We've been hitting up Mediterranean restaurants like nobody's business on this leg of our spring…read morebreak, in part because of our proximity to many, and in part because my progeny and I are currently obsessed with babaganoush in its many variations. For this particular dinner, we were also focused on finding a truly vegetarian friendly restaurant where we could take our dear friends. Kabobji was a wonderful choice for vegetarians, omnivores, and carnivores alike.
It's a large restaurant with plenty of booths and large tables for gathering with friends and family. Someone I suspect to be an owner was working hard alongside his wait staff and displayed a sense of genuine hospitality. Above all, the restaurant has a rock solid kitchen.
The falafel ($13.99 / 5 pieces) here were ****STELLAR****!!! They're shaped like Indian medu vada (fried with a hole in the middle), probably for the same reason: to allow as much of the surface to fry to that perfect golden crisp as possible. And Kabobji's falafel were, in fact, awesomely crisp and well textured, made from soaked chickpeas in the traditional style, perfectly sized, nuanced and subtle in flavor -- some of the best we can remember having. (For reference, we love Nish Nush and Tanoreen for falafel in NYC -- and I think our neighborhood must be one of the major international epicenters for falafel.)
Also excellent: the baba ghannouj ($10.99 for the small size), just a bit chunky, enriched with a lot of tahini, a moderate amount of garlic, a touch of lemon. This is how we like to make it at home.
The vegetable ghallaba platter ($20.99) was simply made with thinly sliced onions and bell peppers, a small amount of zucchini, I think, and a touch of tomato. I would've loved to have had a spritz of lemon or sprinkle of sumac for a more acidic component, perhaps a little less onion. Note that this dish works better as a main course when accompanied by something protein-y like hummus, but it was pleasant to eat alongside our other orders.
A convive, who went with the mixed shawarma platter ($27.99), found it to be a generous portion size and enjoyed it, especially with a side of well composed fattoush salad (+$5.99 to upgrade). Beef shish kebab ($14.99) and lamb shawarma ($15.99) wraps were both excellent and moist, a good balance of protein and vegetable. I didn't try them, but the "cheese pies" ($12.99) turned out to be pitas covered with a large amount of melty white cheese that some young children might enjoy as pizza. (Mine probably would've found them to be "too cheesy," but they're mutants.) They came three to an order.
When you dine in, they bring a big basket of warm pita / pida to the table -- quite a generous touch!! I think it's house made and of course went beautifully with our food.
Bottom line: GREAT FALAFEL! Great, low-key, family-friendly vibe. Good for vegetarians and non-vegs. Go.
