I really hoped this was going to compare to my favorite place I moved farther away from, so I'd have a new "go-to" for Indian/Mediterranean cuisine. Unfortunately, this was pretty underwhelming & doesn't even come close.
Let's start with the hummus & pita. I did not appreciate a pile of whole chickpeas taking up half the container & only the bottom portion being actual hummus. If the intent here was presentation- yeah, it was pretty. But, I wanted straight hummus, not having to make the other half of it manually (luckily I have the ingredients so the whole peas don't go to waste). Flavor was just okay- not a lot to it. And I didn't like the pita very much. It was so thin it barely passed for a pita bread instead of a very flaky tortilla. Very good portion, but not so much executed well to meet what traditional should be. Although, it balanced out a the half-portion of hummus. Maybe that was the intent?
I've come to find I love the kofta (they call it kefta here) kebab most. It usually is the most flavorful, so instead of going with the variety meat combo platter as I usually enjoy them all- I went with the kefta platter- which comes with 2 kebabs, rice, side salad, hummus & a pita. Honestly, it was dry & bland.
First, I do not understand the entire half of a tomato on top of the salad. Did someone just get too lazy to cut the thing? I mean, is there any reason I'd want to enjoy half of a raw tomato in it's whole form while trying to consume the salad... was that considered "garnish"? The salad was literally lettuce, some chopped tomato, the entire half of a tomato & a dressing pre-applied. Which had no flavor at all. It was straight water & olive oil with what looked like an attempt at a dash of pepper. Not good or anything at all that really made it a salad.
The kefta was flavorless & on the dry side. Definitely overcooked, but there was really no flavor to it, either. A slight hint on the exterior, but lost in the dryness. The rice was not traditional- literally jasmine rice which someone attempted to toss some sort of spice/flavor on top, but it only lightly covered a small bit so entirety of the rice was just straight, plain & no flavor at all. Just like you'd get at an oriental restaurant, minus the sticky. I wasn't too thrilled, it didn't match the description or expectations much.
The "mini spinach pie" (also known as spanakopita) just was not good at all. I could not get through 3 bites. The dough/shell is actually perfect! Cooked to perfection, but the problem is the filling. I don't know what spices or how much of an overload was placed in this batch, but it was just foul in overpowering & over spiced flavor. And, the filling was even weak, on the lesser side! I don't enjoy knocking someone's dish this badly, but I could not stomach something that usually is a favorite.
Lastly, the baklava. Which was the star of the show, here. But, what I don't like is having to order a minimum of 6 of just one flavor. It would be nice if there was a "combo" option or being able to select a certain quantity. Because the baklava is really good. I tried the hazelnut, which is unique to this entity- it was one of the better I've tried! So, in this case I don't mind the quantity of 6... but, I just would have liked to try the other flavors without having to order 1/2 a dozen of each only to sample. Food for thought.
As of now having just tried this & it being a backup to my favorite now out of the way... I'll go out of my way. With the baklava being the only thing I was really happy with here, it likely won't be memorable enough to consider again. Seems like there needs to be some adjustments with the recipes or chefs- most of what I ordered was lacking or not good enough to justify the expense or craving. If I do return, it will be for the baklava. read more