Harissa Mediterranean Cuisine in Seattle

Harissa is a warm, vegetarian friendly, inviting restaurant in a small neighborhood, serving Lebanese food at its best. With excellent service and amazing food, this is a show stopper! There is a nice little bar as you enter and a quaint dining space with table linens, potted plants, et al.

It happened to be a bright and sunny day and we were escorted by the man in black to the beautiful patio. The clear blue skies above us, the wooden decor of the patio and the Arabic music playing in the background transported us to the Mediterranean land.

Walid brought us menus and water. Not a huge menu, but they have interesting options like Stews, and Lebanese Tomato Salsa .We asked for Walid's Combination plate - A generous portion of the four most delicious appetizers of Harissa; Hummus, Eggplant Salad, Labneh and Walid’s Tomato Salad.

Walid's Combination Plate

The Eggplant Salad was off the charts. It was more chunkier than Baba Ganouj and paired well with the rustic pita bread. The pita bread was soft at the right places and crisp at the edges, very similar to the tandoori naan.The hummus was a little grainy as opposed to the creamy ones I have had at other restaurants. Lots of garlic in everything. The labneh was so creamy that my eleven month old smacked her lips and asked for more! I mean, who can resist herbed cream cheese? Walid's tomato salad was like a Lebanese Salsa with crunchy walnuts. The plate was polished off in no time. The pita was a little inadequate, though. For the price, it would be nice to have the pitas coming. Just because they were so nice.

Next was the Spanakopita - Oven baked fillo dough stuffed with fresh spinach, chopped onions and feta cheese served with tzatziki sauce.

Spanakopita @ Harissa Mediterranean Cuisine

It came with a very flavorful Lebanese Pilaf and Fatoush (Lebanese Salad) on the side. The entire plate was topped with garlic sauce. I must make a note to ask for more garlic sauce on the side the next time. It was fantastic. The salad was fresh, the rice was flavorful, tzatziki sauce was cool and refreshing and the spanakopita was out of this world. I wish they had a buffet lunch on weekends; I could then devour endless Spanakopitas.

It is a little pricey but the food justifies the cost.We were so stuffed we couldn't order desserts We are so going back to try their Stews. And the Spanakopita! I highly recommend this place to other Mediterranean food lovers like me. And hey, this place is very kid friendly. So is Walid :)

Lake City Gyros

I am a sucker for hole in the walls that make fantastic sandwiches for a few pennies. Mainly because the food is fresh, made right is front of you and is all about customizing. Can you make it spicy, please? A little more Tahini would be just perfect. Thank you.

Having heard a lot about this joint, we decided to stop by for a Falafel Sandwich while driving past, last weekend. It is a tiny joint with a counter / kitchen where the food is prepared and two tables not worth sitting at. It was dark and stuffy inside. Certainly not worth sitting there and biting into the most fabulous Sandwich. The Falafels were fried fresh upon order. The other stuffing included Lettuce, Cucumber, Tomatoes, some Tahini sauce and some other spices. I asked mine to be a little spicy and she added some chili paste. The Pita bread itself was soft and huge. For $3.99, it was a treat!

A great place for a quick craving!

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Gorgeous George's @ Seattle

If you have been reading my blog, my love for Middle Eastern food, especially for Mediterranean Kitchen (MK) must be quite evident. But, once in a while, I like to try different Middle Eastern restaurants and compare them to MK. And so, for lunch on Saturday, Yelp reviews were scouted and Gorgeous George's was picked for two reasons. One, the owner / Chef George is Middle Eastern. So, the food must be authentic. And two, the rave reviews about the hospitality made us believe it would be a great dining experience all together. We were not wrong. The food and George, both were gorgeous!

So, we got there with rumbling stomachs, at 11:30 am on Saturday, to find the restaurant closed. George came to the door to tell that lunch was from noon to 2:30 pm. Oh boy. We had half an hour to kill. It was raining, so walking up and down Greenwood Ave was not a very pleasing idea. On top that, we had got a good parking spot which we would lose if we drove around and came back later. So we chose to remain in the car.

We went back again at noon and they were open. The waitress showed us to a table by the window, brought our menus and water. The water had a slice of cucumber floating it in, making it very refreshing. I have had water with the standard lemon wedge that usually makes me gag, but this was much better! It just shows that they care about every little thing. The restaurant is fairly small, not more than 25 people can dine at one time. There was the usual "Habibi..." song playing in the background and I could even hear George singing along, in the kitchen.


