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Merrylands Culinary Tour: Exploring Afghan, Syrian, and Persian Flavours
5.0
197 Ratings
Merrylands
Embark on a unique culinary adventure in Merrylands, Australia, and explore the vibrant flavors of Afghan, Syrian, and Persian cuisines. Discover the rich cultural heritage and hear inspiring stories of resilience and hope from the local business owners.
Embark on a unique culinary adventure in Merrylands, Australia, and explore the vibrant flavors of Afghan, Syrian, and Persian cuisines. Discover the rich cultural heritage and hear inspiring stories of resilience and hope from the local business owners.
Duration:
3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Granville Park Montrose Avenue, Merrylands - In the Merrylands Tour you will explore the tastes and cultures of Afghanistan and Persia. Enjoy dishes lovingly prepared, and shared with you by the newest Australians. Traditional recipes have come on long journeys from homes in Afghanistan and Persia (Iran), brought to keep homelands alive in hearts and bellies.
- Granville Park Montrose Avenue, Merrylands - In the Merrylands Tour you will explore the tastes and cultures of Afghanistan and Persia. Enjoy dishes lovingly prepared, and shared with you by the newest Australians. Traditional recipes have come on long journeys from homes in Afghanistan and Persia (Iran), brought to keep homelands alive in hearts and bellies.
What's Included
- Accompanied by a local guide
- Inclusive of breakfast
- Lunch provided
- Snacks throughout the day
- Enjoy food tastings
- Tea and coffee available
- Accompanied by a local guide
- Inclusive of breakfast
- Lunch provided
- Snacks throughout the day
- Enjoy food tastings
- Tea and coffee available
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Merrylands is a melting pot for many recently arrived Australians, some of whom have sought refuge from their native lands. This excursion will reveal to you the delicious culinary secrets they are eager to share.
You’ll explore the rich tastes of Syria, Afghanistan, and the delicacies of Persia, including its distinctive use of dried limes and saffron….
Merrylands is a melting pot for many recently arrived Australians, some of whom have sought refuge from their native lands. This excursion will reveal to you the delicious culinary secrets they are eager to share.
You’ll explore the rich tastes of Syria, Afghanistan, and the delicacies of Persia, including its distinctive use of dried limes and saffron. Savor some of the finest rice and bread found anywhere across the globe.
Throughout this journey, you’ll engage with hospitable shop proprietors and listen to the narratives of hope and the pursuit of a fresh start in Australia by individuals who have traveled great distances. This culinary adventure stands out from the norm. If you’re keen on immersing yourself in new cultures and societies, and value the role of food in forging connections, then this is the ideal experience for you.
Location
Al Shami Restaurant
Railway Terrace
We meet at Al Shami Restaurant at 102/106 Railway Terrace. It is across from the Merrylands train station. You will find our guide waiting for you in a yellow T-shirt. Please arrive 15 minutes before the tour start time.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(197 Ratings)
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946sybilw
Feb 17, 2025
Fabulous food and great guides - This was absolutely incredible. I was in a food coma for the rest of the day but it was absolutely worth it! The food was fabulous, I learned so much, and the guides were knowledgable and made the whole experience so much fun. Can not recommend highly enough - a fabulous way to spend a few hours!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
314nitar
Feb 16, 2025
Amazing experience - The food, both in the restaurants and bakery and in the supermarkets, was amazing- afghan dumplings to die for, and who would have thought carrot jam could be so delicious! Our guides Fhazia and Sharif were so knowledgeable and friendly. Fully reccommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Companion01345455872
Feb 3, 2025
Great tour - Great tour with a very knowledgeable guide. Well paced, very interesting. Included in the tour are stops to local supermarkets.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Explore462374
Jan 21, 2025
Great experience - This was a fabulous food & culture experience. The food was delicious. Highly recommend to both young & old. Our tour leader was so welcoming & share her great knowledge & respect for the people & businesses of Merrylands. Thank you again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bennetttfive
Jan 9, 2025
Be a tourist in your own town. - Great food selections and plenty of it, very informative guide, lovely to visit a different part of Sydney. It felt like being a tourist in my own town...cheaper than going to the real places! Many in the group were there on a gift voucher, excellent present.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wanderer629587
Jan 5, 2025
Great way to spend a lazy Sunday. - This was a nice experience which started with a vegetarian breakfast (mostly chick peas) at Al Shami followed by visiting some local shops where we tried interesting snacks. Esp loved the saffron cotton candy. We got to taste some naan bread fresh off the tandoor, then an Afghani lunch at Kabul House, more visits to shops and bakeries finishing off with a sweet drink (fresh carrot juice with pistachio ice cream) at Shiraz.
