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A nice evening: Salam & Penguin

A nice evening: Salam & Penguin
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  • A nice evening: Salam & Penguin

    Post #1 - July 24th, 2004, 5:33 am
    Post #1 - July 24th, 2004, 5:33 am Post #1 - July 24th, 2004, 5:33 am
    I feel like sharing my friday night:

    Recent talk of the updated Schwarma King heightened my constant urge for some Mediterranean eats. We made our way to Kedzie last night and decided to go where the parking took us. Salam looked empty and had plenty of parking out front. I have been there once before and have fond memories.

    They were out of lamb totally and no chicken schwarma, so we had beef schwarma, chicken kebabs, a couple great felafel balls, a bowl of foul, and the best yogurt salad I've had in Chicago. Garnished with some wonderfully cured olives (plenty of which are in my fridge right now), pickled beets, and Salam's amazing (and ridiculously hot) chilie relish.

    The foul is an excellent, seasoned, half-mashed bowl of fava beans garnished with oil and chick peas and it is worth the trip by itself. The meats were great, but Ms. EatChicago complained that the chicken was way too salty.

    The hospitality at Salam was excellent as usual, and we were brought a couple complimentary teas with fresh mint at the end of our meal. (Probably because I spent so much time complimenting their food).

    We polished off the night with dulche de leche and chocolate almond gelatos at Penguin..perfect.

    (Side note: Driving by Noon O Kebab, we noticed the line was out the door due to the re-airing of their appearance on Check, Please! last week. Salam, Schwarma King, Al Khayam were all empty but Noon O Kebab had them spilling out on to the street. The Check Please effect in full effect yet again)
  • Post #2 - July 24th, 2004, 5:09 pm
    Post #2 - July 24th, 2004, 5:09 pm Post #2 - July 24th, 2004, 5:09 pm
    I think the chocolate almond often gets short shrift at penguin but its one of my very favorite flavors, not so much for the chocolate, but more for those great candied almonds they insert manually on there
  • Post #3 - August 8th, 2005, 5:47 pm
    Post #3 - August 8th, 2005, 5:47 pm Post #3 - August 8th, 2005, 5:47 pm
    LTH,

    Met a couple of LTHers for a quick lunch today at Salam. I always enjoy Salam's food, though today's special of Upside Down Rice, an inverted mix of rice, tender bone-in lamb, cauliflower and potato, was particularly good, as was the Kafta kabab. We rounded out lunch with a small side plate of 1/2-chicken/1/2-beef shawerma, hummus, foul, couple of included salads, including tomato/cucumber, baba ganouj and cucumber/sour cream.

    Included with our meal was pita, fresh made relish of ground jalapeno (by request only) and Salam's lovely pickled turnip and olives, which are bought to each table. I went with mint tea today, as opposed to my usual sage. For lovers of carrot juice, there must be one or two on LTH :), Salam juices a large clear glass of frothy carrot juice while you watch. The only slight wrinkle was Salam's falafel is variable, ranging from crisp, light and delicious to just ok, today was closer to ok than Salam's typical excellent.

    Salam's service was, as usual, helpful, friendly, good with water refills and napkins. Salam remains one of my favorites, along with City Noor, Al Khaymeh and Semiramis, on the Kedzie strip.

    Enjoy,
    Gary

    Salam's Weekly Specials:
    Monday - upside down rice, an inverted mix of rice, lamb, cauliflower, potato and various vegetables.
    Tuesday - stuffed grape leaves
    Wednesday - stuffed lamb
    Thursday - small rolls of rice and meat stuffed cabbage
    Friday - soup with lamb and rice on the side.
    Saturday - daily special changes
    All daily specials come with pita, olives, pickled turnip and salad.

    Salam Restaurant
    4636 N Kedzie Ave
    Chicago, IL 60625
    773-583-0776
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #4 - October 15th, 2006, 7:47 pm
    Post #4 - October 15th, 2006, 7:47 pm Post #4 - October 15th, 2006, 7:47 pm
    LTH,

    Had the pleasure of giving Salam their LTHForum GNR earlier in the week.

    Salam has long been one of my favorite places and it was nice to see Anwar Dihan, owner of Salam, was pleased to accept the GNR.

