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Emma's Snack Bar

Sally Webb

The new Emma's: Same homestyle Lebanese, more casual vibe.
The new Emma's: Same homestyle Lebanese, more casual vibe.Christopher Pearce

Lebanese$$

Inner West locals breathed a collective sigh of relief last month when Emma's Snack Bar (re)opened its doors. Papered-over windows at the restaurant formerly known as Emma's on Liberty had left more than a few people a little concerned. Had the popular Lebanese eatery shut up shop?

Fortunately Emma's Mark II is alive and well. There's a new, slightly retro, fit-out with a trio of high tables and stools plus counter seating next to a newly created window overlooking Liberty Street. The long communal table still takes pride of place down the centre of the room.

Much of the homestyle Lebanese menu will be familiar to Emma's regulars –   a gloriously creamy hummus served a number of ways including a spicy version laced with chilli oil and the signature topped with sauteed lamb and pinenuts, superbly smoky baba ghanoush, soft pita bread to scoop the dips up, falafel, golden fried haloumi slices drizzled with chilli, mint and lemon, and lady's fingers – pale filo pastry cylinders filled with fragrant lamb.

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Fish kebab, village fattoush, spicy hummus and fried potato.
Fish kebab, village fattoush, spicy hummus and fried potato.Christopher Pearce

Dishes are a little smaller than previously but prices have dropped too, with the idea to encourage informal grazing and sharing rather than the multi-course meals for which Emma's was known in the past. (That said, you can still indulge in a great value banquet for $49 per person.) 

The menu has also been designed to cater to a midday market, with Friday and Saturday lunch sittings imminent.

For carb-connoisseur Archie, the hand cut spuds fried with Emma's garlic paste and sprinkled with coriander are worth the trip alone – "the best potatoes I've ever eaten," he declares – while Lulu is uncharacteristically quiet as she tucks into her kids' chicken kebab. For her, it's dinner nirvana: panko-crumbed chicken tenderloin, chips and just a few salad leaves wrapped in pillowy soft pita bread. And she can eat the lot with her hands.

Indeed the kebabs are the go-to dishes and come to the table in individual baskets, cutely wrapped in white paper. Choose your protein hit – crisp battered fish, lamb kafta, falafel or organic lamb mince with egg. They're a meal in themselves so just be careful you don't overdo the dips and snacks first.

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The succulent kafta, served in a trio on skewers as a main dish, are another highlight, while the rustic fattoush – with tomato, radish, rocket, cucumber, parsley and chunks of fried bread – is fresh and texturally fabulous, although served a little too cold.

There's a small list of three whites and three reds by the glass plus six beers and a cider but you can also BYO wine. The kids love the pale pink house made lemonade which is laced with rose water.

Sometimes a nip and tuck is all that's needed to rejuvenate a local favourite. Emma's is back.

THE LOW-DOWN
Do…  order take away – you can pick it up at the side window.
Don't…  overindulge on the hummus, baba and pita or you'll have no room for kebabs or mains.
Dish…  kebabs – it really doesn't matter which ones.
Vibe…  the relaxed, family-friendly neighbourhood eatery you wish you had on the corner of your street.

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