Chicken Shish Taouk

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
October 27, 2008

NAYA MEZZE & GRILL
1057 2nd Ave
(55th & 56th Sts)
New York, NY 10022
212-319-7777

Two Fridays ago, after the Ferran Adrià talk at the New York Public Library, my companions and I had to think about where to go for dinner in the neighborhood. A suggestion for “the new Lebanese restaurant” was thrown out, and my sister and I immediately jumped on it. We zoomed over to Second Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets to find this new Mediterranean restaurant. Once we arrived on the block, Naya Mezze & Grill was hard to miss.

The décor of the restaurant is ultra modern, almost futuristic. Smart design maximizes the deep and narrow interior space making it hard to tell that the restaurant only seats 50. Divided into two rooms, the front is bright white with backlit metal panel walls surrounding two- and four-seater booths separated by a center walkway. Space is tight, but not uncomfortable, with slots under the seats to hold your belongings. The backroom has the same walls, but seems darker in contrast, seating up to 16, with glass partitions surrounding the semi-open kitchen, so you can see the cooking action.

The first night I visited, they had only been open three days, and the traffic was already non-stop. A week later, they continued to be fully booked. On both occasions, I noticed that passersby invariably stared through the glass walls intrigued, and more often than not, they would come in to ask for a seat. The décor is definitely eye-catching, but my first thought was that it was distracting — only because so many mediocre restaurants spend more money on looks than on the craft of their cuisine.

But Naya doesn’t just rely on looks. There’s a lot of talent and soul in their food. Every dish presented at our table was a delight to taste. And each time I surveyed the orders at the other booths, I wanted to try those dishes, too.

There’s nothing on the menu I’ve tried that I haven’t liked. To start, Kibbé Naya, Lebanese steak tartar, is pastier than the French version as it is mixed with bulgur wheat, as well as onion and mint. The batata harra, spicy sautéed cubes of potatoes with fresh coriander, reminds me of the Spanish patatas bravas, without the spicy aioli; instead, the coriander gives it fragrance and freshness. The grape leaves are served warm, stuffed with parsley, onion, tomato and rice. And there’s also the duo eggplant squash, stuffed with the same four ingredients plus chili pepper and walnuts. But my favorite of the small dishes was the eggplant and cumin kibbé from the kibbé trio. A beef dumpling is cut in half and stuffed with eggplant purée. The contrast in textures of the minced beef and the silky smooth eggplant is simply wonderful.

This leads us to the climax: the chicken shish taouk entrée. It’s grilled chicken breast (served off the skewers) marinated in garlic and lemon and served with garlic sauce and French fries, but I always ask to have the Lebanese rice instead of fries. You might be thinking that of all grilled meats, why chicken? Especially when there’s the choice of lamb. Well, I did try the kafta kebab, but believe me, the chicken shish taouk blows everything out of the water. Just thinking about these tender and juicy pieces of chicken, my mouth starts to water. The garlic sauce, toum, is the Lebanese aioli, a blend of fresh garlic, olive oil, eggs and salt. It’s so delicious that I ended up adding it to everything. Lebanese rice that’s laced with vermicelli pairs perfectly with the chicken. Both the rice and vermicelli are cooked in butter, which gives it a lush buttery taste. Oh, and of course, I add the garlic sauce to the rice, too.

Honestly, I never have space for dessert, but it is nearly impossible to resist what comes out of Naya’s kitchen. A sucker for pudding, I ordered the mouhallabie, Lebanese milk pudding flavored with orange blossom water. The subtle purity of the orange blossom water shines through every bite of the fresh milk pudding. And though I was full, I devoured this wholesomely delicious dessert.

Now I’m hopelessly addicted to the elegant homestyle Lebanese cooking of Naya. Plus I look forward to seeing Sara, our congenial waitress with the loveliest smile that adds to the most pleasant of meals.

Also in Chicken, Lebanese, Middle Eastern, Midtown East