It was blazing hot but the company was very pleasant. For me, I would have liked to hear a bit more personal history and cultural background from the owners of the establishments we visited, but overall a worthy experience. I can’t wait to take my kids to all the places we visited.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Compass466981
Nov 22, 2024
Amazing food and knowledgable guide - Such a fascinating and well-run tour. Sahar was a fantastic guide and made sure everyone felt comfortable, included and full by the end of it! She provided us with invaluable knowledge not only about the food we were eating and the countries it came from, but the local restaurants and shops we visited in the community. I'm already planning what tour to do next.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nicoleae5608ch
Nov 19, 2024
Fantastic, Don’t Hesitate to Book - I have done a lot of travel and food tours but this was hands down one of the best food tours I have ever done! Sahar was a wonderful and warm guide who was very generous with sharing her knowledge of the food and the people of the Merrylands community. The food was incredible and abundant. I’m a sucker for an ethnic grocery store and this tour did not disappoint. Sahar patiently explained everything on the shelves. The people in our group were wonderful to meet which made it even more fun. This is a not to be missed experience of Sydney and a fabulous representation of Australia’s successful multicultural society. An absolute must do for anyone travelling to Sydney and for locals alike. Good thing I don’t live in Sydney as I would get too fat!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
199venya
Nov 18, 2024
Brilliant Experience - Everything from the booking to the doing was fantastic. Sahar and the people in the Taste office (thankyou Noor!) were incredibly helpful and made the Sunday tour my wife and I did extremely memorable. Sahar is a wonderful guide and we enjoyed hearing every bit of information she had about food, life, groceries... anything and everything. My wife loaded up her shopping bag with lovely stuff we can't get in Brisbane. Each of the restaurant tastings was great, even though I know how hard it can be to deal with Vegans, of which we are two. Also lovely were thje other people on the tour, so it became a very special gastronomic and social event. We will make sure we do a Taste tour every time we come to Sydney for pleasure. Finally, we will definitely go back to the restaurants and bakeries we visited (the aromas are still with me, especially the last bakery we visited), as well as the grocery stores. Thank you Sahar for being such wonderful company, you are very special indeed. xxx
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Noorb968
Nov 4, 2024
Explosive flavours and heartwarming stories - We walked to 6 different locations. Starting at Al Shami Restaurant, we tasted some amazing Fettah and Foul. The restaurant was beautifully decorated with some classic Fairouz music. Then we walked to a Persian supermarket and Afghani bakery to taste some freshly made bread. We then made our way to Kabul House to have lunch. We enjoyed some tasty lamb and rice sprinkled with raisins and Afghan styled meat dumplings in a yoghurt/dill sauce. The food was absolutely delicious. We then walked to another Persian supermarket that had a large selection of herbs and nuts. Our final stop was an Afghan dessert shop. We tried some carrot juice with Saffron ice cream and some traditional Afghan desserts.
The tour guide was a beautiful young Afghani woman. She was so nice, vibrant and expressive. She shared stories from growing up in an Afghani household. Her passion for her heritage was very clear and heartwarming.
I would recommend experiencing this tour if you've never had middle-eastern/afghan/persian food.
The people on the tour with my husband and I were really sweet and everyone enjoyed each others company. Couldnt have been a better day spent with great people.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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