Kalamazoo Restaurant Reviews

Zooroona

Tonight for dinner we were craving something different. We were not hungry at all for the typical pizza or burgers and fries. Both Jeff and I really enjoy ethnic foods so we decided to try Kalamazoo’s newest Middle Eastern restaurant, Zooroona.

Zooroona in Arabic means ‘come visit us’-which explains the welcoming atmosphere and the fresh, authentic tasting food. Located on the end of the same plaza as the well known Tiffany’s beer and wine store, Zooroona opens the doors to an exciting dining experience. Jeff knows Saad Mandwee, the owner of Tiffany’s, through the natural and specialty food market in Kalamazoo. When we heard that Saad and his brothers opened an authentic Middle Eastern restaurant, we knew we had to visit.

Iraqi Tea

The manger, Rafet was first to great us and offered us a seat. He was very friendly and seemed like a very genuine person who takes pride in his work. When he asked us where we wanted to sit, we had the option of a booth, a table, or a raised area with curtains and uniquely crafted walls for privacy. There was a low table and the seating was on some pillows that were placed on the ground. We have never dined while sitting on the floor before, at least not at a restaurant, but we thought we would give the Majlis seating a try. The Majlis looked like a little romantic room that had antique doors as walls on one side and rich, imported drapes on the other. Rafet asked us to take off our shoes, which I clearly didn’t plan for, or else I would have worn some cuter socks. Jeff let me know that culturally, it is disrespectful to show the bottom of your feet so I was mindful of not showing the fellow diners and restaurant employees the soles of my feet.

Lentil Soup and Fattoush Salad

While trying to keep our backs straight and our legs from falling asleep, Jeff and I were warmly greeted by an old friend of mine who, by chance, turned out to be our server. Her name is Jen and her enthusiasm for the quality of the food at Zooroona made us both very excited for the meal to come. To start with we ordered a small pot of the Iraqi tea which is a delicious black tea with cardamom.

For appetizers, I had the lentil soup which came with my meal. The soup is by far the best lentil soup that I have ever had. It’s a crushed lentil vegetable soup that is mixed with a dash of lemon and is flavored with Arabian spices. Jeff had the fattoush salad which he thoroughly enjoyed. The fattoush is a mix of romaine lettuce and greens with tomato, cucumber, radishes, and parsley which is tossed together with Zooroona’s signature dressing and topped with crispy Arabic pita.

Veggie Dish

For the entree, I ordered the veggie dish which consists of hummous, falafel, dolmeh, muttabbel, and tabouleh and is served with tahini or garlic sauce. The dolmeh or grapeleaves, had the freshest flavors of lemon, and tasted nothing like grape leaves from the jar. The muttbabbel, which some call baba ganoush, had just the right amount of salt infused with roasted eggplant. I usually steer clear from baba ganoush and opt for the standard hummous, but both were the best I’ve tasted.

Tekka Tekka Beef

Jeff ordered the Tekka Tekka Beef, which basically is a deconstructed shish kabob. All the vegetables were roasted whole; the onion still in tacked with the skin on and the green pepper had the seedy middle. Jeff’s side dish was light and flavorful saffron rice. The beef was cooked perfectly and pairing the beef with the roasted onion, pepper, or tomato and dipping it in the tahini sauce was absolutely delicious.

We were both very impressed with quality of the food at Zooroona. The ingredients were simple, but the flavors were not. You can tell that the food is fresh and great care is taken in choosing the ingredients that are used. We asked our server Jen more about the food and she told us that Chef Loui is a traveling musician and chef from Syria who has settled down to head the kitchen. He takes great care in the quality and authenticity of the food. In fact, he even called his mother back home in Syria to learn her secret ingredients for the falafel.

At Zooroona, you will find authentic Middle Eastern cuisine, great customer service, and beautiful décor. If you are looking for a romantic night out, or just a good place to share a meal and a conversation with friends, then you are going to love Zooroona.

Zooroona Restaurant and Lounge
1710 West Main St
Kalamazoo, MI. 49006
269-382-4444
www.zooroonarestaurant.com