S.A.J. Bistronomy by Leen's refreshes Middle Eastern food to give it a touch of finesse

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10 — In this city, the knowledge of Middle Eastern food is often just limited to Arab rice, kebabs and kunafa.

At S.A.J. Bistronomy by Leen's, Chef Ameer Alzalek who is from Syria opens us up to a world of possibilities for the cuisine, bringing forth a refreshing take on his homeland's food.

Ameer's culinary education was forged from working his way up at various kitchens in Langkawi and KL. His stint at Ember Modern Bistro awoke him to a new world, where traditional dishes could be refined.

This spun into his own business, first as a delivery model during the pandemic to a space in Tiffin at Sentul.

The enterprising Ameer opened up Leen's Middle East Kitchen last year. Since then, Leen's has gained a solid reputation (and a loyal following) for their Smoked Hummus, Baba Ghanoush, Crispy Syrian Rice and more.

In Ameer's mind, expansion was always on the cards. Since he moved to Malaysia, his creativity has grown leaps and bounds as he explained, "We came here to grow in a safe space."

The opportunity arose one day. As Oh Cha Matcha wanted to relocate, there was an empty space available.

Since it was just a hop and a skip from Leen's, it would be easy to manage both places. They signed the lease in September last year and opened mid-December.

Tabbouleh is given a makeover in terms of looks and flavours by combining Middle Eastern and Japanese ingredients.

A new menu was devised, allowing Ameer to push the boundaries. Each plate is crafted with much thought. Little touches dispel any notion that Middle Eastern food is stodgy.

"I want a balance of sweet, salty and sour," he explained. With the cleaner flavours, the ingredients get to shine through.

Charred Chillies Hummus is refreshed with an unusual mix of charred chillies, olives, coriander oil and 'daun selom'.

Lebanese breads studded with sesame and fennel seeds is cooked in the hot oven.

Your food journey in S.A.J. starts with the Charred Chilli Hummus (RM30) served with puffy Lebanese bread with an irresistible fragrance of sesame seeds and fennel seeds. This version is textbook perfect with its smooth and ultra creamy texture.

The magic happens when you mix it with green olives, charred chillies, coriander oil and daun selom, usually found in ulam. It tastes fresh and not heavy, and boasts an entirely different flavour profile from their Smoked Hummus at Leen's.

With the next dish, it's hard to picture that this is Tabbouleh (RM35). Usually served as a boring salad bowl, it's been given a makeover not only in looks but even the flavours are new, where Middle Eastern and Japanese ingredients are used side by side.

Scoops of the nutty bulgur wheat mixed with tomatoes, vegetables, parsley and pomegranate sauce, garnished with chopped walnuts, sliced radish and finely chopped parsley, are placed upon Japanese shiso leaves.

Just wrap it to eat just like a Korean bossam in one bite, making it fun and easy to eat. It's a mouthful of happiness — slightly crunchy with the bulgur that has a deep flavour — balanced out with the freshness from the shiso leaf.

Kibbeh gets a zucchini facelift with three elements of zucchini from fresh sliced, pickled and in a puree form.

The zucchini is torched to allow the oil to absorb into the vegetables.

In Syria, Kibbeh (RM28) is an important part of the cuisine. Here, the kibbeh is made from potato, rice and bulgur, and stuffed with minced meat, onions and spices.

It gets a zucchini facelift that lightens up the dish. The three elements include zucchini puree, pickled zucchini and fresh zucchini, cut in thin slices.

Lamb Ribs are marinated and grilled on the hot fire with a brush of sauce made with Syrian spices.

You know you're in good hands with their lamb dishes as already proven by Leen's solid cooking. The Lamb Ribs (RM65) is no exception as the meat is gloriously succulent and falls off the bone.

The ribs are marinated and during grilling, brushed with a sauce with Syrian spices. Eat it with the smoked Greek yoghurt mixed with spring onions and shallots, and the refreshing mint salad with a sumac dressing to refresh the palate.

