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Category: Middle Eastern
Neighborhood: Long Island CityAstoria Blvd (N, W)
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The falafel here is so earth-shatteringly good that I suspect that, if given half a chance, it could solve the Israeli-Palestine crisis all on it's own. It's probably already working on a new road map as I write this. We're talking about a sandwich with *ideas* here, people.
And all the other food is somehow even better.
I probably won't add any new information to the reviews, but I would like to describe my great experience at Kabab Cafe. I was on a mission... After viewing Athony Bourdine's dining experience with Ali, I had to try this place out.
Ali and his food did not let me down. It's not easy to talk your friend into trying a new resturant in his hood that boast a unique type of fair. I had it in my head that I was going to try lamb brain and that's exactly what I had. Ali is a charasmatic man with lots of knowledge on the history of food. You would honstly think that all this explaining to everyone that walks through the door of his quaint restuant, would get old...nope. Ali truely enjoys what he does.
There was a menu, but I wanted whatever the chef was serving, within reason. First, I didn't want to be disrespectful by asking for the most unique dish that he had available. Ali actually walked my friend and I through what he had to serve and how it would be prepared...very nice. I was sold on the duck ragu and the lamb brain w/peppers. One thing is for sure, Ali knows how to season and his presentation was great. The duck ragu covered a rice dumpling with a date center...yum.
While dining, I chated with my friend and others that entered the resturant, while downing a couple Presidente's... Any resturant that serves Presidente good to me...nahh, but the food was amazing.
Ali creates his magic in a kitchen the size of my cubical...great stuff. I enjoyed what I had for dinner and I enjoyed my time in the resturant. Would I go back again...not unless I live down the street from the cafe or if I wanted to introduce someone to Ali and his food.
MUST TRY... D@mn, I'm making this a 5. Bring Cash...
Ugh. Was taken by friends who raved about the cook and the food.
Yes, Ali is voluble and charming, but how the hell can he offer all those different meats when only serving 4 tables a night? It just can't be that fresh. And what's the big deal with tripe and sweetbreads and other offal? You can get them in many places in NY.
I thought the dishes were all overwrought and overdone. Ali's philosophy it appears is just throw in more cumin to mask the mediocrity of the dish.
Oh, and as for the cleanliness - just give me a halal stand anyday.
Are you adventurous? Are you willing to push yourself to the limit in terms of what you are willing to eat? Then try Ali's. It is the sort of place you wouldn't notice unless you are looking for it. A tiny little shop with maybe 4 tables all tightly crammed together, you get to watch Ali prepare every single dish for every single person in the place.
If you are daring you can simply put yourself in Ali's hands and you will eat things like sweetbread, tripe, brains, tongue, etc ... and if you can get over what it is, you will have your world opened with a cornicopia of new tastes which will dance across your tongue, casting a magical spell into your belly.
Despite the spartan surroundings, you will be paying a pretty penny (how else is Ali going to control the crowd?). Be aware, this is an experience not for the light of heart ... but if you can handle it, it is worth it.
This is the best restaurant in all of New York City. I refused to leave my old neighborhood because I simply needed to be in walking distance of Kabab Cafe. Any time I have guests, I take them here. As a result I invite more people to stay than I should, just so I have an excuse to go back to Kabab Cafe.
This is the best food I have ever had in my life. Ali is a treasure to the city and to the world in general. After having been out of the area for a year, I walked in, he remembered my name, said he missed me, and we talked for a half-hour about where I had been while for me some of the most delicious things I had ever eaten.
Listen, the pricing here is loose. The menu changes. The service is personal. If you come in here and you're a little brat that expects everything handed to them because you saw it on some silly TV show, you may end up getting charged a service charge. Stay in Midtown. If you come by and you're a real person and you enjoy the company of other people in a local, established, really special neighborhood place you'll find yourself coming back here for as we're graced with its existence.
It's small and gets crowded with 6 people there. It can get hot inside. Welcome to the real world. We eat good food here!
My dinner at Ali's Kabab Cafe was one of my favorite I can remember. The Kabab Cafe is a fairly whole in the wall place, just a few tables, you, and Ali - you probably wouldn't step in if you hadn't heard of it, and it's not for everyone (if you're picky, don't bother). When we sat down, Ali came over to say hi and to introduce himself & his restaurant. He asked if we would like to start with some platters to get an idea of his flavors, while we think of what we might like. He also asked if we had any particular allergies or aversions, or if we were open to sampling his fair. The first few dishes were a minced lamb & egg, a falafal & hummus, and an avacado apple salad. After we began eating, Ali returned to ask which meats we'd prefer, and if there were any particular tastes we were interested in. We asked for pomegranate, lamb, and chicken; he came out with marinated lamb chops & chicken, both made with variations of pomegranate, and a plate of mixed vegetables & rice. All of the food was incredibly delicious, and it was all pretty much based on Ali's whim. The whole experience is very personal, which made it really fun.
Also, it's worth mentioning - the reason we went in the first place was because a friend of mine had on his list of life goals to try a dish made with animal brain. We did ask for this, and we did eat a dish based on animal brain. It's a good example of how far reaching Ali's dishes can be. Personally it was the only dish I didn't like, but it would have been hard for me to overcome my nervousness about eating it in the first place.
