan
Sometimes I can smell the chicken when I go through Granville on the train, and then when I get off the train I can sometimes smell the chicken from Franks in Fairfield!! Cruel! I haven’t been to El Jannah yet, but it looks like it might just give Franks a run for its money!
Those are spectacular photos, even by your high standards. It’s too late in the evening for chicken now, but I’m craving it just a little bit…
cafedave´s last [type] ..the future of brochures
Another place that I hear good thing about but never gotten to try yet! Looking gooooooood!
Yas @ hungry.digital.elf´s last [type] ..Late night cooking- Okonomi style corn fritters & Gyunyu Purin
Hahaha …. too salty to be devoured? Sadly. but glad that the sides worked well?
J2Kfm (Malaysian Food Blog)´s last [type] ..Yours Lovingly- Beef Stroganoff @ Nagaria Steak House