    Image

    Mossabaha
    Image

    Salam GNR pictures may be found here

    Enjoy,
    Gary
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #5 - December 6th, 2006, 5:40 am
    Post #5 - December 6th, 2006, 5:40 am Post #5 - December 6th, 2006, 5:40 am
    G Wiv wrote:Salam's Weekly Specials:
    Monday - upside down rice, an inverted mix of rice, lamb, cauliflower, potato and various vegetables.
    Tuesday - stuffed grape leaves
    Wednesday - stuffed lamb
    Thursday - small rolls of rice and meat stuffed cabbage
    Friday - soup with lamb and rice on the side.
    Saturday - daily special changes
    All daily specials come with pita, olives, pickled turnip and salad.

    LTH,

    Daily specials are typically quite good at Salam, but yesterdays stuffed grape leaves were particularly tasty. A dinner size plate loaded with tender leaves filled with a well balanced mix of rice, lamb, beef, veg and herb served with 4-lamb ribs resting top of the pile.

    The stuffed grape leaves had a particularly rich flavor, meaty, lamby, with just a hint of lemon as counterpoint. Really terrific.

    Rest of lunch was very good as well, falafel dead-on, hummus w/meat a treat, yogurt salad creamy, veg salads fresh and crunchy, they even had the pureed jalapeno mix that has been missing as of late and, as Erik M previously mentioned, are back to including olives in the gratis torshi mix. Only slight bobble was the kefta kabab, normally lightly charred and juicy, was slightly dry.

    My suggestion, mark next Tuesday as Salam Stuffed Grape Leaves day.

    Enjoy,
    Gary

    Enjoy,
    Gary

    Salam Restaurant
    4636 N Kedzie Ave
    Chicago, IL 60625
    773-583-0776
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #6 - December 6th, 2006, 10:13 am
    Post #6 - December 6th, 2006, 10:13 am Post #6 - December 6th, 2006, 10:13 am
    G Wiv wrote:
    G Wiv wrote:Salam's Weekly Specials:
    Monday - upside down rice, an inverted mix of rice, lamb, cauliflower, potato and various vegetables.
    Tuesday - stuffed grape leaves
    Wednesday - stuffed lamb
    Thursday - small rolls of rice and meat stuffed cabbage
    Friday - soup with lamb and rice on the side.
    Saturday - daily special changes
    All daily specials come with pita, olives, pickled turnip and salad.

    LTH,

    Daily specials are typically quite good at Salam, but yesterdays stuffed grape leaves were particularly tasty. A dinner size plate loaded with tender leaves filled with a well balanced mix of rice, lamb, beef, veg and herb served with 4-lamb ribs resting top of the pile.

    The stuffed grape leaves had a particularly rich flavor, meaty, lamby, with just a hint of lemon as counterpoint. Really terrific.

    Rest of lunch was very good as well, falafel dead-on, hummus w/meat a treat, yogurt salad creamy, veg salads fresh and crunchy, they even had the pureed jalapeno mix that has been missing as of late and, as Erik M previously mentioned, are back to including olives in the gratis torshi mix. Only slight bobble was the kefta kabab, normally lightly charred and juicy, was slightly dry.


    I was there for Monday lunch; I guess that I missed you by one day. ;)

    My Monday lunch was excellent, with the real standout being the chicken shawerma I'd orderd to accompany a plate of hummous. The meat had a perfect mix of crusty char and moist interior flesh, with the whole of it shot through with flecks of tangy lemon rind. Forget about the Vegeta-seasoned chicken fauxwarma at places like Pita Inn. Salam slings the real deal.

    E.M.
  • Post #7 - December 6th, 2006, 10:16 am
    Post #7 - December 6th, 2006, 10:16 am Post #7 - December 6th, 2006, 10:16 am
    Erik M. wrote:Forget about the Vegeta-seasoned chicken fauxwarma at places like Pita Inn. Salam slings the real deal.


    No kidding. I've had it from both places in the course of the last week (I eat Salam's version quite often). While Pita Inn cooks their chicken well, the seasoning gives it that fake flavor in comparison to Salam.
  • Post #8 - December 6th, 2006, 10:18 am
    Post #8 - December 6th, 2006, 10:18 am Post #8 - December 6th, 2006, 10:18 am
    Erik, I had the same reaction; I sometimes think of chicken shawerma as the grilled cheese sandwich of middle eastern restaurants (excitement-wise) but this was just about perfect of its kind-- juicy, tartly marinated exterior, nice crispy bits. Although I did detect a note that said "packaged seasoning mix" to me-- I actually thought of Goya-- but it was a minor one, next to the fresh lemony taste and the overall shwarmerifficness.

