At 1710 West Main in Kalamazoo, Zooroona offers a variety of dishes from Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Lebanon, and is located at the back of a strip mall, Tiffany's Plaza. It's a relatively new restaurant; the Mandwee brothers first opened "Tiffany's Wine and Spirits" shop in the same strip mall, and in late 2009, Zooroona came to sit a few stores down. Appearing small from the outside, the Middle-Eastern style restaurant is marked by a neon sign and looks to be about a third of the size of the beauty store next to it.
The name Zooroona means "come visit us" in Arabic, and this welcoming attitude is evident when first walking through the doors. It may look small, nothing special from the outside -- but the interior transports diners away from the shabby strip mall parking lot. Completely. As the hostess gives a warm welcome, colorful glints of light shine from all over the now seemingly cavernous room; the decorative lamps hanging from the ceiling are covered in beautiful colored glass, with intricately detailed patterns over the glass to let spots of light glimmer through. The walls glow deep red, bright blue and gold; and at the back center is a long mural depicting a dancing woman surrounded by desert sands and men playing instruments. Glittering white lights spider along the ceiling, giving the dim and seductive-looking room a bit more coziness.
Diners have the choice of being seated at a customary Western table with chairs, or perhaps one of the "traditional" Middle-Eastern settings. If so, don't just go with the table and chairs -- chairs are lame. Chairs are overrated. Instead, choose a "traditional" table about two feet off the ground, kick off your shoes (who needs 'em?), sprawl across the colorfully decorated cushions, and order some tea. Surrounded by draping curtains and golden walls, the cozy ambience is hard to pass up.
The drinks on Zooroona's menu look delicious -- mouth-watering blends of watermelon, mango and orange juice, or strawberries, peaches and apples, can be seen. But be careful when ordering, because chances are, diners may only get to read about the drink they've decided on.
It's respectable that the restaurant doesn't make drinks with foods that aren't in season -- then their honesty about the freshness of the food is genuine. But when the restaurant doesn't change the menu to reflect these conditions, it can be a bit disappointing to be set on something and then find out almost none of the drinks mentioned are available. Even though sipping on a Yamal Bagdad may not be an option, the basket of pita and tray of olive oil with oregano and thyme quickly makes up for the minor disappointment.
Aside from the mythical fruit drinks, the Shinina is an interesting beverage characterized by a mix of yoghurt, lemon and salt -- but when it comes to the Shinina, the wait staff will tell diners directly not to order it. According to the waiter, unless they enjoy the "gross" taste of bitter yoghurt mixed with spoonfuls of salt, the customer should completely avoid this item. On the other hand, they do recommend the Zohorat tea -- this tea turns out to be a wonderfully mild, herbal blend of eleven different flowers (which are still floating around in the pot) that is poured into tiny glasses with detailed gold paint. For appetizers, or "Mazza" dishes, diners might decide on the Baba Ghannouj. One of the restaurant's specialties, it is a wonderful Syrian dip of eggplant, lemon and garlic that provides a smooth and flavorful addition to the pita. It's a good deal for a mere $6, and comes in large quantities. The falafel isn't far behind either; the crunchy, crisp outside reveals a deliciously soft mix of garbanzo beans and parsley inside. The Dolmeh is for those with more of a taste towards the bitter -- grape leaves are smooth to the touch but gritty when chewing, and the lemon and vegetables wrapped inside makes the bitter leaves even stronger. While eating, diners might have their glasses filled by the manager of the restaurant -- he admits that he usually "end[s] up being the water guy" most nights.
As appetizers run out and tea gets low, the friendly waiter will climb up once again and kneel down next to the table to get entrée orders, or "Aklaat" dishes. They recommend their chicken and beef shawermah, which ranges from $12 to $14 -- and meat eaters would be smart to listen. Hints of lemon can be detected within the creamy, smooth consistency of the beef shawermah, and the chicken shawermah is charred to perfection. Use the tahini sauce for the beef, as the sauce of sesame seeds gives a wonderful smoky flavor to the meat.
The Baghdad Kafta Kabob is considered a "house favorite," although tastes pretty much like a regular ground beef burger. It can be a bit dry, but the tahini sauce bumps up the quality. The Tawook, on the other hand, is charred chicken mixed delightfully with lemon, grilled peppers and onions, and has a much fresher flavor.
The meals come in considerably large portions, but if the meal hasn't gotten the better of anyone's stomach yet, diners might consider getting dessert. Here, in addition to the drinks, there may also be items that are destined only to be read. Kanafa, a sweet traditional cheese pastry, looks like a perfect choice -- but alas! By only 6:30 in the evening, according to the waiter they may be "all out". Don't worry, because there are regular dessert items that aren't on the menu. Diners might consider the carrot cake, for example -- and no, this is most definitely not the sugar-packed cake that often is served with cream cheese. This Carrot Hallwa is indeed carrot cake -- and literally takes the form of a sweet wedge of shredded carrots. It takes a bit of getting used to, but is a really unique combination of candied lemon peel, sugary carrots and pistachio nut. Diners also might consider the date cake not offered on the menu; with a dollop of rich cream freshly whipped, diners are served a humongous slice of incredibly rich and dense cake with tantalizing pieces of date mixed in. No doubt about it, this cake is worth...however much it cost.
And, for a chosen few on a specific night of the week, diners may be treated to a belly-dancing performance during dinner. The lights go off, the "Arabian Nights"-esque music turns up to a level that drowns out conversation, and a woman in a flowing "bedleh" costume will come out to jangle around amidst the diners. The unexpected performance is entertaining to watch, unless customers aren't looking for a mid-dinner distraction. Although there may be a few items on the menu that need adjusting, this is a minor setback is easily overlooked by the end of the evening. And although the belly-dancing performance may be a bit overly diverting, it gives the message that the restaurant's mesmerizing lights do -- ahlan wa sehlan. You are always welcome.
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