(Matthew J Lee/Globe Staff)
Cheap Eats
Kebabs, by way of Cairo
(Matthew J Lee/Globe Staff)
From the few seats squeezed into Azama Grill in Allston, we watch our meal in action. Kebabs sizzle on a charcoal grill. Fresh falafel balls bob in the fryer. Lamb-and-beef shawarma turns on a roasting spit dripping with meaty juices. Flames lick the sides of a saute pan bubbling with foul mudammes, the fava bean dip. We could be in Cairo — literally.
For three generations, owner-chef Osama El Naggar’s family has served up Egyptian barbecue in Cairo, where they own five Azama Grills. El Naggar is the first to bring the recipes here, opening in Allston in February. When he says 90 years of family secrets — and an inborn passion for hospitality — guide his cooking, we believe him.
For one, chicken kebabs ($6.45 wrap; $8.99 plate) are outstanding. Skewered between veggies, the meat is tangy with lemon and yogurt and fragrant with spices (cumin, oregano, and mustard, perhaps?). They are juicy and well charred, as are ground-beef kafta kebabs flecked with parsley ($5.45; $8.99).
On both visits, the lamb and salmon kebabs are sold out. But lamb-and-beef shawarma ($5.45; $6.99) keeps us happy, delivering a burst of spices with juicy, flavorful meat drizzled with tahini sauce (ask for hot sauce, too). Everything here is halal.
Vegetarian choices also fare well ($4.49; $5.75). Hummus and baba ghanouj are both light, fresh-tasting, and lemony. Lemon and pomegranate add just the right tartness to foul mudammes. And though the menu describes chickpea falafel, El Naggar sneaks in some fava bean, the preferred falafel bean in Egypt. He also adds so much parsley and onion that the outside is a crispy nest of greens and the inside an unusually moist and vegetal version of this treat. Try them on vegetarian or shawarma combo plates ($6.49; $7.99; pictured).
On the downside, $2.99 seems steep for a serving of three, pinkie finger-size stuffed grape leaves. Some items come only with pita bread, others with pita and salad, others with pita, salad, and pilaf. So read carefully.
Daily specials trot out Egyptian specialties such as whole, boneless barbecued chicken or kushari, a comforting mix of rice, macaroni, and lentils. And diners can always order a muscle-bound cup of strong Egyptian coffee or tea and traditional sweets like baklava, cashew fingers in flaky phyllo dough, and buttery pistachio-rich bassma ($1.49 each).
Sit back and watch as they boil the coffee just like they do in Cairo, over hot coals with a touch of cardamom and hospitality.
© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.