Gorgeous George's

The waitress brought a complimentary plate of their famous Hummus. I am not sure if it is complimentary at all times; I think they gave it out of courtesy because we had to wait for thirty minutes. Whatever, the Hummus was so beautifully plated that I didn't want to ruin it by digging into it. It was shaped like a volcano with a crater in the middle, filled with olive oil and drizzled with sumac and other herbs.


Hummus @ Gorgeous George's

It was not as garlicky as the MK's Hummus. In fact, it was not as lemony as well. But, it was of a kind and was delicious. May be that's how they make it in Palestine, which is where George is from. The pita bread was fatter than the the usual ones I have had. It was more like Naan, again, may be specific to the Palestinian region. I tore the pita, scooped some hummus and shamelessly licked the Olive oil dripping from my fingers. It was sooo good!!


Hummus and Pita @ Gorgeous George's

George came out to take our orders. A asked him if he could make a Veggie Shawarma, but he said, "I have only one veggie - Falafel". Oh well, we'll have the Falafel, we said, a tad disappointed. We also asked for Zahara, the appetizer. The Zahara and the Falafel were brought out at the same time. One look at the food and we knew it was going to be awesome.

Zahara (Fried Cauliflower Topped with a Light Tahini Sauce)  was good. The cauliflower was brown and crispy, it lacked a little salt, but we sprinkled some from the salt and pepper shaker kept on our table. The tahini sauce was sparingly used.  Despite the qualms, it was still dellicious. MK gives a bigger portion of Zahara for the same cost, doesn't need any salt and is smothered lavishly in Tanihi sauce. There, I said it.


Zahra @ Gorgeous George's

Next, the Falafel episode. The Falafel (Vegetarian balls made of Chickpeas and Veggies Fried until Golden Brown Topped off with Tahini Sauce) plate came with four pieces of Falafel balls, a salad with a mint basil dressing with mango and papaya, that tasted fantastic (Note, MK doesn't make this ;-) ), basmati rice cooked with peas and a cup of Labnie. We suddenly remembered that the platter comes with the choice of a soup or salad. But he didn't ask us what we wanted. Usually the soup or salad is served first and then the platter is brought out. But we didn't get any, so assumed that George had forgotten about it. We asked him if it came with a soup and he said yes, he would bring it right away. In two minutes, he came with a bowl of steaming hot lentil soup, that was thick and delicious.

Lentil Soup @ Gorgeous George's

He also mentioned that he was giving us the soup on top of the salad. It then hit us that he was talking about the salad in the Falafel platter. But, we never asked for the salad. Am not sure how he decided to serve the salad over the soup, without asking our preference.

Falafel Platter @ Gorgeous George's

 Anyway, the Falafels were good too. Crunchy on the outside and soft inside. The dressing on the salad was out of this world. But here's the other qualm. There is a split charge of $3.95, which is not justified. You share an entree with someone else and you have to pay for it? Why? They don't give a bigger helping just because you are sharing. It is the same sized entree. I know MK at Bellevue charges a splitting cost, but that is justified. They give two soups, unlimited pita bread and the garlic dip. Gorgeous George's doesn't give any of this, yet doesn't fail to charge the splitting cost. Um hm...not very happy about that.

In the end, we ordered the Pistachio Walnut Baklava, that sure looked and tasted absolutely toothsome.

Baklava @ Gorgeous George's

We walked out of GG feeling content. The great food and amazing service made it a helluva dining experience. George is a very gracious host and was frequently checking on us, asking us if everything was OK. It was only when we started comparing it with MK did we realize that MK is more value for money. MK gives bigger portions for the same price, service is good, uses more garlic, uses sauces generously, justifies the split charge by giving unlimited pita and garlic sauce and an extra bowl of soup. And, they make Veggie Shawarma, though it is not listed on the menu.

So, yes MK is still at the top of the list.

NOTE :- This review is specific to Vegetarian Entrees only.

Mediterranean Kitchen @ Kirkland

Sometime back I reviewed my favorite haunt in Bellevue here. This outlet in Kirkland is their casual/ fast-food joint. We go here very often for various reasons:

1. The food is cheaper. No splitting cost.
2. You get a salad with your entree in addition to the soup n pita. Of course, you have pay a $ more for Toum ( the garlic sauce) and the pita is not unlimited. Unless you are a regular and are pally with the manager ;-)
3. There is a lot more variety in the menu. Shawarma wraps, sandwiches like Bathinjaan, Greek fries, et all.
4. Of couse, it is closer to where I live.

