My mom likes Middle Eastern food because of all of its exotic flavors and spices, so when it came time to celebrate Mother’s Day (along with 3 other people’s birthdays) we went to Café Munir as we had heard great reviews about it.  It’s a nice family restaurant in a non-descript neighborhood and no sign above the store.  The sign is in the window.  We had 4 people at our table and our order was just the perfect amount of food.  The pastries are on the small side, but you’ll fill up on the hummus and baba ghanoush. The entrees are fairly generous.

lamb hummus – they poured the sizzling lamb with au jus into the center of the hummus, giving it a rich flavor balanced by the pine nuts

lamb turban pastries – dough stuffed with ground lamb; the pastry was a bit disappointing overall

beef kabobs – a classic served with their flatbread, although a tad dry, it was nice dipped in the provided sauces

lamb shank – so tender it fell off the bone, in a tomato sauce base, rather delightful

crescent cheese pastries – filled with melted cheese, chili, and mint; the Lebanese version of a fried cheese stick; delicious as appetizer!

milk pudding – similar to a rice pudding, not nearly as dense as panna cotta, topped with pistachios and rose water honey; a nice light dessert

Lebanese baklava – stuffed with pistachios, much crisper and harder than its greek cousin, the two taste nothing alike; the pistachio inside resembles brittle almost and the pastry is much crunchier and thicker as well

Arabic coffee – ground coffee with cardamom and sugar; it’s not very sweet and you will find bits at the bottom, but this is nonetheless enjoyable if you like cardamom and espresso

Lebanese tea – black tea infused with mint

Overall, this is a great gem tucked away in the Crown Hill neighborhood.  Service was a bit confused due to the volume of diners that night (they forgot an appetizer and brought a second of another one), but they were apologetic and friendly.  Most of the dishes I’ve never tried or heard of, so it was nice to experience something so different.  They recommend dining family style, and 2 items per person is plenty (one appetizer, one entrée).

SUMMARY
Overall: happily ever after
Highlights: lamb hummus, lamb shank, cheese crescents
Footnotes: friendly service though prone to get orders incorrect with a large volume of diners, neighborhood gem