    Salam is a great place, someone should give them an award. Whoops, we did. Now they should put it up!*

    * They may not have their GNR award up but on the bulletin board in the kitchen are proudly displayed two pictures of, presumably, the owner's kids... from Chuck E. Cheese.
    Watch Sky Full of Bacon, the Chicago food HD podcast!
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  • Post #9 - December 13th, 2006, 2:41 pm
    Post #9 - December 13th, 2006, 2:41 pm Post #9 - December 13th, 2006, 2:41 pm
    LTH,

    Thanks for the tip on Salam. The food is fantastic, and makes up for the lack of ambiance and slow service. Had the chicken schwerma with creamy hummus and very fresh pita bread. Highly recommended.
  • Post #10 - June 5th, 2007, 8:43 pm
    Post #10 - June 5th, 2007, 8:43 pm Post #10 - June 5th, 2007, 8:43 pm
    G Wiv wrote:The stuffed grape leaves had a particularly rich flavor, meaty, lamby, with just a hint of lemon as counterpoint. Really terrific.

    Had a late lunch at Salam today, hummus w/ shawerma, lightly charred kafta kabab, crisp on the outside, moist/flavorful inside falafel and, being Tuesday, stuffed grape leaves. Tender, yet retaining the bare minimum tensile strength to encase the lamb broth infused filling If Salam's aren't the best stuffed grape leaves around they are pretty damn close.

    Salam Stuffed Grape Leaves, Tuesday Special
    Image

    Kefta Kabab
    Image

    Hummus w/Shawerma
    Image

    We also had an order of kibbe which I somehow neglected to try, though Salam's is typically quite good.
    Image

    As we left I snapped a picture of the rotating shawerma, next I knew I had two willing subjects for my upcoming exhibit at the MoMA

    Study in Shawerma, in Two Parts

    1)
    Image

    2)
    Image

    Enjoy,
    Gary
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #11 - October 9th, 2007, 2:06 pm
    Post #11 - October 9th, 2007, 2:06 pm Post #11 - October 9th, 2007, 2:06 pm
    If it's Tuesday it must be dolmas day. I've taken to showing up whenever I can for the Tuesday daily special of grape leaves stuffed with rice and lamb. Today they were running a little behind and it wasn't ready when we got there. Our good fortune, as I got to see/smell it come out directly from the kitchen in a hotel pan filled with lamb stock braising liquid and lamb rack or shoulder bones roasted with it as well. I smelled it before i saw it and had a smile on my face before it even passed by. As always, one of my favorite dishes in the city.

    The last two Tuesdays though I've been lucky enough to sample an amazing dessert of sorts called, and this is their spelling, "ktayef". A flour dough that I suspect is semolina as it's quite yellow, that is browned with simple syrup and stuffed with cheese or apples, nuts and cinnamon. The cheese filled "ktayef" is absolutely amazing. Slightly browned and crisped, it's a real show stopper. Neither my friends or I have ever tasted anything like it and all agreed it is fantastic.

    It doesn't really hold to well though, last weeks were dead in a day or so, but if you have the chance to get them fresh out of the oven as we did, it's a revelation and truly worth the effort.
    "In pursuit of joys untasted"
    from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata
  • Post #12 - October 9th, 2007, 3:17 pm
    Post #12 - October 9th, 2007, 3:17 pm Post #12 - October 9th, 2007, 3:17 pm
    Jazzfood wrote:The last two Tuesdays though I've been lucky enough to sample an amazing dessert of sorts called, and this is their spelling, "ktayef". A flour dough that I suspect is semolina as it's quite yellow, that is browned with simple syrup and stuffed with cheese or apples, nuts and cinnamon. The cheese filled "ktayef" is absolutely amazing. Slightly browned and crisped, it's a real show stopper. Neither my friends or I have ever tasted anything like it and all agreed it is fantastic.

