Mediterranean Bounty
- Faya Gerges with her Zayna’s Flaming Salad and lamb kabob plate. Photo by Alexandra Mandekic
Mediterranean cuisine is a broad term. Zayna’s Flaming Grill brings it into focus
I used to carp at restaurants that claim to serve Mediterranean cuisine because cooks in the various Mediterranean cultures have invented so many ways of using the bounty of the region that there seemed to be few commonalities. But recently, I’ve become more tolerant, having discerned common threads, like the olive oil, cheeses, peppers, and other items that lend sunny flavors and warmth to every corner of the vast coastline.
Zayna’s Flaming Grill calls itself a Mediterranean bistro, a fair description of the multi-ethnic menu. Though Zayna is from Egypt, she serves Greek moussaka, Syrian moutabal, and other dishes from a wide area of the Eastern Mediterranean. The cuisine is mostly Arabic, with names familiar to those who enjoy Lebanese food, but with subtle differences in spicing that probably reflect both regional styles and Zayna’s own family recipes.
I have visited Zayna’s several times since it opened in 2009. On the early visits, I enjoyed the food but was frustrated by amiable, but slow service. The service is still cheerful but is now reliably better, and I can dine without worrying that I’m going to miss an appointment. I prefer to linger over my meals anyway, especially in such a pretty room with soft Arabic music and decorative screens. But at times, duty calls.
On a recent visit, we started with hummus and two different treatments of eggplant, baba ghannouj and moutabal. Hummus is made by all the cultures of the Middle East, but in many different styles, sometimes garlicky and rich with sesame and sometimes mild, with textures from almost liquid to approaching library paste. Zayna’s has a soft, easily scoopable texture and is very mild. There was a dusting of either paprika or sumac that added color but not much flavor. It was not bad, but I prefer a more robust hummus, so I focused more on the eggplant preparations. These were much more interesting because of the contrast between the creamy, mildly smoky baba ghannouj, made from mashed roasted eggplant; and the moutabal, a chunkier, spicy counterpart. Both involve eggplant, sesame, citrus, and garlic, but the moutabal adds chopped tomato and sautéed peppers for a tangy, fruity sharpness. The moutabal may represent a flavor from Zayna’s homeland – according to Arabic food scholar Charles Perry, the cosmopolitan port city of Alexandra has a reputation for spicy, complex food, including a particularly hot condiment called the “bird pepper.” The flavor was full but not overwhelming in this dish. If you like eggplant and aren’t familiar with moutabal, come to Zayna’s and order it – perhaps as we did with baba ghannouj to accompany it. The flavors are different enough that you won’t get tired of either.
We continued to the main courses, a kibbeh plate, the “Zayna’s Flaming Salad” and lamb kabobs. Kibbeh are made from spiced beef with pine nuts, onions, and herbs rolled in coarse-ground wheat and fried. When they are done correctly they have a satisfying crisp exterior over a savory filling. I was pleased to see that Zayna’s serves their kibbeh individually fried to order. Some restaurants either make a lasagna-like pan of kibbeh or fry them early in the day and reheat them (an abomination, if you ask me). They were indeed done well, four football-shaped turnovers with yoghurt sauce for dipping, and served with rice and salad. (I could have had couscous instead of rice and there were other salad choices. After seeing a fattouch salad delivered to another table, I wished I had tried that because it looked delicious.)
Our health-conscious companion had ordered the “Zayna Flaming Salad,” which was not actually served flaming (though it would have been a startling presentation if it was). It was quite the opposite of fiery—a cooling mix of lettuce, tomato, feta cheese, and olives that was similar to a Greek salad, but without bell pepper. It was tasty, but next time I order it I’ll ask for extra feta, which would balance the flavors more to my liking.
My wife had chosen the lamb kabob with tabbouleh and couscous on the side, items from the eastern and western extremes of the Mediterranean. The North African couscous was moist and fragrant, the Lebanese tabbouleh a citrusy salad with plenty of grassy, herbal flavors, and both went well with the meat. The kebob had very mild spicing, just a hint of cinnamon and allspice, and perhaps a dash of black pepper. The meat was a bit chewier than at some other places around town, with a bit more char to the exterior, but it was still very moist and meaty. As with the other plates there was plenty of food and we had leftovers to go. Dessert was offered — baklava, ice cream, or brownies, but we were too full.
One thing about Zayna’s being called a Mediterranean Bistro is misleading – at most bistros, wine is served. Zayna’s doesn’t have a liquor license, though they allow you to bring your own. We enjoyed Moroccan mint tea, which is more appropriate culturally, and considered the offer of Arabic coffee but decided in favor of being able to sleep that night.
The prices at Zayna’s are reasonable – a lavish dinner for three cost less than $60, quite a find for fine food in surroundings this pleasant. It’s affordable and exotic, a mainstay for Mediterranean food conveniently located.
Zayna’s is at 1310 South Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Parking in rear, handicap access good, though it is a steep hill from some parking spaces. No alcohol served. Corkage waived for first bottle, $4 each for subsequent bottles. Menu at zaynaflaminggrill.com. Takeout available: (310) 540-0777. B