The dishes, especially the spreads were sharable, and the whole meal was a great price considering what we ate. I'll definitely be back again to eat whatever dishes Ali has thought up (though no more brain)!
Some food picks on my blog post: http://bit.ly/qE5bY
Went here for lunch this past Sunday 8/30. Will admit that Ali is a personable guy but this was the biggest ripoff I've had in NY in many years.
First of all we were overcharged. Grossly so. They refused to give us a menu (as per other reports). There is a menu posted outside though, and when we checked afterwards we realized they charged nearly double. The mixed appetizer plate was $10 and we were charged $18. They refused to pour tap water--their excuse to us was that they didn't have ice. Beer was $5.
Worst of all, the food was average to bad. The appetizer plate was about what you'd expect. The hummus was perhaps a bit smoother than supermarket hummus but nothing special. The fried leaves were interesting though a bit oily. For entrees we got the red snapper and goat in pomegranate sauce. The snapper was completely tasteless and dry. We had to dip it in the pomegranate sauce in the other dish just to give it flavor. The goat chops in the pomegranate sauce were better, but tiny. Five chops, each of which wasn't even a mouthful worth of food, plus a lot of veggies to fill up the rest of the plate, for $25. We left $110 poorer and still hungry.
I read some people saying that $55pp for a meal is "normal" in New York so don't complain. Well yes in Manhattan at a normal sit-down restaurant perhaps you are right, but this is a hole-in-the-wall in Astoria Queens. Although admittedly, if the food had been better I probably wouldn't be complaining about it.
We didn't make a fuss about the bill but I wish we had. This guy is a thief in a snake oil salesman's body. And Anthony Bourdain is on my No Confidence list.
OK.. I am probably the millionth person that came to this place because of No Reservations- Whoever said having a meal of 6+ entrees and wonderfil service for 55 bucks per person for 4 adults was expensive (this incl 6 beers) and an on the house dessert plate enough for 6 people to sample, is INSANE!!!! You are in NY of all places.. experiencing authentic food, with some major Zimmerman qualities to add to the experience.
The Restaurant if small, I mean it's tiny, a whole in the wall, and you see Ali cooking and you wonder, hell, how does he do it? Most places in NYC that received recognition need line cooks and a huge space, using, Al Clad cookware, but this man uses the simplicity of basic houseware cookware items..but he cooks with love and passion! Even by the way he spoke to his customers, he had personality- which definitely followed through with his food.
The was no menu- who needs menu when you have someone to lead you on a culinary explosion of an experience? Ali told us what was available and described everything with zest and excitement, that I was salivating with anticipation.
The Pita came out with a homemade spicey sauce that was very spicey and delicous.
Appetizer Sampler- Hummus, Baba Ganush, Falafel, Fried Lettuce (so oil and melts in your mouth) Everything was creamy and had a wonderful consistency and taste.
Lamb Brains-This had a hint of lemon and was crispy and melted in my mouth. It had a hint of dill, and tasted very fresh, combination of crispy battered brained with the lemon was very refreshing to my palate. The texture crispy on the outside, with a creamy center. PLEASE !! if you have not tried brains this is the time to do it!
Lamb Tongue- The tongue was in a wonderful tomatoe based sauce with veggies and small olives. The meat was cooked until it had a slight "bite" left, but it was not too tough. The sauce was a rich thick sauce with onions, and carrots and tomatoes. Seasoned with cumin and other spices til the flavors melted into the organ meat. Now if you have eaten Tongue before, having the meat marinated well with the sauce takes quite awhile and takes alot of skills!
Crispy Fried Smelt- Fried and battered to perfect, sprinkled with Cilantra it was seasoned so well, I kept popping this in my mouth non stop, the fish is small, has head and tails, but it's very soft so you can eat it all, just chew it up and swallow!
Braised Lambs, and Lamb stuffed w/ nuts- all were amazingly good ...
Seafood of scallops- hmm I can skip this, the sauce was good but the scallops were nickel size. I like my scallops hearty and large.
Overall the experience was fun.. yeah there was no menu and no price, but the food came out to be like 60 bucks per person , incl. drinks and tip.. plus it's a culinary experience.
Its just fun to sit and eat a meal and not feel rushed. We were there for 3 hours, all the time enjoying a great conversation with the man himself. He never rushed us, and when they closed for lunch time, the staff sat and ate together, all awhile, we were still finishing our meal, plus they offered us some chicken too!
Complementary desserts were also given as a good gesture!
Bigger than expected, nice service, but a bit on the exp. side for authentic food.
Well, it took a month, but we finally went here. Sucks that I was kind of sick that week. But I wasn't sick enough to wuss out on some brains and balls.
This place, as it looks from the outside, is really small. But with creative seating arrangements, a bench table that seats 6 all of sudden can fit 8 (a tight fit) by pulling out the table so some one can seat at the inside. Although not super packed on a Thursday that we went, they had a continue stream of customers throughout the night, so we were never the only group in the restaurant at any one time. The decor is lay back, with a variety of masks and sculptures on the walls. There is also a constant middle eastern music playing in the background that was preppy enough to keep things going, but not crazy like a dance floor kind.
