Sarma Restaurant

Reviews 4

CR

Cristina Ruiz

Sarmas menu defines "mezze" as small plates meant to be shared, which brings people together. So keep this in mind when picking your partner, as sharing is not everyones forte. You truly get to know a person by the manner in which they approach this type of dining. Do you order half of the menu from the start? Pick a few to start and feel it out as you go? If 3 morsels come on the plate, do you divide the third? Arm wrestle for it? These are all things to consider. Although the cocktails sounded intriguing, we ordered the surahi (carafe) of red wine ($22) which was about 3 glasses worth. Apparently they change what type is offered, and ours was a light, slightly effervescent red. It paired nicely with the food since it did not overpower and lended itself to variety. Upon the recommendation of our waitress (and the couple sitting at the table next to us), we started with the hot dates, the brussel sprouts bravas, and the octopus shish. The dates were delectable: warm cheese encompassed by sweet date and topped with crunchy pistachio bits. Whats not to love? There were 3 of these babies on the plate, so some splitting had to happen because I wasnt giving any of that up. I see why they call these brussels bravas! I recommend upgrading with the chorizo for a more savory, meaty experience. The sauces in this dish made it truly come together, and after the sprouts had been devoured, I found myself sopping up what was left with the (otherwise underwhelming) bread we had initially been served. The octopus shish ($15) was also tasty and was accompanied by half of an avocado filled with couscous. I expected a bigger portion for the price (and because our server had said the shish dishes tended to be larger), so I would try out something else next time. Another trait that distinguishes Sarma from other small plate spots is that servers will offer you "treats from the kitchen" as youre dining. These dishes are not on the menu, and if you choose to take one they mark it on the paper at your table, dim-sum style. The only thing is that you dont know when these will come out, so planning can be difficult. After our initial 3 dishes, we wanted to see what they would bring before deciding if we wanted more from the menu, but our server couldnt let us know when (or even if) we could expect to be offered a special. Luckily after about 15 minutes a server did appear, and we landed the sesame fried chicken, which was hot, heavily breaded with sesame seeds in the batter, and served atop a cool, creamy sauce. This blend of textures and temperatures was nice, and the salty flavor was enjoyable, however I personally would have liked less breading. We also tried out the Turkish deviled egg special when that one made the rounds. This was a cool, creamy take on the classic because it included hummus, olive oil, and olive bits on top. Now were full! 5 dishes for the 2 of us ended up being the perfect amount. And luckily a fight didnt break out over what to order or how best to divide things. As for dessert, they have very limited options of frozen Greek yogurt or donuts that you can pick different toppings to add. Unfortunately they had run out of the yogurt, so we just opted for 2 Turkish coffees. They were served in cute, patterned cups, and the flavor was just the right balance of sweet and bitter. An ideal end to our mezze masterpiece of a dinner!

MI

Michael Collins

There is a lot to like about Sarma. First of all it is the sister restaurant of Oleanas in Cambridge, one of my all time favorite establishments. Sarma is located in the heart of Somerville where the Paddock Restaurant used to reside.. You know that place you would drive by with a horses head on the sign. The decor here is perfect for a great date, they really spruced up this space. They had old school hip hop playing at a reasonable volume. The cocktail menu was large enough, although I was a little disappointed they didnt carry sangria since Oleanas makes some of the best. Service here was also good, our waitress was perfectly attentive. On to the food: Hot Dates - Filled with goat cheese, pistachios, and hints of rhubarb and lightly fried. If you typically like dates this is a good appetizer option Haloumi Fries - I thought these were just OK. The frying technique used seemed to take away from the flavor of the cheese. The fig ketchup was good Sesame Fried Chicken - Light, fluffly, while being extra crispy fried chicken. This one of my favorite dishes. Unfortunately they dont have this listed on the menu and waiters walk around with it and offer it up Dim Sum style. Moroccan Fried Shrimp - Much like the Haloumi Fries, these suffer from losing the shrimp flavor through however they fry it. If you have had the mussels at Oleanas the style is similar. The problem here is that they fry many of the dishes in the same manner leaving you with quite a few deep fried dishes that arent all that distinct Octopus - The portion was fairly small, about 4 bites. It was perfectly seasoned and grilled. I probably could have ordered this one and ate it to myself. It was a little too small and tasty to share. 7 Layer Hummus - I couldnt tell you what the 7 layers are but this was another must get item, especially if you like Hummus.

NA

Nathan Green

With peppermania so overbearing these days at too many restaurants, where the go-to spice is often used to mask a lack of cooking skills, its refreshing to find a chef and her kitchen with the skills to use an array of spices that properly complement each other and the food they accompany. This talent for nuance, not numbness, was very evident in our recent dinner at Cassie Piuma and her ensembles restaurant, Sarma. Beginning with Turkish Deviled Eggs with black truffles, olive bits, dill, mustard, perhaps tahini, and a blend of Turkish spices, our small plates selection continued with assertive--- but not jarring--- Lamb Kofte Sliders (with brown butter, pickles and tomato) that were unusually juicy; lovely, rich Basturma (cured beef) and Cheese Rolls with pickled green strawberries; an amazing riff on duck lorange called Harissa (chili paste) BBQ Duck on a skewer with orange blossom, orange slices, apricot, almonds--- a dish that never had us reaching for the fire extinguisher that is often needed with conventional harissa; and wonderful made-to-order Ricotta Donuts with halva (ground sesame) caramel or cherry ouzo/black pepper sauce. A less exciting item was the Potato Spanikopita (with cucumber/garlic yogurt tzatziki and mushroom bits) that, while its center-filled composition was quite good, its enveloping boiled potato felt too dominant and therefore somwhat bland. Our Greek Skouras Salto white was a perfect all-purpose wine. Service was excellent, and the space itself is attractively Early 21st Century Turkish Steampunk.

FI

Fiona Chandra

One of my favorite restaurants in Boston. Its unique concept and food - middle eastern small plates, with flavors so forward, bold, and one of a kind. Its a restaurant that youd be hard pressed to find even in other big cities. The menu is large and changes regularly, with various special dishes that they bring out each night, so you can come back often and not be bored. The interior is also colorful and fun, the cocktails are good and the staffs hospitality is impeccable. Its hard to get here if you dont have a car, but its definitely worth going to! With excellent food thats also pretty reasonably priced, Sarma should be your go-to for a night out.