Barsha

Sugar once again invited us to this Tunisian restaurant. I've never been to a Tunisian restaurant, so I knew I was in for a treat, especially since she has been there numerous times.

The seats were too low for me, so I asked our server, Valerie, if she had a pillow. She immediately got some pillows for Mike and me. I was so happy to be elevated; it made all the difference in the world. Now, that's service.

Sugar ordered a nice Château Franc Patarabet Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2019 bottle. For appetizers, we had Zaatar Fries with tabil aioli and ketchup. Tabil is a Tunisian spice often with ground coriander, caraway, garlic, and chili powder. The fries were absolutely delicious and addicting. We also ordered Roasted Cauliflower; we had to get something healthy! It had calabrese, dill, almonds, and dill tahini sauce. Sugar kept pushing us to order another appetizer, so we settled for Falafel Sliders. We liked this a lot. It had caramelized pickled onions, tabil aioli, cucumber, feta, and labneh, which made it yummy. Eating it was not easy as the contents kept sliding off...hence sliders, I guess! 

We were informed of their special soup for the day: Lentil Soup with coconut milk.  It was a bit windy and cold outside, so it sounded terrific, so Mike and I decided to try it. The soup was not hot; it was just lukewarm, so our server apologized and insisted on fixing it. Shortly after she left, Adnen, the owner, came over to apologize. This is truly a sign of a good restaurant. Things aren't always perfect, but when they offer to correct a problem and sincerely apologize, you can tell they are interested in the customer's experience. The soup did hit the spot. The lentils were divine, and the coconut milk gave them the right consistency. 

For our entée, Sugar and I had the Moussaka; eggplant stew, tabil bechamel, parmesan with olive oil croutons. It was Friday, so I couldn't order any meat dishes. The Moussaka was delicious. Mike and Zohreh had the Veal with mashed potatoes and some salad.  Sugar then ordered another bottle of the same wine, which we happily consumed. 

Sugar announced that she would order desserts to share, coming from someone who can't eat sweets. She ordered a Fig Brownie with balsamic glaze, vanilla ice cream, and toasted almonds. She also ordered a Bread Pudding, which was nice and crunchy, and the Rose Trifle, which included lemon cake, mascarpone, rose water with berries, and pistachios. All the desserts were delightful. 

Adnen, the owner, came by several times to mess with Zohreh since she requested Tunisian music next time as we were unfamiliar with it. He promised us he would have it next time. We could even show him some moves the next time; who knows?

Barsha is located at 1141 Aviation Blvd. in Hermosa Beach, California.