Ali was describing all the food that we are having, we just told him we mainly came here for brains and balls, and everything else is his recommendation.
So we had:
Beef Tongue - This dish is delish! All the flavors of beef, and the texture of tongue (scratchy on the outside, but smooth on the inside, its closer to organs than to muscle in terms of texture). Brings back all those childhood memory of having beef tongue soup...
Veal Sweetbread - a little tangy, with all pickled veggies that it is served with. The sweetbread is tender, very similar to how you would get it in high end french restaurants, but the pickled veggies and the spices gives it away that you're not in a french restaurant
Lamb Brains - Yum, finally got to the brains. They were so delicious. Soft and tender, and they only look a little bit like brains. If I didn't tell you what it was, you wouldn't have known. Again, similar spices as the tongue
Ox tail - This was the weakest dish IMO, only cuz I like Ox tail in a stew, when the meat is literally falling off the bone. This wasn't quite there, but it was close.
Grilled hearts - Chewy, but not too much so like chicken hearts in a yakitori restaurant.
lamb balls (aka testicles) - Seriously, this was too finely chopped for anyone to know. Has a texture of liver, but not the flavor. The portion was kind of small compare to other dishes
rabbit meat (tried this) - this was served cold. A bit like chicken, but drier, more like turkey, and the meat was chewier, probably because it was served cold
dessert - a variety ranging from baklava, to the banana pudding/cake. That was the best dessert.
So yes, I have ate brains and balls, and they were delicious. The only thing is it came out to $43+ per person, a bit steep for authentic any type of food. Just think, other than the balls (I'm not sure about the price), everything else is relatively cheap to procure. It wasn't like I was having shark fin or foie gras. Still, I enjoy the food, but its not cheap enough to go on regular basis. But I won't mind going if I have friends that want to try these middle eastern delicacies.
Be warned, this place is not open on Mondays
Not a real review, so the down the middle rating. This…
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After reading all the rave reviews on Chowhound, I decided to check out this place and was not disappointed. It is literally a hole in the wall. Do not expect fine dining. However, the food is outstanding. The owner, Ali, is very charming and makes you meal right in front of you. I had the goat, which was very moist and Delicious. I also had the hummus as an appetizer, which was also great.
I will say the food is not cheap. It cost me $25.00 including tip, but it was worth it. Remember to bring cash, because they do not take credit cards.
After seeing No Reservations - I had to go here. More than anywhere else in NYC on that episode, even though I worked in the best french restaurant in MD and spent six months in Guangzhou eating authentic Chinese.
I asked Ali to do his worst and give us whatever he thought was fantastic that night. I was really looking forward to this meal, and had high expectations, so I would be carefully scrutinizing what I was eating this evening.
I can't invest too much time in the review because there is one thing that is going to stick out in my mind about this place forever: Calamari on Saturday night.
It was fishy. I felt like he was dumping his food cost on me and not indulging a foodie in a fantastic experience at his restaurant.
The rest of the stuff was incredible: the falafel, the lamb and fig meatballs, the lamb cheeks - all amazing.
Food is fantastic, Ali is entertaining and a really nice guy. Been here twice, and can't wait to go back, but it will have to be for a special occasion.
Pricey. Really pricey. They don't have menus, so you have no idea what you're paying until the bill comes. My girlfriend and I had one app, two entrees, a dessert platter (which was way way way too sweet), and four glasses of wine and it was over $80. You pay for fresh food, and you pay for the ambiance.
Definitely a treat. Cash only.
I agree with Lisa Q. who said "This place may be where I want to have my last meal on earth"!
Perfectly said, for this place is by far the best food I have tasted in my life. I actually remember saying to a friend after eating here that "I honestly think I have never truly tasted FOOD before I ate at Kabab Cafe". lol
If only this place was a tad bit bigger but then again, it is the whole experience! After seeing this jewel on Anthony Bourdains show I had to come check it out. It's an experience, PERIOD! How eating out should be like, what is was made for! A personal relationship with the chef who is cooking your food right in front of you. You feel at home, you feel like your a good friend, you feel as if your in another world or country. You must come and see for yourself, this place is my number one pick in the whole city of New York but of course in Astoria. Every dish is made to perfection and with love, flavors I have never tasted before and fell DEEPLY in love with. You can taste every spice.. every vegetable, every piece of meat. I sound like a stalker, but I am when it comes to this place. I am hooked! Great choice for dinner or lunch! 5 stars!
I got some beef with the charming Ali.
Food is great, but expect to shell out a lot of dough for some spice.
My last and final time to Kabab Cafe, was takeout.
$20 = moussaka and khaftka (lamb/veggies & eggplant/veggies).
Not so bad right? Wrong.
$20 = lots of air.
Two 3/4 empty styrofoam boxes with a minute amount of veggies and a total of 5 pieces of walnut sized lamb meatballs. No rice. No pita. Pretty much a suckah meal.