    I could be wrong, but I believe this is a version of kinafeh (to choose one spelling out of about a thousand), which is also available next door at Nazareth Sweets. They'll warm it up for you.
  • Post #13 - October 9th, 2007, 5:43 pm
    Post #13 - October 9th, 2007, 5:43 pm Post #13 - October 9th, 2007, 5:43 pm
    I'm thinking although I'm not certain, that this may be traditional for Ramadan. When I asked if they have it everyday, because they had it last Tuesday as well, they said they'd only have it until Friday, which I believe is the end of Ramadan. I've never seen it there prior to this so maybe that's why? It didn't really make sense but maybe it has something to do with it.
    "In pursuit of joys untasted"
    from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata
  • Post #14 - October 9th, 2007, 6:44 pm
    Post #14 - October 9th, 2007, 6:44 pm Post #14 - October 9th, 2007, 6:44 pm
    in another thread, blunt posted a nice picture of this pastry and says that it is indeed associated with Ramadan:
    http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=154011#154011
  • Post #15 - October 9th, 2007, 7:24 pm
    Post #15 - October 9th, 2007, 7:24 pm Post #15 - October 9th, 2007, 7:24 pm
    D'oh, not kinafeh at all. Sorry for the misinformation.
  • Post #16 - October 9th, 2007, 9:19 pm
    Post #16 - October 9th, 2007, 9:19 pm Post #16 - October 9th, 2007, 9:19 pm
    That's it, except they have a cheese one as well. Stunning warm off the sheet pan. In fact, I took one home so I'll report back on how it nukes... bon appetite.
    "In pursuit of joys untasted"
    from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata
  • Post #17 - October 9th, 2007, 9:27 pm
    Post #17 - October 9th, 2007, 9:27 pm Post #17 - October 9th, 2007, 9:27 pm
    Almost pancake like with simple syrup instead of maple wrapped around a lightly salted cheese in the center. And crisp/caramelike around the edges. I give this a big YES. Very much a comfort food. Sorry to tease.
    "In pursuit of joys untasted"
    from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata
  • Post #18 - October 12th, 2007, 5:51 pm
    Post #18 - October 12th, 2007, 5:51 pm Post #18 - October 12th, 2007, 5:51 pm
    cilantro wrote:
    Jazzfood wrote:The last two Tuesdays though I've been lucky enough to sample an amazing dessert of sorts called, and this is their spelling, "ktayef". A flour dough that I suspect is semolina as it's quite yellow, that is browned with simple syrup and stuffed with cheese or apples, nuts and cinnamon. The cheese filled "ktayef" is absolutely amazing. Slightly browned and crisped, it's a real show stopper. Neither my friends or I have ever tasted anything like it and all agreed it is fantastic.

    I could be wrong, but I believe this is a version of kinafeh (to choose one spelling out of about a thousand), which is also available next door at Nazareth Sweets. They'll warm it up for you.


    Ketayir I think, is the spelling I saw :-)

    Had this a couple weeks ago, while at Jaafer Sweets with a friend. They
    had the cheese version and a walnut version IIRC - we got both, and
    split both. It was quite ridiculously good IMHO, and we too were told that
    it was something made just for Ramadan. Pity I havent made it back there
    since... I suppose we'll have to wait another year for it now (given that
    Ramadan ends tonight :-)

    c8w
  • Post #19 - December 5th, 2007, 1:35 am
    Post #19 - December 5th, 2007, 1:35 am Post #19 - December 5th, 2007, 1:35 am
    G Wiv wrote:Tender, yet retaining the bare minimum tensile strength to encase the lamb broth infused filling If Salam's aren't the best stuffed grape leaves around they are pretty damn close.

    LTH,

    Met Stagger, JSM and Cathy2 for lunch and, as it was Tuesday, we had an order of Salam's flavorful stuffed grape leaves. This makes two Tuesdays in a row I've been to Salam for the Tuesday special of stuffed grape leaves. The rest of our meal was quite good as well, in particular hummus with shawerma and grilled kifta kabab.

    Enjoy,
    Gary
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #20 - September 29th, 2008, 11:12 am
    Post #20 - September 29th, 2008, 11:12 am Post #20 - September 29th, 2008, 11:12 am
    In our neverending quest to eat the circuit of GNRs, REB, MiL, and I had dinner at Salam last night. We met MiL hiding in the parking lot in her car. She rolled down her window (just a crack) and asked, fearfully, if we were sure that we were in the right place. We asked her to trust us and head inside. Chuckling about how we "always take her to the most interesting places," she agreed.

    The reports on the decor at Salam are not exaggerated. There is none. But, we were greeted warmly by both our host and the wonderful smells, so we dove into the menu. We ordered double hummus with shawarma, 8 falafel balls ($.25 each, seriously?!), Jerusalem salad, and cucumber/yogurt salad. We finished with a pair of ktayef.

