Rabeih Sweets, Punchbowl

Baklava. The mere phonetics of the word implies the crunch of buttery filo pastry, and the "aahhh" of delight as walnuts dressed in syrup make joyous acquaintance with tastebuds.


Pyramid baklavas $15/kg

Sugar is this gastronome's friend. Best friend perhaps. Pasteis de nata accolades aside, a good bite of baklava ranks pretty highly on the sigh factor.

We had cravings and we had them bad. We headed to Punchbowl in Sydney's west--known somewhat as Little Lebanon--where pastry shops proliferate the area.


Rabieh is one of the bigger pastry shops we're aware of. It's about as plain a shopfront as you can get.

Inside however, its a different story. An AugustusGloop heaven of delectable goodies.



Biscuits $15/kg


Baklava $15/kg


Biscuit gift packs $25

We took home an assortment of baklavas and couldn't resist some Turkish Delight with almonds (sorry, they were scoffed before I could get a photo).

The baklava was mm..mm..more-ish! I like my baklava crisp, flaky, plenty of nutty action and not too sweet. Dutiful testing on my behalf seems to indicate that the pyramid baklava best suits my tastebuds. I'm sure that all the different shapes and sizes of baklava suit varying preferences, but my choice is pyramids all the way!

Our tastebuds were very happy with the baklava here. Fresh, flaky, crispy, nutty and not too sickly sweet. I would even venture so far as to say this was probably some of the best baklava I've had... ever.

Rabieh seems to be a typically family-run affair and there were a couple of Lebanese families here eating tempting-looking gelato cones, smothered in a rainbow of flavours. The staff here were accommodating and fairly friendly, although when I asked them if pyramid baklavas had their own name, they didn't seem to think so. [Surely this can't be so!]

We'll definitely be heading bak[lava]!

Rabeih Lebanese Sweets Shop
Shop 5, 769 Punchbowl Road, Punchbowl
Tel: +61 (02) 9708 4103

Related GrabYourFork posts:
Rabeih Sweets, Punchbowl, August 2007
El Bahsa Sweets, Bankstown

In the area:
Jasmin 1, Punchbowl