Zamaan Cafes

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Richness carries into other items. Fattoush salad with lots of red and green pepper amid the romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and deep-fried pita chips came drenched in maybe not a half cup but certainly a third of a cup of sumac-orange house vinaigrette. The dressing has a pleasant if mild flavor, but still I would advise ordering it on the side--and not dropping any oily forkfuls on your pants. Big but tender lightly charred beef or chicken chunks make the shish kabob pita wrap a good deal for under $5 (and according to the menu's cover, the meat is halal). White meat chicken shawarma wraps satisfy as well, with or without feta cheese but decidedly with garlic sauce. And if you like your baba ghanoush intensely garlicky, get ready to go clove-hugging here. It seems odd that Zamaan's hummus is so mild in comparison, with its flavor mainly dependent on tahini.

Along with the lovely garnets of pomegranate, lemon slices, and various pepper garnishes, splashes of color show up even on dishes you expect to look drab. Brown-as-ever lentil and cracked wheat mjuddara, for example, comes with a pastel green creamy cucumber sauce that both looks and tastes bright. No such luck with desserts though: imported from Dearborn, taffy-dense honey coconut cake and phyllo pastries span the spectrum from beige to tan. Nut fillings for the tiny pastries are carefully labeled as pistachio, cashew, and pine nut, but they didn't taste much different to me. Chalk it up to a case of cheap dessert giving you what you pay for.