    Hummus/Shawarma Combo - This was excellent. Best hummus I've ever had. It is so very creamy and smooth. It seemed to have a higher tahini content then what I am used to, and I loved it. The schawarma was also superb. Meaty, slightly charred, tender, and very flavorful. The pool of meat juices that developed mingled with the hummus and soaked into our pita with each dip. Yum. We go to Pita Inn with MiL fairly regularly, and all agreed that this hummus/schawarma combo destroyed the Pita Inn version.

    Falafel - These, too, were wonderful. Crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside, and full of herby flavor (fresh parsley, I believe). We ate with pita, Jerusalem salad, tahini, and the sambal-like hot sauce, making little mini falafel sandwiches. Great stuff.

    Jerusalem Salad - This was nothing to write home about. Fresh but bland tomatoes, cucumber, green peppers, dressed so lightly, I wasn't even sure they were dressed. It worked, however, as a condiment for the other dishes, so we were glad to have it. As a stand-alone salad, this would have been a loser.

    Cucumber-Yogurt Salad - Another miss here. This is a standard dish that I order at every middle-eastern place that I eat. Salam's version is very minty, and clearly used dried mint to get there. The chewy black flecks of dried mint were somewhat unpleasant. Oddly enough, everyone else at Salam seemed to be ordering mint tea all night, and for that, they used fresh mint. Bah.

    Ktayef - We had two. The first was described as walnut, but I thought I tasted apples in it as well. It was delicious. Kinda like a cinnamony, dry apple pie filling inside of a syrup-soaked pancake, folded and crimped to look like a meat pie. The other was filled with cheese. Not dessert cheese like blintzes, cheesecake, or cannoli, but salted, savory cheese, like ham-and-cheese sandwich cheese. Odd, but also quite good.

    Service had a split personality. As I said above, we were warmly greeted. The warmth extended through the ordering process. When I sent our server away for more time to peruse the menu, and when I asked for some tahini, I got, "No problem, no problem, my friend." Once our food was delivered, he disappeared. We ate, we chatted, we chatted some more. We didn't see him again until we flagged him down to get the check. Water glasses were never filled. We were never asked if we wanted anything else or if we wanted to-go containers for our leftovers. Odd.

    MiL commented that she would really have liked some coffee to close the meal and enjoy with our dessert. Since nobody offered and nobody else in the place was drinking coffee, we decided it probably wouldn't be any good even if they did have it.

    Bottom line: The food was great and was a terrific bargain. We will return. (MIL ended up loving the food, and would happily return as well.)
    I don't know what you think about dinner, but there must be a relation between the breakfast and the happiness. --Cemal Süreyya
  • Post #21 - September 29th, 2008, 2:13 pm
    Post #21 - September 29th, 2008, 2:13 pm Post #21 - September 29th, 2008, 2:13 pm
    RAB,

    glad you enjoyed Salaam. Been eating there my entire life - one of the best arabic restaurants in Chicago. BTW, the coffee is great - order it next time (you are right however that few people seem to be drinking it).
    "By the fig, the olive..." Surat Al-Teen, Mecca 95:1"
  • Post #22 - January 6th, 2009, 3:49 pm
    Post #22 - January 6th, 2009, 3:49 pm Post #22 - January 6th, 2009, 3:49 pm
    Last night, another home run. Salam has joined Guanajuato #3's carne asada burrito at the top of our list for quick, easy, delicious meals. I think last night was our fourth visit to Salam, and it was again wonderful.

    Our regular order has become double hummus with shawarma, a Jerusalem salad, the wonderful green sauce, and as many falafel as we can eat. As good as the falafel are, the winner is the hummus-shawarma platter, with the tasty meat juices dripping into the hummus. So good.

    Service was friendly and spot-on last night. Now we just need to get there for dolmas night.

    Ronna
  • Post #23 - January 6th, 2009, 5:17 pm
    Post #23 - January 6th, 2009, 5:17 pm Post #23 - January 6th, 2009, 5:17 pm
    REB wrote:Now we just need to get there for dolmas night.


