Nour, Surry Hills

The newly opened Nour is the latest venture from the duo behind the popular Cuckoo Callay and is located right in the thick of the action on Crown Street, showcasing some interesting Middle Eastern flavours with a contemporary twist. The name of the restaurant means “light” in Arabic and the modern fitout lives up to that, with clean lines, natural sunshine streaming through its large glass windows and pops of pastel pink throughout for a pretty touch.

We settled in for a culinary adventure with a mix of share plates (with gorgeous copper cutlery) and started off with their Baby Prawn Felafel which was an unconventional take on a classic vegetarian option, with the crumbly patty wrapped around juicy baby prawns and matched with an intensely flavoured smoked black tahini.

Baby Prawn Felafel, $18 

Next up, we had the delicious Middle Eastern Dumplings which were like little parcels of sweet, soft pumpkin and topped off with a medley of pine nuts, tangy pomegranate seeds and a yoghurt based sauce.

Middle Eastern Dumplings, $22 

Our last small plate was the Charcoal Octopus, which had been cooked to perfection, chewy but still tender and paired with a tasty harissa oil, olives, fennel, and a creamy puree on top of a paper thin sliver of Yemenite bread (which was more like a crisp).

Charcoal Octopus, $27 

Moving onto the more substantial share plate for the night, we had the Wood Roast Spiced Short Rib which fell right off the bone and was absolutely incredible, with the smoky flavours infused into the tender beef and complemented by some roast carrots and an interesting toum béarnaise sauce for some garlicky goodness. For sides, we couldn’t go past their Twice Cooked Potato which were chunks seasoned with an addictive blend of smoked garlic, coriander and chilli.

Wood Roast Spiced Short Rib 500g, $46, Twice Cooked Potato, $11

By the time we got around to dessert, we were so intrigued by all the unconventional ingredients on their menu that we decided to split 3 of the 4 desserts so that we could try a bit of everything. The pick of the bunch was surprisingly the Camel Milk Mouhalabieh which is like a smooth pannacotta made with camel milk for a subtle touch of the exotic. The fragrant aromas of rose water and rhubarb also went well with the milkiness of the mouhalabieh.

Camel Milk Mouhalabieh, $17

The Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake was also great, but was outshone by the amazing halva ice cream it came with, which is made from sesame and has that distinctive texture. Even the honey pepitas adorning the dessert were a hit, with beautiful caramel notes.

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake, $15

To finish off, we had the Middle Eastern Bombe Alaska which was sadly not flaming when it got to our table, but still had that satisfying charred flavour to the meringue coating, a frozen creamy centre and a nice biscuit base (was a bit hard to cut through to split though).

Middle Eastern Bombe Alaska, $16

The modern menu at Nour keeps your tastebuds engaged the whole way through with their unconventional take on Middle Eastern cuisine, but you’ll pay a premium for the experience and the gorgeous surrounds.

Nour
3/490 Crown Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Phone: (02) 9331 3413