Sunday, October 3, 2010

Tanoreen

Part of the quest to find the best food around is not necessarily about one dish, but also a successful continuity of a cuisine in all aspects; regardless of the establishment's specialty. I want fish, meat, salad, poultry, pastas, desserts all to be fantastic. I want Peter Luger's fish offerings to be respectable. I want Legal Seafood to offer a palatable filet mignon. Too ambitious? I don't care. It's what makes this adventure fun.

I enjoy knowing about a place prior to the mainstream because you feel like you can almost take a slight ownership and gratification in that you "knew about it first." This is perhaps what keeps bloggers and food writers alike in the search for new places.

Recently featured on Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" and the beneficiary of a much-needed renovation, Tanoreen in Brooklyn, NY has now stepped up from little-known-secret to nationally recognized gem. I'm glad because this cuisine (Lebanese), much like Indian, is incredibly underrated.

We ordered two each of tabbouleh and baba ghanouge. Both were very good. Made from parsley, bulgur wheat, onion, mint, olive oil and lemon juice, the tabbouleh ($7) was garden variety. I think I may have preferred a dash more of the citrus fruit to evoke more acidity, but it did not mire the collective approval of the dish. The overlooked -and occasionally neglected - stepchild of hummus, baba ghanoush will likely never get the respect it deserves. Made from eggplant (versus chickpeas in hummus), tahini, garlic, oil and spices, Tanoreen's version ($6.50) is particularly well executed. The eggplant flavor is not as pronounced and therefore better balanced with the other ingredients in the dish. I suspect that purists may not like it as much due to this "milder" version, but it converted my wife to a fan.

Another dish in our smorgasbord of appetizers, was fatoush ($10). This is essentially a Lebanese salad consisting of lettuce, tomato, parsley, mint, cucumber, sumac, olive oil, lemon juice, and toasted pita chips. I like enjoy this dish mostly because of the cultural interpretation of a salad. Whether or not it is intentional, the pita chips serve as croutons, and the oil and lemon juice are a light dressing. The sumac is an restrained but noticeable addition that - along with mint and parsley - give it distinction. I actually prefer the pita chips in lieu of regular croutons because they add a complementary crunch without being the focal point of each bite.

I wanted to be adventurous here so I ordered two mezze dishes I had never tried before: sujok and fried halloumi cheese. Sujok is dried sausages, sauteed with garlic, olive oil and red pepper ($8). Served in a small bowl, I found the four small sausages to be tender and falling apart. I thought they were very good however, there was a noticeable hint of vinegar.

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Fried Halloumi Cheese

Fried halloumi cheese was also agreeable. Made from a blend of goat's or sheep's milk, this semi-soft cheese has a high melting point which makes it perfect for frying or grilling. It was served with sliced tomatoes, olives, cucumber and sprinkled with parsley. The crispy exterior was an excellent distinction from the tangy interior and made each bite enjoyable. It has a similar texture to mozzarella, but not as elastic. This was also saltier than I expected, but not overpowering in any way. Another evident positive was that the cheese was not greasy and had been properly attended to prior to serving. That really suggested attention to detail. Nice touch there.

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Hummus

Since I know my dinner companions, I figured it a smart decision to avoid counting the number of hummus dishes we would consume. Tanoreen's creation ($6) of the most well known Middle Eastern dip is excellent. For a restaurant's version (versus one that is commercially mass-produced), this one was velvety smooth and creamy. You could taste each of the ingredients, which utterly transform the dish to almost elegant. The pita bread served double duty as not only a vessel for consumption but also a way to prevent spoons from assaulting the dish. Similar to the baba ghanouge, a balance of flavors was achieved that really enhanced its appeal.


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Kibbe Naya

In my humble opinion, one of the main reasons we eat Lebanese food is for kibbe naya (several alternate spellings exist). Much like Spanish tapas, Middle Eastern mezze dishes are often the appetizers to a meal. Here, this dish is a raw lamb preparation with fine bulgur and spices, and served with olive oil, outlined with diced red onion and garnished with mint leaves. Truthfully, it is nothing more than a lamb tartare, but flavored with bulgur and spices. This is one of the better ones; so much so that it has to be ordered a few days in advance. Tanoreen's version has a smooth and almost creamy consistency. Eaten either by the spoonful or with Syrian (pita) bread, it is spectacular. The fat from the oil adds a richness to the meat which creates levels of flavor leaving your palate satisfied. Every man in my family loves it, and the spouses usually cringe. We aren't bothered by this sentiment; there's more for us.

