Magic Carpet--CLOSED

07/27/07

Great but pricey

by addola

It is not Yemenit, the word is Yemeni. The restaurant served great food but is over priced. I tried malawach(I am Arabian and I don't know what this word is), it is a kind of fried topping with non-sweet topping like mushrooms on it. It does taste so authentic, and the original Yemeni version can be topped with Honey and animal fat (they don't serve it). I have also tried their Flafil, really great, but really expensive. The two dishes that we ordered were exceptional and cooked with care. Only problem is the price, in my opinion. We paid 33 dollars + tips.

• Pros: Authentic Jewish food
• Cons: Price

06/11/07

almost as good as my grandmother's!

by so_adorable

when i discovered this place a few years ago - i became instantly hooked! the food and the flavors are so delicious - i thought my grandmother was in the kitchen preparing her specialties.

you must get the appetizer sampler - featuring falafel (better than the late great eat-a-pita), kibbeh, merguez & more.

my cousin (who can eat this food every day in his life) ordered a kebab - which wasn't that good... but the mellawach is delicious! it's like a pizza but not. the ground beef topping is great - as are some of the veggie toppings.

as for their hummus and tahina - they're not the best i've had but they are better than average - and if you like spicy food, ask for some "zhuk" which is a typical yemeni condiment made with cilantro and coriander and more...

i'd go there more often if i wasn't watching my weight and my pocketbook - it can get pricey.

• Pros: great food

Kosher Middle Eastern cuisine lures in locals and families.

by Contributor

In Short
A relaxed atmosphere surrounds the mainly orthodox Jewish families who dine here. The minimalist decor consists of enlarged photos depicting traditional Yemenite costume and a couple of off-beat mannequins. The Middle Eastern cuisine is kosher, non-dairy and perfect for vegetarians. The combo appetizer is a good introduction, featuring stuffed grape leaves, Moroccan cigars (think taquitos wrapped in crispy filo instead of tortillas), and kibbeh, a deep-fried bulghur wheat-and-ground beef dish.

07/22/05

excellent food though some is overpriced

by ahaviv

I'm Israeli, and partially of Yemeni descent, so maybe I'm not too objective about this food, but it's really delicious. You have to be careful here, however, or you'll end up with a very high check. I highly recommend all the soups (esp. white bean, EXACTLY like my grandmother's, and Yemeni chicken or beef); all the mezze, ie Middle Eastern appetizers, for ex the combo appetizer platter; the mellawach; the Iraqi sandwich (eggplant, tehine, oven-cooked hard-boiled egg and tomato - yum!); and the ful and shakshuka for breakfast. Those dishes are also a very good value, and you can easily make a meal out of combining them. But the meat entrees are pretty overpriced (partially because they have to pay a lot to get glatt kosher meat) and not the strength of this restaurant. Somehow I always feel like eating this food on Friday night, when of course they're closed...

• Pros: impeccably clean, great veggie food
• Cons: not so great meat, closed F night/Sat