    That would be tonight (Tuesday). I think I just figured out where I'm going for dinner.
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #24 - January 24th, 2009, 11:31 am
    Post #24 - January 24th, 2009, 11:31 am Post #24 - January 24th, 2009, 11:31 am
    Wanted to share my wonderful experience with a large order (20 people) I placed at Salam a few weekends ago. Albert and Kalid could not have been more accomodating. I ordered a spread of falafel / hummos / baba along with chicken / beef / kefta kabobs and accompanying salads (they let me divide between jerusalem and cucumber yogurt). Everyone kept joking about the fact that they sent enough rice to feed the world! On a cold snowy night, everything arrived hot and delicious. The presentation was so nice, we even decided to leave things in the containers rather than moving them to serving trays. My guests went home full and impressed and I didn't have to do a thing! :lol:

    Like the receipt says -- Salam is the best!
  • Post #25 - February 4th, 2009, 11:24 am
    Post #25 - February 4th, 2009, 11:24 am Post #25 - February 4th, 2009, 11:24 am
    Another wonderful meal at Salam. Friendly service, nicely charred shawarma, crisp and flavorful falafel, piping hot pita, and some of the best hummos I've ever had.

    I have a question, though, about their dolmas for anyone who's had them before.

    Last night was our first Tuesday visit, so we were looking forward to the dolmas. The dolmas were abundant and tasty. I'd never had warm dolmas before, and I enjoyed the change quite a bit.

    The only problem was that they were really dry. No lemon, no acid. We ended up using quite a bit of the sambal-like hot sauce as an accompaniment. While we enjoyed the dolmas, they weren't nearly as good as the rest of the food. RAB and I agreed that we'd be hesitant to order them again.

    So, the question is, was yesterday an off-day? Is 7pm too late and the dolmas are past their prime? In other words, should we give them another shot?

    Thanks,
    Ronna
  • Post #26 - February 4th, 2009, 11:46 am
    Post #26 - February 4th, 2009, 11:46 am Post #26 - February 4th, 2009, 11:46 am
    Dolmas (or "dawali" in Arabic) should be eaten with lemon. Shame on Abu Shady for not bringing you any. But seriously, next time just ask for some wedges of lemon!!!

    Oh, and Arabic people rarely eat dawali cold - that might be a Greco-American thing.

    Cheers,

    M
    "By the fig, the olive..." Surat Al-Teen, Mecca 95:1"
  • Post #27 - February 4th, 2009, 11:51 am
    Post #27 - February 4th, 2009, 11:51 am Post #27 - February 4th, 2009, 11:51 am
    Habibi wrote:Dolmas (or "dawali" in Arabic) should be eaten with lemon. Shame on Abu Shady for not bringing you any. But seriously, next time just ask for some wedges of lemon!!!
    Many thanks! We'll definitely request lemon next time.
  • Post #28 - February 4th, 2009, 1:10 pm
    Post #28 - February 4th, 2009, 1:10 pm Post #28 - February 4th, 2009, 1:10 pm
    REB wrote:
    Habibi wrote:Dolmas (or "dawali" in Arabic) should be eaten with lemon. Shame on Abu Shady for not bringing you any. But seriously, next time just ask for some wedges of lemon!!!
    Many thanks! We'll definitely request lemon next time.


    I'd also add that dry is not a descriptor I would ever use for the typical Salam dolmas. They are usually pretty succulent, basted with the fat of the lamb inside, and are generally served with few small pieces of lamb on top of the order. Compared to the Greek style ones favored by the Chow Poodle, I'd classify these as richer in taste overall. Definitely give 'em another try.
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #29 - February 4th, 2009, 1:17 pm
    Post #29 - February 4th, 2009, 1:17 pm Post #29 - February 4th, 2009, 1:17 pm
    stevez wrote:
    REB wrote:
    Habibi wrote:Dolmas (or "dawali" in Arabic) should be eaten with lemon. Shame on Abu Shady for not bringing you any. But seriously, next time just ask for some wedges of lemon!!!
    Many thanks! We'll definitely request lemon next time.
    I'd also add that dry is not a descriptor I would ever use for the typical Salam dolmas. They are usually pretty succulent, basted with the fat of the lamb inside, and are generally served with few small pieces of lamb on top of the order. Compared to the Greek style ones favored by the Chow Poodle, I'd classify these as richer in taste overall. Definitely give 'em another try.
    Yeah, we'll have to try again. These dolmas were quite dry. Not succulent. Rice was falling out - - nothing was holding the insides together. The lamb inside was dry, too.

    There were lamb bones with a few bites of meat under the dolmas, but nothing on top.

    Perhaps our dolmas had simply been heated for too long.

    Thanks, Steve.
  • Post #30 - February 4th, 2009, 1:22 pm
    Post #30 - February 4th, 2009, 1:22 pm Post #30 - February 4th, 2009, 1:22 pm
    REB wrote:Thanks, Steve.


    FWIW, I've only had them at lunch time, maybe you got the bottom of the batch that day.
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven

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