Since I was recently inspired by Mombar's chicken and veggie tajines, I wanted to make my own version at home. My brother Peter and sister-in-law, Fiana were coming over so I thought it'd make for a good opportunity to create a stewy pot of goodness to see if it was passable. I'm happy to say that the verdict was really positive and Peter and Dan went back for seconds.
Originally stemming from a recipe for a veggie tajine, I decided to add some chicken breast cubes for good measure and to make it even more hearty of course. Since I was already going with meat, I could've used a chicken broth as its base, but I stuck with the veggie broth to give it more earthiness. The whole dish delivered and filled us up nicely, resting on a bed of whole wheat cous-cous with chopped dates, pistachios and fresh lemon zest. I'll definitely be making this comforting creation again.
Chicken and veggie tajine, recipe courtesy of Whole Foods. (just add chicken or beef to make it meaty!)
It’s been quite a while since I’ve been to Mombar, but it’s been consistently on my list of to-go-again places, especially when showing off the nabe to some new visitors. The other week proved totally perfect for this, as we met up with friends, Chris and Joanna who haven’t been to Astoria in quite a while – Joanna being a total newbie altogether.
Being that both of our friends are open to new experiences and they were willing to try something ethnic, I suggested Mombar, and they happily took the bait.
I love that Mombar continues to be a BYOB and we enjoyed a delicious bottle of vino with our impeccable dinner. Here’s what we got:
Lamb Tongue Appetizer – Although some folks in our party were a bit squeamish about this, everyone at the end gave it a fair shot and loved it. While I didn’t mind the image of the tongue at all, some of my friends (and Dan too) preferred not to think about it. The texture was really surprising, as it tasted really soft, sort of like sausage, surrounded by a clear, flavorful broth of onions, pepper, tomato, olives and herbs. It was a great little preview of the goodness that would follow, and I loved pairing it with the thin fry bread that was also brought to the table a few minutes before.
Mussels – While we all love mussels and were eager to try Mombar’s version, I wasn’t overly impressed. Though I liked the light broth they rested in, the actual mussels tasted a bit fishy, and I’ve certainly had better.
Lamb Tajine – I absolutely love tajines, and the minute I saw they had lamb, my decision was made. Unlike the ceramic dome dishes I’ve seen these placed in at other restaurants, this looked more like a gratinee dish, which was slightly disappointing in presentation, but of course what mattered most was what was inside. The meat was tender, succulent and nicely fell apart when making contact with your fork. Certainly the piece-de-resistance was the rich lamb broth, laced with tons of veggies such as corn, peas, tomato, squash, pepper and more. It tasted like a beautiful, rich stew that was ultra filling and a nice thing to share with your dining companion (Dan ate quite a bunch of it).
Salmon en Papillote – Chris ordered the salmon, which I was surprised about, since I don’t associate Mombar with seafood (as evidenced by the mussels). Not only was he happy about his final choice, everyone else was impressed as well, and the salmon turned out to be the biggest success of the evening. The crunchy phyllo shell was to die for, and breaking it revealed an oozy middle of veggies and the tender salmon. I’m happy to report that the fish tasted fresh, and flaked off with perfection.
Sausage Entrée – Dan’s sausage entrée was also quite nice, boasting tons of meat that was immersed in the same kind of concoction as the lamb tongue. For this reason, even though I really enjoyed it, I had trouble differentiating it from the app, and for next time, I’d go with either one or the other.
Service and Cost:
I can’t speaker higher about the service, as we received tons of personal attention and our waitress even spoke French to our friend Joanna, which was great. Chef Moustafa came out as well, and was only too happy to chat us up, provide some history behind all the food and answer any questions we had. He didn’t seem to be in a rush at all and genuinely seemed interested in shooting the breeze with us.
Costs are incredibly fair and for the dinner I just described, we paid about $25/person including tax and tip.
3 Mmmms
Mombar - 25-22 Steinway Street, Astoria NY 11103
718.726.2356
N/Q Train to Astoria Blvd
Last night I met up with friends, Anne, Clare, Meg and some other lovely ladies for our monthly Queens Supper Club get together. The "club" is just our excuse to get out and try new foods, and to make sure we're not breaking the bank while doing it. I always enjoy these outings because the girls pick some of the best restos in Queens, and we never end up paying more than $15/person. No...seriously. Our stop this time was Astoria's little hidden Moroccan/Algerian gem, Harissa Cafe.
Atmosphere:
Located on the busy 30th Avenue, it's easy to miss Harissa, as it's sandwiched between popular and well-attended restaurants such as Ovelia and also the new Dominie's bar. But those true hard core foodies and locals know about it. And what they know is that they can get a good, dependable and affordable meal here without waiting too long, and also discovering something new along the way.
While the restaurant is tiny and narrow, the space feels cozy and wonderful. There's a few small tables towards the front and a large table all the way in the back, which is where all of us sat. On a Wednesday night during prime time dinner hour, it was laid back and quiet, and we enjoyed being doted on by Harissa's gracious staff.
Food:
It was nice to see that the menu, despite being short was also diverse. Between a variety of hot sandwiches, soups, tajines, pasta and even burgers, everyone was able to choose something. Vegetarians, please note that this is a great place for you with many many options including the veggie cous-cous you see right here. Here's what I personally had:
Lamb Tajine - I just couldn't refuse the tajine, especially since I was totally chilled from the weather outside. In the mood for something warm and comforting, I couldn't wait to devour the tender (almost stewy) meat. When it came out, I was impressed by the size of the lamb shank and the sea of peas that surrounded it. While mostly consisting of peas, there were other veggies in the stew too, including sweet potatoes and onions, which were really tender and delicious. It goes without saying that the meat was falling off the bone and the flavors were deep and seasoned perfectly (not too salty).
Service and Cost:
As I already hinted above, the service was fabulous. Not only was our server polite and helpful, he was so attentive and really on the ball. Given that he was the only one in the restaurant serving, he did a pretty great job and we didn't feel like we waited long at all to get our food.
Costs are affordable and since we split everything, it only came out to about $15/person (with tax and tip), which is pretty darn sweet.
3 Mmmms
Harrisa Cafe - 34-05 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
718.545.9595
N/Q Train to 30th Avenue
www.harissacafe.com
