opinion
A
Baklava is a mediterranean sweet dessert pastry made of layers of filo, filled with chopped nuts and sweetened honey.
side from the occasional ringing from the phone, Waffa’s Kitchen was quiet on a Tuesday afternoon. The restaurant is intimate and quaint with a total of four tables. Each table is decorated with a vase of flowers, napkins, salt and pepper shakers, and my personal favorite -a bottle of sriracha. I ordered a little bit of everything; falafel, boualbakieh, kefta kabob plate, and of course I had to finish the meal with some baklava. I had the boualbakieh and a falfafel as appetizers. Boualbakieh, also known as meat pie, is made from ground beef, onions, tomatoes and pomegranate molasses, all tucked inside a small pocket of dough. As yummy as it looked, I thought it lacked flavor. I probably wouldn’t order this again. The falafel, however, was fried perfectly, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The falafel was mealy and crumbled in my mouth. It came with a side of zesty tahini sauce which traditionally contains yogurt, dill, mayonnaise and cucumber. I was debating between the chicken kabob and the kefta kabob, but decided to step out of my comfort zone. I’ve never heard of kefta, let alone ever tried it. Massih explained that kefta is made of ground beef mixed with onions and spices. The preparation process of kefta compresses the loose ground beef into solid portions of meat. The plate came with three pieces of kefta, rice,
hummus, salad, grilled vegetables, two generous pieces of pita bread and amazing garlic spread. If you like garlic, you will fall head over heels for Waffa’s spread. I substituted my salad for tabouleh and I had absolutely no regrets. The tabouleh was definitely the highlight of the plate. Tabouleh is a vegetarian salad comprised of parsley, tomatoes, onions tossed with lemon juice and olive oil. The tabouleh was light and fresh, a great complement to the other components of the plate. The hummus was sprinkled with chili powder and olive oil, pairing deliciously with the pita bread. For dessert I had a piece of baklava, a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made of phyllo pastry filled with chopped nuts and drizzled with honey. This baklava was extremely sweet compared to ones I’ve tried in the past. It’s usual nutty flavor was masked by an overwhelming amount of honey. If you want to try one for yourself, check into Waffa’s Kitchen on Yelp for a free piece! My order took a little long to come out, but the slow service was justified by the food being cooked with fresh ingredients. In total, I only spent around $13. I was pleasantly surprised because I found it pretty inexpensive for the amount of food I ordered. By the time I was getting ready to ask for a to-go box, the previously quiet restaurant came alive with the late afternoon rush. I waved good-bye to Massih and went on my way. L
Location: 221 W. Foothill Blvd. Glendora, CA 91741 (626) 914-3500 Hours: Tue - Sat: 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. Sun: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
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LOGOS | MAY 2018