Couscous, hummus, fresh salad, and baguettes are not so easy to find in Shenzhen. However, this is changing with the recent arrival of the Adelo Mediterranean Restaurant, prominently located on Shennan Road in Dongmen.

Mediterranean food is well-known around the world and highly recognized as healthy cuisine. Indeed, with a diet rich in vegetables, seafood, and olive oil, those in the region live longer and suffer fewer diseases than most people around the world. Adelo serves up a variety of dishes from nearly all countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, from Europe to Asia and Africa.

Owned and operated by Ben Benali, an expatriate from Algeria who has been living in Shenzhen for seven years, Adelo was opened for the benefit of friends and to fill a gap in the city’s dining scene. “It was very difficult to find our kind of food. We like Chinese food but sometimes we need a change,” said Benali, who named the restaurant after his 2-year-old son.

The restaurant is large and spacious, with warm lighting, artwork on the walls and traditional designs, all making for a relaxing ambience. It’s not a bad place to spend several hours eating and chatting with friends. The coming addition of wireless Internet and several computers, along with coffee and tea on the menu, will further increase its viability as a place to hang out.

Our meal started with a large, overflowing basket of French baguettes that was included free of charge along with the dishes. Another option is Moroccan bread, which is rich, dense and filling.

To accompany this bounty of bread, we started with harira, a tasty vegetable-based soup with chickpeas and eggs (12 yuan, US$1.7). Like the salads (15-20 yuan), there were several to choose from. The hummus (15 yuan) was also a natural choice. A fellow diner, having never eaten hummus before, chose the dish as one of her favorites, commenting, “Someone has put his heart into this dish.” The mechouia (15 yuan), a unique green pepper dish, was lacking in flavor, although that could be an acquired taste.

For the main course, we tried several Moroccan dishes that are not yet on the menu. Tadgine (42 yuan) featured chicken, olives and potatoes and went over quite well with our table. The couscous with lamb (50 yuan) was also a hit, accompanied by carrots and drenched in a sweet sauce. Due to the high demand and low supply, couscous, which Adelo has shipped from France, is available only on Fridays.

For dessert, we had the Spanish bastila (42 yuan), a sweet and salty pastry filled with chicken, almonds, onions, and topped with sugar and cinnamon. “If you want to make a child stop crying, just give them some of this,” said one Chinese diner at our table. It was probably the biggest hit of the night.

The drink menu is extensive and reasonably priced. The Brazilian espresso, mint tea, and various fruit juices we had were all 10 yuan. A selection of coffee varieties is also available.

Although the restaurant caters to foreigners, Adelo hopes to reach out to more Chinese diners. To that end, they are redesigning the menu to include more Chinese-fusion dishes with rice. But they aren’t selling out. The new menu, which should be out by press time, will also feature the addition of more traditional Moroccan and Algerian dishes. Hopefully, falafel, pita bread, and baba ghanoush will also be available.

With a wide variety of tasty Mediterranean dishes, a pleasant atmosphere, friendly staff and a prime location, Adelo is sure to satisfy your dining desires and is a welcome addition to the city’s international dining scene.

(Shenzhen Daily March 26, 2008)