Review: Albawadi in Plantation
By Judith Stocks, Sun Sentinel
Important: This article was last updated on June 10, 2010. Please call ahead to confirm hours, prices, dates and other information.
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 1787 N. University Drive, Plantation 954-693-0986 Cuisine: Middle Eastern Cost: inexpensive Hours: lunch, dinner daily Reservations: not necessary Credit cards: all major Bar: no alcohol Sound level: quiet Outside smoking: yes For kids: high chairs, boosters, menu Wheelchair accessible: yes  |
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First impression: A strip mall setting is home to this brightly lit restaurant with rich wooden flooring and a sea of blue-green chairs.Ambience: Soft Middle Eastern music and desert scenes are a perfect backdrop for the food. Tables are set with paper placemats and paper napkin-wrapped flatware.
Starters: Not to be missed hummus ($3.99/ small, $6.99/ large) is attractively presented with a deep well in the center holding a pool of the greenest olive oil and whole chick peas. Grab a piece of soft warm pita and go to work. The pair of tasty torpedo shaped fried kibbe ($5.99) have crunchy bulgur wheat/minced beef exteriors surrounding well-seasoned ground beef, garlic and toasted pine nuts. I'm a big fan of shakshoka ($4.99), eggs poached in tomatoes and onions. Usually a morning dish in the Middle East, Albawadi serves a good version all the time. At $18.99, the appetizer sampler might seem indulgent, but this one is family sized and a great way to explore the cuisine with hummus, babaganoush, falafel, kibbe, grape leaves stuffed with rice and tomatoes and a Turkish salad of chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers and parsley that sparkles with freshness and care.
Entree excellence: Order a mixed grill ($14.99) and the kitchen sends out all kinds of meat and poultry, including an intricately spiced ground beef and lamb kafta kabob, a couple of chicken kabobs (one breast meat, one dark meat) and shish kabab with some unfortunately chewy beef. Spend the same money on four nicely grilled baby lamb chops. Both entrees come with moist rice mingled with chick peas (turmeric colors the rice yellow) crowned with toasted almonds. Chicken on the grill ($10.99) is a split bone-in half chicken. We asked for the optional curry, but the dish was so gently seasoned that we barely knew it was there. Shwarma platters and assorted pita sandwiches are also available starting at $4.99.
Sweet!: End by meandering up to the pastry case. The daily changing choices run from baklava and Middle Eastern candies to hearty slabs of the winning semolina cake haresee ($2).
Service: Polite, prompt and attentive.
Contact dining correspondent Judith Stocks at judithstocksreviews@yahoo.com.