Glorious Lamb Ribs, perfectly cooked with meat that falls off the bone, is paired with a mint leaf salad and smoked Greek yoghurt.

Usually, Sayadieh or Fish Rice (RM56) is served in one dish. This version, where it is separated into two dishes, makes better sense.

Spanish mackerel dry aged for three days is served swimming in a tarator sauce which uses a mix of tahini, lemon juice, dill and salt. The sauce is dotted with paprika oil and dill oil. The fish has a crisp skin with tender flesh, while the ikura pops in the mouth.

Sayadieh or Fish Rice is split into two separate dishes to allow the diner to enjoy the textures of the pilaf rice topped with fried shallots, with the dry aged Spanish mackerel served on top of tarator and crowned with ikura.

The pilaf rice mixed with spinach is served on the side. The texture is fluffy and fragrant with toasted cumin seeds, coriander seeds and fennel seeds. Fried shallots top the rice giving it a light crunch. The two dishes allow you to customise it to your preference.

The Wagyu Freekah (RM88) celebrates freekeh cooked with spring peas in glory.

Ameer explained that this grain made from green durum wheat is usually reserved for special festivals. In Syria, they pair it with lamb. His version uses perfectly cooked Wagyu Oysterblade with a marble score of 6 to 7 that melts in the mouth.

Dollops of lime aioli and pickled daikon offer a sourness as a contrast to lighten up the dish. Each element works together to give you a decadent, satisfying bowl that one cannot stop eating.

Wagyu Freekah is a decadent bowl of a grain topped with melt in the mouth Wagyu oyster blade brightened up with lime aioli and pickled daikon (left). Olive Oil Ice Cream is a silky, luxurious revelation with a delicate tuile, apricot and hazelnuts (right).

For my next meal here, I would like to try their A.F.C. (RM69), where fried kampung chicken is served with a sauce that just rocks spicy, sweet and sour flavours.

Ameer explained he devised this sauce after many trials, arriving on this addictive sauce crafted from mixing honey with spices, chillies, garlic and pomegranate sauce. From the sounds of it, Korean fried chicken has a serious contender on their hands.

Desserts are a big thing here. You have elegant desserts like the adorable Pumpkin Fromage or the Tahina Raspberry that uses black sesame with raspberry tea and grapefruit. There's also canele, where one uses kurma and the other is a traditional vanilla. These desserts are specially commissioned for S.A.J..

The Olive Oil Ice Cream (RM28) opens up your eyes (and tongue) to a silky, luxurious ice cream with apricots and hazelnuts. It's picture perfect with a delicate flower shaped tuile.

Baklava Cheesecake is a dessert worth craving for as the voluptuously creamy cheesecake is wrapped with filo pastry and topped with rosebuds and pistachios.

Having set the bar high with his ever popular Kunafa Ice Cream in Leen's, Ameer has created a Baklava Cheesecake. It's a majestic creation — creamy cheesecake scented with rose water wrapped with filo pastry — crowned by pink rose petals and bright green pistachios.

During their soft launch, feedback was sought from diners on the menu. Tweaks have been made to fit customer's tastebuds which Ameer is always mindful about. He added, "We twist it to be comfortable to what Malaysians like."

Other dishes on the menu include their flatbreads cooked over an iron dome with various toppings like labneh and marinated lamb. A new addition is beef tongue with an unusual pairing of mushroom pickles.

Located on the ground floor, S.A.J. Bistronomy by Leen's is just a hop and skip away from Leen's Middle Eastern Kitchen.

Tracing his history is important to Ameer, that it inspired him for the name of this place.

"S.A.J." is a mirror of his life. It stands for "Syrian", "Authentic" and "Jar of Hummus".

If it wasn't for that jar of hummus which he used to kick off his food delivery business, all this would not have been possible.

S.A.J. Bistronomy by Leen's, 130, Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Open: 12pm to 3pm, 6pm to Tel: 011-11391503. Instagram: @sajkl

* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.