Dur Dur Somali Restaurant
9409-118 Ave.
780-756-6884
Rating: *** 1/2
Price range: Low
Licensed: Yes
In Edmonton, evolution has produced a relatively consistent dinner out. Lighting and decor are similar; savoury and recognizable meals are served for a competitive price. However, one element — authenticism — upsets the standardized apple cart.
Dur Dur is stark and brightly lit. An old Somali woman, her lined face fixed with a huge smile, nodded briskly when I pointed at a few of the entrees on the spare menu. After a long wait, she brought huge platters of meat and vegetables, with mounds of spiced rice and circles of chapati as large as dinner plates.
It was solid, filling cuisine, washed down with sweet lemon juice. I enjoyed the chapati-wrapped pinches of beef stew ($12), and my wife adored her baked King Fish ($12), but we both left the dry piles of rice largely untouched.
There are some genuine finds in the city that will remind you of that little spot in Kuala Lumpur or Buenos Aires. It’s worth a visit to taste the difference.