Don't get me wrong, I may cave in and go again because the food is really good, but watch out for tourist pricing.
The block is home to tons of Egytptian/Moroccan hole-in-the-wall joints, share the wealth and go to one that's not taking advantage of Andrew Zimmerman/Tony Bourdain's cameo from ages ago.
We were referred to Kabab Cafe by a friend's aunt who is a New York foodie in the restaurant business. She says this place is her favorite restaurant in New York, and from the minute we stepped in we thought we knew why. The restaurant is small and charming, with hand painted murals and little cushioned benches tucked into the wall. We sat at a booth just across from the man running the show, who leaned over the counter and told us what items were available for the day. We are all vegetarians, so we got the mezze platter, beet salad, some other dish involving vegetables and macaroni, and three iced teas. The iced tea was delicious--barely sweetened with mint leaves and apple slices floating in the glass. The mezze platter was also quite good (the falafel was made of fava beans instead of the usual chickpeas), although the other two dishes that followed were nothing to write home about. I probably would have considered this place worthy of return, given the funky decor and the friendliness of the guy in charge. But then we got the bill.
$75!!!! Are you serious? For an appetizer plate, two dishes (that were presented nicely but didn't even taste that good) and iced tea?! We spent less than that last night at an edgy/hip vegetarian restaurant on the lower east side.
I feel DUPED now that I've read the other reviews and see that the pricing is "flexible" and that the lack of menus (which I thought was a sweet and rare testament to the freshness of the food) turned out to be a ploy for ripping people off.
To top it off we went on Eid, the last day of Islam's holy month of Ramadan. Nice one, Mr. Ali. Way to extend the spirit of good deeds and the revulsion of excess.
When you watch Anthony Bourdain on television, it is safe to assume that he's getting special attention and service at the restaurant because of who he is.
Well if you want to feel this way, come to the Kabab Cafe.. where Ali treats everyone like they are a guest in his home and he is there to cook and serve you.
There are meat and veg options on the menu and often unique game meats. We had the rabbit and shared a sweet breads appetizer. All were delicious. Very good mix of spices and herbs to create a perfect meal.
Prices on the menu seem to just be a guideline and he will sit you down and ask you what you feel like eating, as I believe you have some flexibility with what you order. Feel free to bring your own bottle of wine, but he has wine there for you as well.
We will definitely go back!!
Ali is an artist. A genius. A visionary. He will take you to places that you didn't know food could take you. He will lead you to the gilded doors of your uncharted culinary consciousness, lined with arabesques, but YOU must walk through the door. If you are willing to take the journey you will not return the same, IF you return at all.
I hear people say heinous things such as "oh I went there and it was too dry this one time". That is because you are considering Kabab Cafe as a restaurant. Such a thing it is not. Eating at a restaurant is like going to Home Depot and buying a hammer. You know exactly what a hammer does and if you get home and it doesn't bang stuff, then you should be rightfully upset. Eating at Kabab Cafe is not eating at a restaurant, it is participating in gastronomic art. Even the greatest artists have ups and downs, go through experimental stages, periods of growth, strokes of genius. For instance, Bob Dylan has written some absurdly bad songs. But that is ok because if you stay with an artist through the ups and downs, you develop a personal relationship with the art. You become a more integral person because of your ability to understand the world through the eyes of a visionary. Such is eating the food of Ali El Sayed.
Tell him you want your food extra spicy. If he prompts you for confirmation, repeat and emphasize EXTRA SPICY. This will expedite your ephemeral journey to the uncharted lands of the culinary cosmos. Godspeed.
I went here a couple nights ago w/ a friend and we were greeted warmly by Ali. He told us the specials, and we ordered the warm salad with pomegranate and balsamic reduction, sweetbreads, tongue in tomato sauce, veal cheek and duck ragu over date filled dumplings. Everything was flavorful and excellent, but the stars were the warm salad, cheek and duck ragu. These dishes were multi layered and incredible. Finished it off w/ baklava and yogurt cheese cake and hibiscus tea. I'll be going back again and again.
This place may be where I want to have my last meal on earth.
I would start off enjoying the chef's musical selection with a hot glass of mint tea. I would probably eat whatever the chef decided he wanted to feed me. Nevertheless, if I had to order ala carte--- I'd get the meze platter, the lamb, the eggplant. The greens on top the eggplant are almost tempura'd. Everything is just that down home crazy yumminess. I feel so satisfied and wonderful, like I just got a great back massage or a handshake from Al Gore.
I think this place is BYO, at least Mombar is.
After hearing so much about this place, and since i live walking distance i had to try it. This was not just a meal, it was an experience. Knowing it was small and imagining it would be busy, my fiance and I arrived at about 6:30 which is early for us. We dined for about 2 hours, gotta expect a long meal here, Ali takes his time, as he should, this is slow food. When we arrived there was one other person getting take out, but he left and for the majority of our meal we had the place to ourselves. When others did arrive it was clear that they were all locals who knew Ali well.
The place itself is like walking into a kitchen or a living room, When you walk in your surrounded by amazing looking food right in front of you... and the smells! It smelled incredible. Such a small place with not much of an outside, i never even noticed it before. But i'm glad i went.
