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Taboun: A Taste of the Mediterranean
By Judith Hong
Most UCSF staff and students head westward towards the ocean for their lunch
breaks due to the abundance of eateries in the area. However, a new restaurant
on the corner of Stanyan and Parnassus will certainly start drawing people towards
the "other side" of the UCSF campus. Taboun: A Taste of the Mediterranean
is the latest addition to the Inner Sunset dining family. This small yet cozy
family-owned establishment, which just opened two months ago, will undoubtedly
hold its own with its pleasant decor, excellent food, and affordable
prices.
The word Taboun refers to a "primitive hand-made oven used to bake wheat
bread by villagers along the Mediterranean." The sign for the restaurant
creatively turns the letter "N" into a symbol for the traditional
oven. Although city code prevents the restaurant from using real Taboun, they
do bake their pita bread fresh daily. In fact, everything in their menu is made
fresh from scratch every morning. The owners Mourice Kari and Sam Karu, who
also own the Sunny Country Foods market next door, said they opened Taboun as
a way to "bring their culture, food, and music to the neighborhood."
The first thing that impressed me and my co-taster Michelle was how clean and
nice the place looked. The exterior and interior were covered with beautiful
painted bricks and scenes from the Mediterranean. everything on the walls was
hand-painted, which took the artist Avo four months to complete. The extra time
and effort was definitely worth it, because the small interior space has become
transformed into a piece of the Mediterranean. Plants sitting along the edge
of the booths and two amber ceiling lamps finish off the decor.
The food at Taboun, summed up in one word, was delicious. We were able to taste
the quality of the fresh ingredients. The Vegetarian Combo was a large plate
filled with hummus, baba ghanouj, tabouleh, taboun salad, falafel balls, dolmas,
feta, onions, and pita bread. Just looking at the food was enough to make our
mouth water. The hummus (mashed garbanzo beans, tahini, garlic, lemon juice,
and olive oil) was excellent and had a smooth texture that made it melt in my
mouth. I especially liked the sprinkle of paprika, which added both to the looks
and taste. The tabouleh (chopped parsley, mint, tomato, onion, cracked wheat,
lemon juice, and olive oil) was also excellent. I loved how light and refreshing
it tasted, with the flavors of the mint and lemon complementing each other.
The taboun salad, which contained cubed cucumbers and tomatoes with tahini sauce,
was probably the weakest item on the plate, simply because it did not have the
rich spices of the other dishes. The baba ghanouj (roasted eggplant dip) and
dolmas (grape leaves stuffed with rice, vegetables, and spices) were both delicious,
but the best part of the plate had to be the falafel (a fried blend of ground
chickpeas and spices). Both Michelle and I agreed it had to be one of the best
falafels we have ever tasted. It had a perfectly crisp exterior with a flavorful,
soft interior, and was topped with creamy tahini sauce.
We also had a chance to sample some of their meat dishes, which were all flavored
with the restaurants own "special mix of spices from back home."
The chicken shish kabob and kefta kabob (ground mix of lamb and beef) were both
quite good, and Michelle especially liked the crispiness of the charbroiled
exterior. I was a big fan of the chicken and lamb-beef shawirma. The chicken
came topped with a garlic yogurt sauce and the lamb-beef was covered with tahini
sauce. (Shawirma consists of thin slices of marinated meat stacked on a vertical
rotisserie and then cross-sliced to fine shreds) The mojadara, which consists
of lentil, rice and sauteed onions cooked with olive oil, was very good
and balanced out the stronger flavor of the meats. Of course, a Mediterranean
meal would not be complete without pita bread, and Taboun's pita bread
definitely tasted freshly baked.
Overall, my friend and I were extremely impressed by the food at Taboun. everything
tasted fresh, flavorful, and healthy. The place is great for vegetarians and
people looking for something on the lighter fare. Although the place is designed
as a quick eatery, the quality of food and beautiful interior makes Taboun feel
more like a restaurant. The best part was the affordable prices. Side orders
(hummus, baba ghanouj, tabouleh, etc.) cost between $1.95- $4.95, wraps cost
between $4.95-$6.95, and dinner combos cost between $6.95-$9.95. They also offer
catering services for those looking to feed larger groups. So if you are looking
for delicious Mediterranean food, be sure to head eastward on Parnassus and
give Taboun a taste.
Taboun: A Taste of the Mediterranean
11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
203 Parnassus Ave
San Francisco, CA
Tel: 566-9696
Fax: 566-9698
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