That said, the Bellevue location is reserved for meeting with friends and other special occasions. We went to this fast food joint at noon on a Saturday. There were a couple of families happily tucking in the food and a few more people walking away with huge take out orders. We asked for the usual Veggie Shawarma Plate. The portions are as huge as what you get at their main location at Bellevue. For $10 (with tax and tip), we got a bowl of lentil soup, a small salad, a pita bread and a huge plate of Veggie Shawarma. Boy! Isn't that a steal?

Lentil soup and salad:

Here's a picture of the Veggie Shawarma - Red wine vinegar, spices and garlic, and is tossed with grilled onions, green onions, red cabbage and tomatoes, served with tahini sauce, on a bed of saffron rice.

And a picture of the restaurant -

We love this place and will visit n number of times in the future!

Kabobji @ Miami

Kabobji is a casual, dine-in or take out kind of restaurant, located in a strip mall in Sunny Isles Beach. They have interesting Lebanese and Turskish fair.

We ordered Jhallab - a drink made with dates, rose water and pine nuts floating on top and mint yogurt. Both were very refreshing for the Florida heat.

We ordered the Batata Harra (spicy potato) - Fried potatoes marinated in coriander, chili & garlic. It is a simple appetizer, yet, was very flavorful and fantastic.

For the main course, we asked for the Vegetable Ghallaba - Sautéed vegetables with herbs & spices. It comes with soup or salad and rice or fries.We got the red lentil soup and rice.

It also came with paper thin pita bread. The pita was quite similar to the Rumali roti that you get in India.

The Ghallaba is again something we don't get in Seattle. It is not spicy at all, yet brings out all the flavors of the spices and herbs. It is served on a bed of flavorful long grained rice or fries. We asked for rice.

Like at any other middle estern restaurant, we oohed and aahed at the food and polished our plates clean. It was strange though, that for the first time at a Middle Eastern restaurant, Toom (garlic sauce) or Hummus or Tahini, was not a part of the main course. Anyway, Kabobji, we love you ji!

Mediterranean Express @ Capitol Hill

What's up with us, we wonder. We eat middle eastern food as if we hail from Lebanon or someplace, where it is considered staple diet.Give us hummus, shawarma, dolma et al, day in and day out, and we would still ooh and aah, smack our lips and polish our plates. Seriously.....

A lovely day of endless walking along Alki Beach left us totally famished.We headed to....(where else, huh?) Mediterranean Express in Capitol Hill. Yes, another great middle eastern hide-out. This is a typical dine-in/take out joint, like Garlic Crush or the Mediterranean Kitchen at Kirkland.
You look at the menu on the wall, order what you want, scoop your soup/salad and cutlery and grab a table. The main course is served at your table by the cashier who is also the waitress and helps the cook in the kitchen.
They have 3 vegetarian platter options. All platters are served over Saffron rice, with Hummus, pita bread & soup or salad . We ordered the Vegetarian Combo platter (Hummus, Baba Ganouj, 3 Grape Leaves, 3 Falafels) and the Falafel platter (Ground Garbanzo Beans mixed with parsley, onions, garlic and spices, topped with tahini sauce.). We then took our bowls of soup and sat at a table.

Me: Ummmmmm the red lentil soup is... ummmmmm.... just too good. And this is a really big helping.

A: Where does it say "red lentil" ?

Me: (too busy slurping, gesture to the big white board where it says "Soup of the Day")

A is still not convinced that it is red lentil, since it's yellow in color.
A (to waitress) : What soup is this?
Waitress : Red lentil soup.

Me: Gah!

Then the waiter brought our platters.

Me: Oh! The saffron rice tastes just like the one at Med Kitchen.

A:  The pita bread is exactly what you get at Garlic Crush.

Me: Oh yes.....the same texture......so light and fluffy.

A: The falafel is excellent.....so crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.....and...something's different.....aah....it has mint in it!

Me: Oh really? (After taking a bite) Mmmmmm...yummy.

A: Hey, these grape leaves are also different....usually it is not my favorite, but this is the best I have had. Guess what, there is mint in this too!

Me: So what now? Med Express is to mint as Med Kitchen is to garlic?

A: (Giggersnort) Whatever, this is just excellent!

They catered to our requests for extra garlic and extra spice. But, they don't make any customizations. We asked if they could make a  Veggie Shawarma and she said no. But the food was great and each platter was not more than $8.99. Looks like they have B1G1 coupons in the Entertainment Book, as well.