Awesome meal! We tried the sweatbread of i believe lamb, thu it might have been veal, for the first time and loved it! It was heavy on the salt, but rich with flavor. The lambs cheek was good, not great, kinda this big black mushy stew with an egg in it, very strange and not appealing in appearance. The appetizer plate with hummus and apples, falafel and a few more dips was amazing. Not oily at all, and most dips were a bit chunky, which i enjoyed. From where i was sitting i could watch Ali cook, it was really interesting.
After the appetizers Ali left to go to the store or something so we hung, thankfully he was back 10 minutes latter to take our dinner order.
"What are you in the mood for? We have fish... Whole bronzini, porgies, grilled sardines, soft shell crab... meat? Lamb, goat, duck..."
No menu, which was fine as it was an experience and i imagine he is telling me whats best and fresh and recommended.
My fiance ordered the duck. Very tasty and moist with rice and Asian broccoli, which i really enjoyed, and i generally don't enjoy that stuff very much at all. I ordered the stuffed lamb. It was very good but not great. Not enough meat for me, and to many carrots, but the flavors were fantastic and the spinach was really good too. We both enjoyed our food very much. Had a crepe type dish with yogurt and fig jam for desert, it was fantastic, smooth, rich, hot, perfect way to end the meal. Which was good to because we were totally stuffed!
One thing i really liked was the music, it was like i was at home! fantastic mix of jazz, drum and bass, and world music, really enjoyable to listen to for 2 hours.
Including tip we paid exactly $100, which is kinda expensive, but we ordered alot of food, 3 apps, 2 drinks, 2 entrees, and 1 dessert, so i guess $100 is not that bad. Very memorable meal, we will return for sure. Highly recommended for unique food and for a unique experience. The place is so small you have to interact with the other patrons, which is kinda nice. I'm not giving it 5 stars because the lamb and the lambs cheek were not great, but if i could give it a 4.5 i would, this is one of the most memorable places i've ever eaten in, i cant wait to go back!
There are many glowing reviews for Kabab cafe, and one of the few places I discovered carrying rare dishes such as brain & sweetbreads so my wife and I decided to take a trip up to Astoria and give it a shot.
The place was at full capacity, so we took about 10 minutes studying the menu. We decided on lamb tongue, lamb brains, calf sweetbreads and hawashi from the appetizer menu, no entrees. We weren't impressed with the food but taste will always be subjective. I am more concerned with exposing the owner's deceptive tactics.
On the menu, the tongue, brain & sweetbreads were listed at $9. I forgot how much the hawashi was priced at, but it was less than $9, probably around $6-$7. When we received the bill, the tongue/brain/sweetbreads were listed at $14 and the hawashi at $12. I asked why the dishes were so much more expensive than what's listed on the menu and Ali obnoxiously/belligerently answered "That portion is for two! You think you would get that much when you pay for one"! I was an idiot for not fighting this to the death. By the time I realized we got ripped off I had already paid along with a hefty tip (unfortunately the healthy tipping is an instinctive NYC thing for me). For that split second, I accepted his explanation instead of questioning his skewed logic.
DO NOT EMPOWER THIS CROOK BY ALLOWING YOURSELF TO GET RIPPED OFF. It's amazing how many glowing reviews this place got, mostly about the food which is fine, but not many diners mentioned the scam. I wish I knew how he goes about choosing who he rips off! Do all these reviewers with great things to say not get ripped off? Do they ask him for the price before ordering and make sure he is committed to pricing as agreed on the check?
Leaving Ali to select "special" dishes for you and charge you whatever he feels is fine, there is no reference to price anywhere so it makes sense that he can charge whatever he wishes as long as that is what you expected going in. My guess is he rips everybody off, some worse than others, but people don't say anything and let it go (unfortunately myself included). The mystique of an exotic cuisine and a few charming words from the owner & chef probably justifies the suspicious pricing to many diners. If the charming and mysterious man says so, it must be true!
I would hope that if enough people stand up to his shady practice he may think twice about operating the way he does (at least towards regulars). Many will say it's my fault for paying for something I didn't agree with, and ultimately that is true. Unlike being robbed by gunpoint, I did have the option to steadfastly refuse to pay (which I regretfully should have done). I guess I am so used to trusting I will get charged what I order I wasn't able to adjust quickly enough to the scam. A few people on the next table we bumped into on the subway ride back to NYC said they felt the same. DON'T tell yourself its ok to be overcharged because the food is good, or Ali is nice, this business practice would never fly at any other restaurant we go to.
Though I strongly discourage it, if you must try Kabab Café here are some tips in leaving some money in your wallet to get home:
1. ASK for pricing, no matter how offended he gets, that is his tactic, to turn the tables on you so you back down (surprisingly effective). Make sure you remember the prices of everything so there is no confusion when you get the check. EVEN if the price is listed on the menu, make sure he intends on charging you what the menu lists. There are menus outside the restaurant and just inside to the right. I don't know if he has done this before but I wouldn't put it past him to claim those prices are not updated at the last minute so it helps to get confirmation before you order.
