WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE TO SAY
Yearning for a Lebanese mamma to make your lunch? Head downtown to Karam, where artichoke stew and kafta casserole are simmering in the kitchen and sometimes delivered to your table by the chef herself. Though homey, this is Portland's most ambitious Middle Eastern cooking. Whether you order the unusual or stick to faves like chicken shawarma or lamb kebabs, Emelin Karam's home cooking is all about honest values: great flavors, big portions and incredible prices.
Recommended: The real heat comes with steaming fresh pita bread, which arrives still warm and puffy from the oven, perfect for dipping into terrific hummus or sopping up broths from complex stews. The massive menu has lots of dishes you don't see elsewhere: three ways with goat, fresh pumpkin kibbeh, even molokhie, a traditional dish layered with bread, rice, cilantro, mallow leaves and lamb.
••••••••
This place is extremely good. Let me try to elaborate.
Impression: The place is clean and the ambiance is refined. Overall I'd recommed this as the best middle eastern restraunt in Portland.
The details:
Appitizer: Feta Cheese plate
*get this * get this *get this
(with the pita this is amazing)
Entree: Combo Meat Plate
*good variety. *good value, base on quantity delivered
Desert: Pancake with cream /w pistachio
*Best part of the meal.
I would suggest using the whole menu here. If in a bind go with appitizers and switch to the deserts, as they are amazing.
••••••••
Had good experiences everytime that I have been there.
Definitely pricey compared to other Middle Eastern restaurants.
But they definitely make up for the price with the quality of food (and quantity too in some items) and service.
We ordered: Combo Meat Plate (with Chicken and Lamb), Samak Trout (fish).
The chicken kabob was amazing: juicy and tasty. The lamb kabobs were okay - would skip that next time. Ordered the combo plate with hummus - that was amazing and with the freshly made bread that they serve, it tasted even better.
The fish dish was also really good. The majadra which is served along with this dish was great.
Definitely lots of food in each dish.
Quality of service was nice as well.
All in all a good experience.
••••••••