So, Seattlites, if you're not in the mood to make the journey to Med Kitchen on the East Side, Med Express is a great place to head to for satisfying your cravings.

Mediterranean Kitchen @ Bellevue

On Saturday, we met some friends for lunch at Mediterranean Kitchen in Bellevue. We have been there n number of times before, but I haven't really got a chance to review it in my blog. We all looooooove the middle eastern fair and jump at every opportunity to go there.

The cozy, dark interiors and the pricey menu make it exemplary for rare occasions. But we simply loooove their food and used to lunch there atleast once a month. Thanks to their unostentatious grab n go cafe in Kirkland; we now go there every other week, sometimes, every week.

The waiter first brought in a pita bread basket and a pungent garlic dip. This restaurant is loved and hated for the amount of garlic they add to the food. So much, that they are even thoughtful to offer mint flavored chocolates with the check. May be they should change the name to Garlic Kitchen or something. But we love the garlicky flavor, so in turn love, love, love their food.

Next, the lemony Lentil Soup came. All good so far. 

Since we were four of us, we ordered the Mezza Tray, which is an assortment of delicious Middle Eastern appetizers: Hummus (mashed garbanzo beans, with spices and tahini sauce), Baba Kanouj (mashed eggplant with spices and tahini sauce), Labnie (Drained, delicious yogurt with olive oil, olives, tomatoes and cucumbers topped with fresh crushed mint), Tabouleh (Chopped parsley with onions and tomatoes tossed with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and bulgar), Zahra (Cauliflower deep-fried, topped with tahini sauce, garnished with green onions, raddish, fresh crushed mint), olives, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Now, if only dolmas (fresh grape leaves stuffed with rice, onions and parsley then baked with delicious Mediterranean spices) were part of this yummylicious platter....... esp. if they could replace the Tabouleh ;-)

We ordered our usual, the spicy Veggie Shawarma.This dish is not listed on their menu, but they customize it for us. In a nutshell, as our meat loving friend pointed out, it is the Chicken Shawarma without the Chicken :). The Shawarma is made with red wine vinegar, spices and garlic, and is tossed with grilled onions, green onions, red cabbage and tomatoes, served with tahini sauce, on a bed of saffron rice. The one at Kirkland, adds a side of hummus to this plate and we absolutely love it. I somehow feel the food is more flavorful at the Kirkland location. And ofcourse, a better bang for the buck. Plus, they have some additional interesting items on their menu. One such sandwich is Batinjan (grilled eggplant with lemon, garlic, green pepper, red pepper and cauliflower deep-fried, topped with tahini sauce, garnished with green onions, raddish, fresh crushed mint and all wrapped in a pita)  that is phenomenol.

A usually saves a few scraps of the pita bread, to polish the plates clean, after every morsel has been gnawed and relished. So clean, that, sometimes it leaves me a tad embarassed. Especially when the waiter/waitress gives us a knowing smile when clearing our plates. I ususally scamper off as soon as am done eating, to save myself the embarassment :)

Garlic Crush

Garlic Crush is an affordable joint that specializes in Middle Eastern cuisine. I am a huge fan of Mediterranean Kitchen. I have not come across any other restaurant that is better or atleast on par with Med Kitchen. I got this B1G1 coupon for Garlic Crush from Entertainment Book and decided to give it a try. It was different yet nice in its own way.

First of all this is more of a take out place. A great place to grab a quick lunch/dinner. There are about 8 tables and an open kitchen. The food was great. The portions were generous. We ordered the Mezze plate and the Falafel plate. The Mezze plate came with couple of pita bread, Hummus, Baba Ganouj, 2 Falafels, 2 Dolmathes and Tabouleh.

We had requested them to make it more garlicky and they gave us a side of extra garlic. The pita bread was big, not very thick, and layered. I have heard this is how an authentic Lebanese pita is and is the best pita I have had.

The Falafel plate came with 6 falafels of a decent size on a bed of lettuce, saffron rice and some hummus on the side. The saffron rice had a slight lemony taste and was tossed with brown colored vermicilli. We mixed the extra garlic with the rice and it tasted exactly like the one you get at Mediterranean Kitchen. And then we realised that an extra helping of garlic makes the food really flavorful.

I would have liked the plates to include tahini sauce and some tzatziki on the side. Each plate costs no more $10. And oh yes! Each plate comes with a side of soup or salad. We asked for the soup and it was really delicious.

 If you are in Bellevue Downtown and are craving for some Middle Eastern food and have time to just grab a quick bite, Garlic Crush is the place to go to.