2. Be careful what he brings out for you as you may get charged for something you didn't ask for that seemed like a friendly gesture.
3. Be wary of the number of people you are dining with. We are all used to ordering 1 dish with a preset portion for a set price. Ali will attempt to say one appetizer was split for how ever many people you are dining with. Unfortunately I don't have a reference to the size of a 1 person portion. I do highly suspect his appetizer dishes, when eaten amongst 2, 3 or 4 people, is the same size as for one. He will just add up to $5 per person for the same dish. Again, ASK how much each dish will be, you could try telling him you are not sharing so you will not be paying for a "sharing" dish.
It's unfortunate that a dining experience needs to be treated as a cutthroat transaction, but some people may want the challenge or simply not care, I will never return because of this.
I will be leaving this review on every possible web resource I can find in hopes of arming future diners with some protection against this cutpurse.
This place is a wonderful place to get Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food, albeit a hole-in-the-wall. You would never expect for this place to prepare such tasty food.
The space is very crammed but the great thing about it is that they prepare the food right in front of the store so you can see everything. The rustic decor and art pieces bring personality into the place.
Honestly, I can't even remember what I had but the appetizer platter with babbagannous and hummus was very good, and we also ordered some kind of lamb or rabbit dish which was also very good.
If any of my friends are ever up for trying adventurous foods, I will definitely bring them here. I just wish it was walking distance from me in Astoria! I would go more often than not.
Been twice, awesome place.
First time had such a large variety of offal that I didn't think I could eat another thing, until Ali offered us some dessert. What an amazing dessert it was.
Second time, ordered every appetizer he had (except the beet salad - he'll remember that one!) and then proceeded to order his beef platter. Again, didn't think people could eat that much in one sitting but we did.
We had the lamb brains and I swear I could have eaten a bucket of them - they were THAT good.
I want to move to Astoria just so I can spend my paycheck's at Ali's...
Kabab Cafe is one of those places that shouldn't even need reviews. You should just go. Yesterday.
However, I've been here twice and had two completely opposite culinary experiences so I guess I'll share.
#1 A cold, rainy night in December. A friend was in town so we went there and totally lucked out by getting a table on a Saturday night. More to keep costs down than anything else, we decided to be vegetarians. Everything was incredible: sardines (ok, fishetarians), sweet potato dumplings, roasted artichoke hearts, and of course a bottle of wine. We were a little jealous when our neighbors were served their lamb dish but were completely content with what we ordered. The bill arrived and we each owned around $30, and that's when we realized that it seems like it doesn't matter what you order at Kabab Cafe. You'll probably end up paying the same amount, so you might as well go all out!
#2 So that's what I did the next time. I went with a friend for lunch about a month ago and decided to put our meal in Ali's hands. Probably the most over-the-top lunch I have ever eaten, not to mention the parts of the animal I ventured to try. No wine this time. We started with mint tea, pita with a really spicy sauce, and beets. We were pretty much the only people there so we got special attention and many, many dishes: lamb cheek with egg, lamb liver, lamb tongue and then....sweetbreads! This may be the only restaurant that I'd want to eat any of those things because Ali exudes this love for the food he creates and it's infectious. You feel like it's an honor to eat these dishes, and that makes it ok that it's pancreas! We would have stayed for dessert if we weren't completely stuffed. The price was about $35 a person.
So if you haven't been, go. You can be as adventurous of a diner as you want or stick to just veggies and fish--the experience will blow you away no matter what.
Delicious, simply delicious.
There are no menus. We just said "meat" and "adventurous" and got a stack of dishes that were all delicious, including lamb brains, tongue, sweetbreads, and more.
Service was great - Ali was awesome and a great chatter. We interacted with the other parties in the restaurant - something that doesn't happen all that often in NYC, but was a blast.
It was more expensive than we anticipated. We had a LOT of food, and we were thrilled, just more than we thought it would be (about $100 for 2 without tip). I have a feeling if we had asked for mixed veggies/meat it would have been cheaper. But, we didn't mind paying since the food was fantastic.
Also, I know traditionally one doesn't tip the owner, but we left a tip anyway - we weren't really sure what to do here. Anyone else care to weigh in on the tip vs. no tip for the owner?
Russ H had talked this place up big time. He owed us one after the debacle at Vegetarian Paradise II http://www.yelp.com/bi..., his prior "highly recommended" restaurant. We accompanied him and Heather G there with some trepidation.
By the time we found parking (never, NEVER drive in Astoria!) we were all starving. We opened the door and made our way into the tiny dining room and were seated in an alcove dug into the wall opposite the kitchen. We felt like hobbits or elves or something small like that. It was...um...."cozy"
Russ and Heather had been raving about the beet salad so we had to get that. Ali the owner took our order...they don't really have menus...he just asks if you want vegetables or fish or meat and runs down what he's got. We all got the beet salad and it was amazing as promised, and it came with an added bonus (see end of review to learn the added bonus).
I had a lamb shank which was as tender and tasty as any Osso Bucco I've had anywhere and is as close a comparison as I could give.
