New Damascus Mediterranean Cuisine is Fresh, Flavorful
SOURCE: CANTONREP. COM
BY: DAN KANE
It’s a dream come true for Sanaa Aboulaban, a Syrian woman who always cooked but never had her own restaurant
JACKSON TWP. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I entered Damascus Mediterranean Cuisine, a new place that a friend urged me to review.
I’d been in the space at 4469 Hills And Dales Road NW before; it previously housed Créma Espresso Bar and Cafe, and Mo’Joes Café. But now it seemed devoid of decor or ambiance.
Two of the menu items I ordered from the upbeat woman at the counter were unavailable, she said. Having placed our order, I joined my friend at our table in the otherwise empty restaurant hoping for the best.
And then the food arrived and, instantly, all was well. The cuisine at Damascus, which opened a month ago, is authentically Syrian, with plenty of vivid flavors. Everything is freshly made to order. Portions are generous.
Damascus is a dream come true for Sanaa Aboulaban, a Syrian woman who always cooked but never had her own restaurant. Her daughter, Suzan, who lives in Canton, saw the vacant location as an opportunity, and recruited her sister, Razan, in Brooklyn to come to Canton to help their mother, who also was living in Brooklyn, launch the restaurant. The three women are the entire staff of Damascus, named for the city where they were born.
The women are friendly and conversational and clearly proud and enthusiastic about the food they are making and serving.
We started with three appetizers, each wholly pleasing. The generous plateful of hummus ($6.50), drizzled with olive oil and served with a basket of pita bread, was creamy and had a distinct lemon zestiness. The hummus and the baba ghanouj ($5), made from pureed grilled eggplant, were as good as I’ve had anywhere. Both are made on premises daily.
The six plump falafel ($7), made from ground chickpeas then deep-fried to pleasing, non-greasy crispiness, were delivered piping hot, had notably aromatic spices and the tahini dipping sauce was spot-on. I could eat the flash-fried cauliflower ($7), which included a lemony tahini sauce for dipping, all day long. Accompanying our appetizers was a plate of tangy pickles and pickled turnips, made in house.
Other available appetizers include grape leaves (six for $5), tabbouleh ($7) and fried kibbeh (four pieces for $10), made from seasoned beef, pine nuts and onions, and served with yogurt.
A must-try item at Damascus, and apparently the house specialty, is the chicken shawarma wrap ($7), a generous and satisfying sandwich. The authentic Syrian version is seasoned grilled chicken, garlic sauce and pickles. I ordered mine with added lettuce, tomato and cucumbers. The flavor blend was sublime. The beef kabob wrap ($7), with freshly grilled steak pieces, was good if not quite as memorable.
Damascus has many vegetarian options. Other sandwiches include falafel ($6.50), hummus ($5), cauliflower and eggplant ($6) and baba ghanouj ($6).
Among the entrees are grilled-to-order kabobs — chicken ($13), kefta ($13), lamb ($14) and beef ($14), served with rice or fries, hummus and a salad. Lamb chops are $17.
The two desserts, both made in house, we tried were pleasurable — baklava ($4 for two pieces) and rice pudding ($3), topped with crushed pistachio nuts or cinnamon, that had the creamy consistency of custard.
I hope Damascus will be a success for the Aboulabans. Fans of fresh and flavor-packed Mediterranean food should definitely check the place out. Dine-in and carry-out both are available.