DarSalam Restaurant & Catering (Alberta) — Restaurant in Portland

Honestly I was left scratching my head on why all the good reviews. I ordered the dish with shredded lamb with rice as the main course. Maybe the time and skill to cook the shredded lamb and rice isn't easily discerned in the final product or maybe $17 is a little too much for a dish that is made entirely of components that can be made ahead of time and plated. I cook rice infused with spices in a rice cooker every few days and I know slow cooking meat in a slow cooker isn't that technical to do either. Maybe there were some really expensive spices mixed into the dish to justify the expense but I didn't detect the taste of those expensive spices. Regardless, the shredded lamb was a little too salty but when mixed into the not salty rice, the salt balanced out.

Is the dark candle lit environment of the inside of the restarrant meant to mimic the environment typical of a restaurant in Iraq? If not, I thought it was a little dark, thankfully I sat near a light.

The kitchen is a converted food truck that is plumbed so now it no longer moves. Amazing to run a restaurant out of such a small cramped kitchen. Kudos to the chefs who have worked in there for long hours for many years. There is no walk in refrigerator at this restaurant, refrigeration and freezers are inside a shed next to the food truck kitchen. Mostly residential grade fridge and freezers, only some residential grade refrigeration are rated to operate in garages and other semi-condition to unconditioned spaces. I think the way the bathroom, dining room, refrigeration, and kitchen are interconnected but separate buildings is a really strange setup. It is a little Frankenstein to me, but the interior design and decoration hides these aspects. Hey if it passed Portland's building code inspection and food inspectors, then it must be safe and adequate.

Clearly there are enough diners who are happy with the food quality and willing to pay for the uniqueness of the food. For me I don't think the food is that unique (all menu items are permutations off of a set of bases that can be made ahead of time) or that hard to cook. I will go to a restaurant that cooks dishes that are outside the range of my own home...

We decided to give DarSalam a try....what an adventure. My wife and I explained to the waiter that we had never had Iraqi food, and that we had read some of the reviews and were going to give it a go. The waiter was extremely nice and helpful. For a drink..my wife got the hard cider and I ordered the special lemonade that they make fresh. The lemonade was very unique...and very enjoyable...it had a different herb or spice in it that made it fantastic. Then we ordered the pickled mango salad which has nothing to do with what you would think. It is a sharp vinegar tasting garbanzo bean plate, and I got no taste of mango. It was good, and unique...I have never had anything like it...but #1 it is not a Salad...#2 There is no Mango taste (When I see Mango, I expected sweet). We then had the Shredded Lamb over Tzatziki, and the shredded chicken over rice, along with the flat bread. Everything was good.......but then again I have no reference point since I have never had food from Iraq. If you had to ask me what it is like, I would say it is a twist on Indian food with softer bread. We read on another review to put a few drops of the sauce that is sitting on the table over everything. This is very good suggestion if you want to amp everything up with spice....be careful...test it first. At the end, we had the Date Roll and the Baklava....the Date Roll was too small, and kind of bland for me...but the Baklava was the best I have ever had...I wanted an entire platter of it. Everything seemed very freshly prepared, and the ingredients seemed to be top notch. Our overall experience was good. The atmosphere is...

I've been eating here for about eight years, however, not as much in the last couple of years. The food is, and has always been, delicious. As far as the food goes, I think they're the best of this type of cuisine that the city has to offer. Always have had friendly service and I like the decor, but mostly I get take out.

I see some comments complaining about the price....this is the reason I decided to write this review. I usually get the eggplant stew rice plate and I remember a few years ago the price remained the same but they stopped including the side salad that used to come with it. I mentioned it on one visit and they were very kind and made me a salad for free. Since then I've not brought it up again and just accepted the wonderful stew and rice. Although it was not a lot of food I still thought the price was fair.

Tonight I ordered for the first time in a while and was a little shocked to see such a steep price hike. I usually don't pay $22 for something like stew and rice unless I'm aware the restaurant I'm patronizing offers some sort of profit sharing to their employees or pays well above minimum wage. I don't know how Dar Salam takes care of their employees as I've never asked about it.

Now with all that said, when I picked up my order it was easily twice the amount of food it used to be. Totally fair for the price, and easily enough food for two meals. I'm talking a full 16oz container of stew and probably almost a quart of rice. Maybe they heard the other comments, I don't know but I have no complaints with this place at all and will continue to recommend...