I don't remember what everyone else got (we were all full by the time we finished our beet salads. They were huge) but everyone seemed happy with the food.
Now, don't come to Kabab Cafe expecting a typical (read: inexpensive) kabab. This is actually high-end Egyptian food and the name of the place is a bit too modest to describe what they actually do there. The food ain't cheap and it ain't quick but it is quite good.
What was the added bonus? Two words:
Red poop.
This practical hole in the wall feels like you are eating at someone's house, right in their kitchen. It is very quaint. But if you skeeve...ah...unsanitary conditions, you will not like it here.
The food - fantastically yummy!!
The food - priceless
well, actually NOT. So overpriced, they lost a star :(
I ordered vegetables and rice. I had a meal of vegetables and rice (again, I need to point out it was super delicious) but, c'mon, Ali -- charging an arm and a leg for a meatless, fishless dinner? not cool.
The experience of eating at Ali's Kebab Cafe is only trumped by the food. My god. The place is as wide as two picnic tables, as long as four. The first half of the establishment is Ali's Kitchen. You walk in and you will see AMAZING food sitting there, waiting for you. I knew I found love, only a few seconds after entering the door.
People treat Ali like he is one of the gods on easter island - which he actually resembles. There is a process by which the ordering takes place here. As Ali walks up to your table, everyone quiets and pays attention... he then speaks in a very deliberate Egyptian-accented English describing the specials of the day.
"We have Fish, We have Meat, We have Vegetabitarian...
What is your pleasure for today?"
His overpronunciation makes everything sound delicious. He is like an opera singer of the kitchen. Even during the meal, when he announces to other tables, it's nearly impossible not to turn your attention away. This is a street show that repeats every 15 minutes and I have to watch each one.
We were brought our food by the man himself, as was the case for most of the room.There is nothing he touches that doesn't turn to gold. He reached in and took out the spine of my friends fish with his bare hands right on our table. He could have fucking deboned it with his tongue and we would have still thought he was still charming as hell.
Our food came out very fast, considering the place was PACKED with 10 other people. Not slow at all. I've gone twice (in 3 days) and each time the wait was perfectly normal.
Suggestions? If I have to... any whole fish. some shank of some sort. and something you've never had before: brains, tongue/cheek, cows foot or mountain oysters(server's recommendation). I only was able to check the first one. See you again, Ali.
I think these other reviewers who gave this place 4 or 5 stars are crack addicts and eat paint off the wall. I stand by my review. Place sucked. Big rip off. Stay away.
This is by far the worst meal I've ever had in my life. I, like many of the people who go to this… Read more »
Sometimes good things come in small packages ;-)
This "small" Egyptian, Mediterranean and Kabab place in Astoria (is one of those good things) was a must go to place for me. A good friend of mine in SF has been suggesting that I eat here for a good 6 months, hint: she is one of the reviewers who loves this place.
This place will forever be special to me. Karan S. and I made our way to this place for a late lunch and found this place on a street full of shops and restaurants.
4:16, We enter an empty restaurant.
G: Hello, anyone here.
Lady napping in corner: We are closed.
G: What time do you open?
L: 6pm
G: What time did you close?
L: 4pm
G: You just closed, we have come from far to eat here and I have to eat here today.
L: Sorry we are closed.
Karan: Can you please make us some food?
L: picks phone and calls (God only knows who)
Big Man (owner/chef) enters the shop.
Hello, he says.
I repeat that we have come from far and I have come from California and that this place is highly recommended, we have to eat here.
He asks us to take a seat and the choice was all ours. We had the entire place to ourself and it felt like we had stepped into a Family living room in Egypt for a midday meal.
The owner (Ali) mentions the list of dishes we can try and I want to try a few.
We ordered:
A Vegetarian Starter with multiple type of Hummus and Eggplant.
What a dish, The chef had fried some leaves that went well with the dish. I have never had this before but I am sure to order it again.
Lamb Dumplings in a some sauce.
Simple, yet so tasty. A perfect dish with Pita Bread (warm) which was served as well.
and
Lamb Kababs over a bed of rice.
This dish was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo tasty, I wish I could have this every week. Note to self: Learn how to make this.
The hint of Cinnamon made me think about the secret ingredient. The lamb was tender and just as good as I have ever tasted. The vegetables that include onions, eggplant and yellow peppers were just amazing, they gave the dish the flavor and texture that made the tongue and taste buds go KrayZEE.
We had three dishes and the time spent talking to Run was worth it all.
Besides he forked out the money for the meal. Thanks ;-)
The food was $50 with tax and tip.
One expensive lunch but worth it, totally worth it.
Recommend: YES
Will I go back: Yes, for dinner avec someone special.
Romantic: Yah Man!
Very EXPENSIVE!!!!
Lunch for 2 was $50. and a lot of talking with the owner/cook.
