So who was the very first customer on the very first day of opening at this brand new restaurant in Adelaide? Yours truly of course! While they made me wait 15 minutes as they prepared to open up, I was determined to be the first! It was only by accident that I stumbled upon Furat. The same address used to be the location of JD’s Gourmet Foods and I originally was going to go there to check out their AB, but instead was here for a first day opening.

This family run business specialises in Middle Eastern cuisine, but their menu also offers stuff you would get at a charcoal chicken shop. The husband and wife team were warm and friendly, and I could see the nerves from their first day opening jitters. While both spoke broken English, it was easier to communicate with the husband than it was with the wife. The place itself is decorated in a modern basic fashion. As I was their very first customer, everything was sparkling new.

Today, I decided to order the Lamb Yiros on a Plate. The meal took about 15 minutes to arrive. I could see the husband carve the freshly cooked lamb off the spit and then further cook it on the grill to eliminate the uncooked meat. The wife on the other hand was putting together my salad on a plate which came with hummus, garlic sauce and pita bread.

The first thing to arrive was the pita bread. It was basically two whole pieces of pita bread cut in half. While the pita bread was fresh, I felt it could have been warmed up a bit. The amount of bread itself was more than generous. The next dish was the main dish, the Lamb Yiros on a Plate. I must admit, when I first saw the lamb meat, it didn’t look appetising. It reminded me of lamb mince on a plate, and after tasting it, my initial impressions were correct.

The quality of the lamb meat wasn’t that great. While it looked like mince, there were a number of gristly bits that were difficult to chew on. The lamb was also very salty. Even when eating it with the sides, it was still too salty. The salad was nice as the vegetables were fresh and crisp. The hummus tasted a bit strange. It had some strong smelling ingredient mixed into it. I have yet to work out what it was, but at the time of writing, I haven’t suffered any indigestion as a result of it. The garlic sauce was a nice and freshly made, although I did feel there was too much yoghurt and not enough garlic.

At times when it got busy, I felt the restaurant was understaffed. They probably need one more person to man the cash register as people were waiting a long time to get their food. I also saw the wife handle another customers chicken kebab with her hands and then collect my money as I paid, so food hygiene is questionable.

I’d have to say that my experience here was OK. The atmosphere was relaxed, the service was slow and the food was average. Looking back, the owners probably had every right to be nervous when I walked in!

WHERE: 102 Waymouth St, Adelaide