I sometimes describe this Diplomat Dining adventure to friends as "a trip around the world without leaving New York." I haven’t felt that way more strongly than last Saturday evening, as we left the diplomat-recommended Egyptian restaurant … The block of Steinway street was lined with outdoor cafes where men smoked from hookahs and women in hijabs strolled past with their children. We were in Little Egypt, and we had just eaten at Mombar, the restaurant Murray’s contact in the Egyptian Consulate recommended as serving the most authentic Egyptian cuisine in New York City.
The owner and chef of Mombar spent years decorating both the interior and exterior of his restaurant. The result is an eclectic mixture that somehow all works together without a hint of pretension. There are only about 10 tables, the “staff” appears to consist of the chef and the waiter, and most (perhaps all) of the cooking seems to happen in a small kitchen by the front door. We sat in front, next to a hand-painted window and surrounded by cushions of various textiles. Even the tabletops are hand-designed. And, as we were soon to discover, the chef is as creative with his food as with the décor.
For this meal, we were three hungry diners – Our son, Ben, joined Murray and me. The Mombar menu is not extensive, so even just three of us were able to get a good sampling without overdoing it too badly. We of course made our selections with help from our waiter, telling him we wanted to try the most authentic Egyptian dishes.
We started with a couple of appetizers – first, a medley of hommus, babaganouj, and foul (an Egyptian fava bean dip), which was garnished with apples, served on a large triangular plate, and could almost have been a meal unto itself.
Then, on the waiter’s specific recommendation, we tried something that wasn’t on the menu and whose name we were unfortunately never able to get: The waiter delivered a small casserole dish containing ground lamb cooked with Mediterranean spices, and then at the table he mixed in some egg, which cooked on the spot as he stirred the concoction. He told us to eat it with the bread, which we did – and it all disappeared quite quickly. You might say we liked it a lot … so much so, in fact, that I forgot to take a picture.
For entrées, we selected:
- Lamb tajeen over couscous: Lamb braised in a clay pot with vegetables, dried fruit, and “chef’s special spices” and accompanied by a pyramid of rice
- Da-jaj fel-forn: Chicken with rice, vegetables, herbs and spices
- Ar-nab moulekhia: Rabbit served with moulekhia and rice
Yes, if you read our post about the diplomat-recommended Lebanese restaurant, Naya, there was that moulekhia again! And Murray and I decided that, yes, it is good, and apparently very traditional in the Middle East, but a meal of it twice in two weeks is enough to last a while. The rabbit was quite tender … And since our vegetable garden in New Jersey has been invaded by hungry rabbits the past two summers, we didn’t feel a bit guilty about eating Peter Cottontail.
For those less carnivorous, there’s a vegetarian couscous dish on the menu, in addition to several vegetarian appetizers, so – although I would hardly call this a vegetarian destination – one certainly could have a decent no-meat meal here. Wine and beer are both available as well.
I always like to try a dessert, so we shared one. At the subtle urging of the waiter, we went for the “chef’s surprise.” As he put it, “You haven’t been disappointed yet, have you? So why not try this one?” He claimed he couldn’t tell us the name, even after we had eaten it, because it is the chef’s own creation. It seemed to be pears cooked in a sweet syrup and topped with shredded wheat. Needless to say, it was delicious.
Our bill, including wine and tip, totaled $150. We've found so far that roughly $50 a person has been the case at most of the diplomat-recommended restaurants we’ve visited. Mombar accepts cash only; no credit cards. But we did discover an ATM in a bodega down the street.
I’m learning to like Astoria quite a lot! A great Cypriot restaurant discovered in June and now Egyptian. We do, however, have more in Manhattan up our sleeves, too. Last night, we tried German. Look for that posting soon.
Where and When
Mombar
25-22 Steinway St
Astoria, NY 11103
Subway: N to Astoria Blvd
(718) 726-2356
Sunday through Saturday
5:00 – 10:30pm
Closed Monday
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