FOOD: Bowery Bungalow

The Bowery Bungalow is a nice space in a converted bungalow just behind Sunset Junction, serving modern Middle Eastern cuisine. We were welcomed with a cumin-rich lentil soup amuse bouche and glasses of sangria. We started with a fatoush salad, a heap of interesting greens with pieces of tomato, cucumber, and mandolin-sliced watermelon radishes in a sumac vinaigrette. Charred broccolini came in a sweet-tangy Aleppo pepper sauce with dates and almonds. Fried cauliflower was dusted in dukkah and covered in rich tahini sauce. Beef tenderloin “shishkatori” kebabs were well seasoned and grilled to perfection. Turmeric chicken fried rice was a nice blend of flavors and textures with roasted chick peas, almonds, and golden raisins. Middle Eastern style coffee was poured from an ornate pitcher into an equally ornate demitasse. And a chocolate pot de crème came with fresh whipped cream and a fantastically light halveh (sesame confection). (See pics here.)