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Grilled Shrimp

My less-adventurous wife was undecided on her order, but richly rewarded when she settled on the grilled shrimp entree ($17.50). The menu actually says the dish is served with "a whole lot of garlic;" and that is right up her alley as well as a culinary turn-on. They weren't kidding either. Since we have a love affair of garlic, this was an amazing flavor. However, I think that there might be some who could find it to be a garlicky assault. Nevertheless, the shrimp were succulent, plump and perfectly cooked. My wife pointed out that they were properly cleaned, which can often be a turn-off. She not only thoroughly enjoyed this dish but would happily get it again. That is important because it makes a return visit less hesitant and whether or not she realizes it, this may have been what allows her to be more experimental with this cuisine.

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Chicken Fetti

The dish I ordered was chicken fetti. This is a dish of shredded chicken meat arranged atop a cradle of vermicelli-pilaf enveloped in tahini sauce. The flavors are fantastic and the addition of pine nuts adds an excellent crunch against the smooth texture of the sauce. The use of both dark and white meat stands out as the chicken is soft and flavorful.


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Lamb Fetti

My sister-in-law had lamb fetti; the same exact preparation as the aforementioned dish, but with a different protein. My complaint about lamb has always been that the "gamey" aftertaste - according to experts - should be all but absent in the preparation. In this case it was, but I suspect that it may have been the sauce and other ingredients that could have masked that "gameyness."

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Shepard's Pie

I presume the Shepard's pie my brother's fiancé ordered was a Lebanese interpretation of the classic Irish recipe. From all indications, it was thoroughly enjoyable. Served with a colorful, fresh salad and red cabbage slaw, the dish was a study in texture. Tangy cheese, soft potato, savory beef, and crisp salad.

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Stewed Goat

In diet of the average blue-collar American, goat is likely absent from annual consumption. However, being a self-professed foodie allows me to take such culinary risks. In this case, my father fortunately took that risk. He ordered the goat special. Arriving in a large bowl, the stewed goat is marinated and served in a yogurt sauce. Interestingly, the sauce is intentionally sour. However, I found this technique to be just slightly excessive. Another complaint was that there truly was not enough meat in the dish; comparative to the chicken or lamb fetti dishes. Most important was that the goat meat was chewy and not soft, which the cooking method of stewing achieves. I was not impressed with this dish.

Next to hummus, grape leaves are probably the most well-known dish. I absolutely love them. I have childhood memories of arriving home from school to the aroma of these delectable stuffed rolls enveloping the kitchen. I was surprisingly dissatisfied with Tanoreen's version. All of the required ingredients were present, it was just the overall execution and technical flaws that brought it down. I didn't feel there was enough meat in each on and therefore they lacked plumpness. Additionally, each order was extremely small for an entree size. There were approximately 5 or 6 in each order. In my opinion, an entree of grape leaves should have between 25-30.

The blemish on the whole dinner experience was that my step-mother's lamb shish kebob arrived nearly thirty-five minutes after our order. A kitchen mishap caused them to have to re-cook the dish. Upon arrival, the meat was cold on the inside, albeit properly cooked, and overflowed with rice. The manager was courteous and apologetic for the error, but the dish that finally arrived was disappointing.

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Chicken Kabob

Other dishes that were ordered included, chicken tagine, chicken kabob, and kafta kabob. Each of them were well received and they were absolutely enjoyed. In keeping with Middle Eastern preparation, parsley with everything becomes almost routine and therefore lacking of originality, even if it is common in the cultural traditions. It makes the dishes too busy.

My father was quick to point out that Tanoreen excels in their preparation of vegetables and salads. I agree that they are all consistently excellent and is spectacular highlight of the chef and the establishment. However, I would say that they do not exceed in preparation of proteins. Notwithstanding, it was very good.

After tip the total bill was approximately $700. And while that may not be too mind-boggling for a party of 10, if you break it down, $70 is rather steep for a casual dining restaurant. Nevertheless, I still highly recommend this place because it is so darn good and you could spend less than half of that and have an absolutely amazing meal. I think they hold true to Middle Eastern traditions and authenticity.

Website: http://tanoreen.com
Rating: Highly Recommended

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