Felt like I paid to Chit Chat with him...
read all the 5 star Reviews
if the food were 1/3rd the price, i'd consider going back.
michelin star prices for michigan star quality.
clear case of post fame overinflated ego.
i just got back from egypt. not sure why i went here in the first place.
the best place to get lunch in new york city is in astoria. no questions asked. this eatery is simpley to die for. the owner/cook ali makes amazing, delicious egyptian food. you can order from the menu but the few times i have been i've asked ali to make me something he thinks i'd like. he asked me if i was an adventourous eater. i don't think i am, but i lied and said i was. i was thrilled with the outcome.
now i know it sounds crazy to take the train a few stops over into queens simply to eat testicles & brains, but they taste amazing. kabab cafe is my new favorite place to eat.
I went with three other co-workers late last week to order a late lunch. We were driving around the street and didn't even notice that we passed it the first time. The store front is very modest with just the name of the restaurant and a single door. As soon as you walk in, the "kitchen"/cooking area is immediately to the right and a menu is plastered on the plastic divider. The owner, Ali, immediately tells us that the menu is for people that are not adventurous eaters and just want something safe. So we venture over to him and he tells us what he has for the day and we pick our selection. We all just ended up ordering kabab sandwiches because the food was to-go.
He cooks the food in front of us while making light, lively, and flirty (to the females) conversations with us. I look around the restaurant and notice it is small and rustic. A full capacity would seat about 12 people but note that he is the only one cooking with one other helper. Our food took about 30-40 minutes to prepare which was a little more than I could handle. Definitely go here only if you have time to spare, and if you want to dine inside the restaurant (which I'd recommend). Expect to stay at least 1.5 hours.
I got the kofka sandwich which had only a handful pieces of meat (maybe 4?) and the rest was stuffed with veggies. Always dissapointing when there's not enought meat in any dish! Saffron rice made it a little better but at a price of $10, meh.. I know saffron is expensive but I only tasted it once throughout the meal.
Had the:
Combination Platter (babaganous, falafel, cucumber, apples, some wierd fried leaf thing)
Artichoke Salad (it's warm)
Liver Alexandria
Sweetbreads
Lamb Brain
Lamb Cheek
Veal Tongue
Hibiscus Tea
Ali is a character - one of his dreams is to open a 20 acre sparrow farm. Expect to spend a fair amount of money, and a lot of time. It's a great experience. It's places like this that really make NYC a great town.
BTW, the brain is the best brain I've ever had! Of course I've only had brain from mexican burrito places, which are from adult cows. Lamb brain is actually very delicate and not gamey at all.
Best dish was the sweetbreads. Brain was a close 2nd. Check out my menu photos for the exact names of them :).
This place loses a star because it's fairly expensive and we had to wait a bit (Ali was in the bathroom when we arrived at 115PM on a sunday, and things didn't really start until around 130PM when he started prepping the lamb shanks). But we got to see him prep.
I want to come back to try the cow hooves (he calls them trotters)
Ali got me drunk last night. I was at Kabab Cafe with friends who have been eating there for years, and he informed us that we were his last customers before he shut the place down to go visit his family in Egypt for a month, and that when he returns he'll be remodeling for a couple of months. So in addition to making us a stellar meal, he drank scotch with us. There was some discussion of heinie-biting, too. And one of my dinner companions seems to have arranged to be carried off by a camel -- at least that's what I remember. I love Ali.
Anyway. No menu -- Ali just told us what he was cooking, and we ordered accordingly. Giant mezze plate. Pumpkin dumplings with sour cream. Goat in a pomegranate molasses reduction, with grilled eggplant on the side. A LOT of wine. I am a fortunate woman to have been able to enjoy it all last night, because my friends who introduced me to this wonderful place are leaving New York, and the Kabab Cafe will be different when I come back without them.
I hate change.
Yeah, its a bit overpriced, but I would pay $30 for a glass of water Ali breathed near. This place is special, and Ali is one of the few people that can convince me to eat sweetbreads or brains. When you can make a grizzly nasty bit delicious, then you get my respect. BTW... love the sourness of the quails.
What! Only 1 review for this gem of a restaurant. All of you: immediately note down the address of this restaurant, mark down a date in your calendar for dinner here, and take the N to Astoria..
I had one of my most memorable meals, gastronomically and company-wise, here.
Brother to the owner of Mombar, Kabab Cafe has been open longer and the food is different. So even if you've been to Mombar, it's definitely worth eating at Kabab Cafe. And as different as the food is at the 2 places, so are the brothers. The owner of Mombar is shyer, while the chef-owner of Kabab is likely to hold long conversations and crack many jokes.
The food: delicious. I remember having this absolutely wonderful falafel (I bit into it before I knew it was falafel...I generally don't like falafel...I only found out it was falafel because I asked the chef). I've never been here for lunch, but friends of mine who have say it's a real bargain for the food.
The place is small and intimate. I was here for a weekday date, and it was truly perfect.
good but not great...
food is good - not sure about how fresh is everything... with so few tables and so many options on the menu there;s an indication... some of the food didn't seem equally fresh... the food is good and authentic enough... the space is nice... the place is tiny and no reservations so this needs to be taken into account... obviously i recommend trying all the "nasty bits" as kelvin L. . which actually says in better words everything i had to say :)
The food is good, and the restaurant is unique. It's nice to have so many different offerings of offal!
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