Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Modern Meze at Sarma: Worth the Trek (Somerville, MA)

Boston isn't all about seafood and Italian food, there are a few special places that add a big diversity to the available food in town. Sarma is one of those few special places and I have to say it's only a type of restaurant I won't be able to find in LA, making Sarma one of my favorite spots in Boston so far.

Located in Somerville, Sarma is the sister restaurant of Oleana in Cambridge, both specializing in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food, but Sarma focuses on meze /small plates and is more casual.

Sarma
Go to Sarma with many people, so that you can try a lot of dishes - and trust me, there are a lot you'd want to try. Sarma also changes a big part of their menu regularly, so even if you're a regular, you'd always find something new to try. Here's what I had at Sarma over two different visits:

Lamb kofte sliders, tomato, brown butter, pickles ($10) - one of the must gets!
Sarma
It may look simple in the photo, but these are seriously some of the best sliders ever. The patty - made with lamb kofte - was really good and the buns had the perfect texture.

Corn cakes, goat cheese, salty date butter, cilantro, pecans ($10)
Sarma

Chickpea crepe harira, braised lamb, house made harissa, cilantro ($13)
Sarma

Cypriot Ravioles, mint, pistachio pesto, peas, haloumi crack ($14)
Sarma
I really liked the haloumi crack but wished there were more of it!

Feta baked in phyllo, fennel, grapes, arugula, raisin emulsion ($13)
Sarma
Baked cheese with delectably sweet grapes, what's not to like?

Octopus, green charmoula, vermicelli, charred cucumber ($15)
Sarma
There was just so much flavor in this octopus dish, and in many more of the dishes here. The flavor profiles are also quite different, so dining at Sarma will certainly take your palate on a journey.

Harissa BBQ duck, carrot, orange blossom, apricot, almonds ($16)
Sarma
Here's a big tip: don't order too much in the beginning, because Sarma actually brings out different dishes in trays throughout the night, kind of like dim-sum style. You don't have to order those dishes, of course, but I can tell you it was very hard to refuse when you see and smell things like these sesame fried chicken with tahini remoulade ...
Sarma
Or the deviled eggs with pinenut, olive, black truffle, and red chile
Sarma

There are 2 choices for dessert, but you have the option for various toppings on both. What I would suggest is to get the Greek-style frozen yogurt ($5).
Sarma

Each topping is $2 and they include options like marinated cherries or Halva caramel (definitely get the caramel - I heard about a guy who skipped the yogurt completely and ordered a jar of caramel and just spooned it out).
Sarma

Oh, yeah, Sarma also has some good cocktails. On my first visit I had the Carum (Skadi aquavit, yogurt, clove, caraway, lemon, $11), which was pretty refreshing yet unique.
Sarma

If you like a slightly more bitter but still sweet cocktail, try the King's Scepter (Amaro Lucano, banana, lime, $10)
Sarma

Going to Sarma is a bit hard if you don't have a car, since it's not really near any T stops, but I've always had great meals there and it's definitely worth the trek to try this place! Bring a lot of people to share, since you're gonna want to order everything.

Sarma
249 Pearl St
Somerville, MA 02145
(617) 764-4464
http://sarmarestaurant.com/
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