Harissa - Middle Eastern - $ (Astoria)

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Wow, another treasure in Astoria. Harissa is such an underrated gem and I can't believe that I had to find out about it from my Jersey City-residing friend! Harissa cafe is an Algerian restaurant with a small menu that has a big impact. North African food is one of my favorite foods, simply because they mix spices that we as Americans consider to be reserved for sweet dishes, in their savory dishes. It's such a contradiction of flavors that we are typically not accustomed to, and for some it's hit or miss. But you can't help but identify the difference with every bite.

I read the reviews on yelp before we went there and everyone on there gushed about the restaurant. It's a very small space with few tables, but they do deliver. They serve bread and pastries from Balthazar and their own dishes are so perfectly spiced.

- Burek
This appetizer is finger-sized cigars of filo-dough stuffed with cinnamon-spiced beef, and then deep fried.

- Lamb Tajine
A whole lamb shank served with peas and artichoke hearts. The meat is perfectly falling off the bone, and in fact, the joint just dissolved itself and the bones completely separated from each other. It's soooo good!!



- Chicken Couscous
You can choose 3 different kinds of couscous, with the meat or veggies served on top of the bowl of couscous. Another delicious dish and a very generous portion.




We spent $18 each. Insanity. And there were leftovers.

Mundo - Turkish/Argentinian - $$ (Astoria)

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I was introduced to Mundo by a friend and found it to be an interesting restaurant option for Astoria. It's a small place off of Broadway that integrates the owners' Argentinian and Turkish backgrounds and inspires a healthy, natural menu with really interesting and unique flavor combinations.

The service was mediocre but all the patrons were raving about the food as they passed us on their way out. My friend who's a vegetarian was really happy with the plethora of options for him, however we really depended on our waiter to help explain and sell the menu. He kind of sucked at that.

So we went with:

- Red Sonja
This is so different than anything I've had and not at all how I was expecting it. It's lentils and bulgar pureed and served as a dumpling on pieces of lettuce. You basically take the lettuce leaf and eat the dumpling wrapped in it. This is pretty delicious and light, and fresh-tasting.






- Peruvian Causa
This is nicely presented as layers of all the ingredients. The flavors are all delicious, but each layer was served at a different temperature-- room temp, refrigerator temp... the inconsistency was a turn off. I personally think it would have been better if it was served warm.



- Manti
Then we ordered their signature dish. They're tiny little dumplings stuffed with beef, steamed, and then served with Turkish yogurt and spices over it. This dish was a zero for me. I hated the mushy textures, I hated the sour yogurt. I almost never leave food behind on a plate, but this was the exception. I think our waiter was shocked that I didn't devour this dish. Oh well!




Each, we spent $35.

Casa La Femme - Egyptian - $$$$

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To give you an idea of how fulfilled I felt by finally coming here, I have to let you know that I made reservations at this restaurant about 6 times in the last 5 years. Each time, I would get into some argument beforehand with whatever boyfriend I had at the time, and I would cancel the reservation instead of going. I didn't want anything to lessen the experience of Casa La Femme.

My father used to talk about this restaurant when I was younger, and often took family friends, out-of-towners, or clients there for dinner. It was as much about the food as the experience, so from an early age, I had to go. Judging by the pictures of the new location they opened downtown, still approximately 2 years before this reservation, I determined that whenever it is that I do ever get married, this would be the venue for my engagement party. The decor is very sexy. The next time they want to build a restaurant, I want to build it. Every last detail was given tremendous thought. The bar, the bathrooms, the dining room. Wow.

So you have to understand the magnitude of shock I felt, when I learned that a friend of mine who I went to college with, told me that her uncle actually owns the place. Jaw to the floor.




So I finallyyyy decided, screw it, it doesn't have to be a special occasion, I'm going to organize a dinner with a group of coworkers who know nothing about Egyptian culture or food (I, being half Egyptian, wanted to provide the experience)and make a night of it.

Since we were a large group of 8, we were given a tented table with a prix fixe menu. Great idea for groups because they brought out the mezzes for everyone to share- which you almost need to do when guests have no idea what Egyptian food is. Through the course of the evening, we sat in our tents enjoying both the Egyptian music playing in the background, as well as the gorgeous belly dancer who captured everyone's attention. Even the hookah was delicious. It was a great time for all.

Here's what we ate:

- Hummus, Babaghanoush, Foul
All the mezze dips were to share. Foul by the way, is like a staple of Egyptian breakfast food, along with tamaya (falafel). It's mashed up fava beans with spices and sometimes white cheese. This was a big hit at the table. And the fresh pita bread it was served with was soft and delicious. Below is a picture of the tamaya.



- Mahshi (or Stuffed Peppers)
This dish seriously brought me to another place. It was so spot-on and made me feel so incredibly nostalgic for my family back in Egypt that I took about 20 minutes to eat these tiny little things, just to prolong the experience. It is so flavorful and spicy and I only wish I could have had more.



- Moussaka
I was a little disappointed in this one. I was expecting it to come with a heafty layering of bechemel sauce, which Egyptians love oh-so-much, myself included. This was a leaner version, with cheese sprinkled on top, and unfortunately, while it was still very delicious, it did not bring me to the same place that the Mahshi did.

Most of my friends had ordered the fish couscous and were ooh-ing and ahh-ing over each bite. And one thing I should mention is that when the kitchen realized that they fell short of one of the couscous dishes, they brought out a whole grilled fish to hold the person down until their couscous arrived. That is excellent service. It was resolved before we even knew it was an issue, and it was done in excellent taste.

We easily spent about $85 pp with drinks. So worth it.

Cherry Cafe - Hookah, Egyptian - $

http://cherrycafenyc.com/ (Astoria)

I really love hookah, sheesha, nargile, whatever you want to call it. It's a relaxing, social past time and it always comes with great Middle Eastern mezze. It's pretty well known that Manhattan hookah can cost around $25 per hookah, but if you venture out to Queens or Brooklyn, you can find some hookah for as little as $7! Cherry Cafe is not on Steinway, which is also known as Little Cairo. The restaurants and cafes over there can be a little intimidating, as they're filled with mostly male Arab immigrants who stare at young women who pass by. It's a cultural thing that I find best left avoided. Cherry has a younger, more diverse crowd in its welcoming space. The hookah is good and cheap, and the food was surprisingly incredible, which I wasn't even expecting!

- Melon Hookah
- Mezze Combo

- Kofta Sandwich/Platter
(This kofta was some of the juiciest, most delicious kofta I've had in a while)
- Kosheri
(It's not listed on their menu, but I remember asking for it once and they had it. It's an Ancient Egyptian recipe of lentils, rice, pasta, chickpeas, topped with a spicy tomato sauce and crispy fried onions. A carbohydrate nightmare, but total Egyptian comfort food.)
- Mint Tea
- Karkaday
(A tea made with dried hibiscus. It's tart and very sweet, blood red, and considered great for circulation.)