I like this recipe guide from Epicurious on how to make hummus. Its simple but delicious. I usually like to add red peppers or black beans. But of course Sriracha is always a must!
My Big Fat Greek Restaurant is is a fun cultural experience that serves up a delicious Mediterranean flare. I love the fresh pita bread with hummus and taste of fresh olive oil, feta chesse and herbs. Inspired by the movie that came out in 2002, MBFGR is a fun place to dine at with a large party. Opa!
Pita Jungle has been serving up healthy and fresh food since it’s first location opened in 1994. Their wood-fired pizzas and pita sandwiches contain some of their popular selections. I’ve been eating here since my days at ASU going to the Apache location for lunch. The Mediterranean Roasted Chicken (Shawarma) and Beef Gyro are probably my 2 favorite items along with some hummus and their amazing iced tea. I had a fun night here with my friend Sarah at the Phoenix location in the arts district.
I love how Simon finds these little places. We had lunch at Zaytoon Kabob Bistro – a Mediterranean grill. They serve a variety of menu items that also satisfy the health-conscious individuals. The kabobs are cut, marinated and skewered daily and cooked to order over an open flame. I got the chicken kabob – a marinated boneless chicken that is skewered and grilled and served over a bed of Basmatti rice with a garden salad. I also added a beef kabob. I had a great time of fellowship with my friend and enjoyed a great lunch.
Juba Red Sea & Mediterranean Cuisine specializes in Mediterranean & East African cuisine and has been serving the valley since 2005. This restaurant is located in a shopping plaza that is cultural hub in Phoenix. After teaching at the Somalia center, we headed here for lunch. Their samosas have been voted best samosas in Phoenix. I ordered the chicken shawarma, hummus, a samosa and Somalian tea. The food was excellent and I look forward to many lunches here.
I have been taking this class on Muslim culture and I wanted to spend my week engaging with the people. I figured being a foodie, the best way to start is with Middle Eastern cuisine. Along Apache Blvd in Tempe are a ton of restaurants that represent different cultures. You see little pockets of communities of people all over the place trying to make a living. It’s a wonderful thing and I loved eating the food and asking stories about how each place started.
The first place I went to was Haji-Baba. They are located in a little strip mall and have both a restaurant and a small marketplace. I went at lunchtime and it was packed. It was good to see a bunch of Americans enjoying their food and supporting the business. I had the gyro and hummus (with some Sriracha of course) plate. It was delicious and I enjoyed every bit of it. Very good price too!
Gyro
Hummus
Then I traveled to Cafe Istanbul. They too have a marketplace and have a bigger restaurant. They are known for their lunch buffet and their hookah lounge. I’ve done their buffet in the past and it is very good food for a good price. They also have live belly dancing on the weekends. The people who run the place are from Lebanon. I had the chicken shawarma and it was fantastic!
Chicken Shawarma
I decided to try a little Indian food and made my way to the Bay Leaf cafe. It definitely smelled like curry when I walked in. The restaurant was really nice and the food was authentic. I enjoyed talking to my waiter as he lives not too far from where I visited last year. I had the Chicken Tikka Masala – chicken barbecued and cooked in a tomato based curry with herbs and spices. I also had some chai. Wow – I forgot how much I love Indian food. I even ate with my hands like I did in India.
Chicken Tikka Masala
My last stop was for some desert and chai in a place in Tempe called the Phoenicia cafe. I had a pistachio baklava and the chai was awesome. This place is located next to a popular mosque. I really enjoyed coming here because I spent a lot of time talking with a gentleman named Hakim. We talked for a good hour about culture and our worldview of people. I appreciate how genuine he was and I know we as Americans can learn a lot from other cultures.
Baklava and Chai
Today I purchased a huge bottle of Sriracha. This is seriously my favorite hot sauce. I love pouring it over my sandwiches and hummus at Pita Jungle. You also see it at middle eastern restaurants. It is a type of Thai hot sauce and it has a sweet but hot flavor to it. It’s so good!!
From their site: Sriracha is made from sun ripen chilies which are ground into a smooth paste along with garlic and packaged in a convenient squeeze bottle. It is excellent in soups, sauces, pastas, pizzas, hot dogs, hamburgers, chowmein or on anything else to give it a delicious, spicy taste. Like all our sauces, we use only the highest quality ingredients and never any artificial colors or flavorings.
