rev:text
| - Mediterranean cuisine is one of my favorites, so I was really looking forward to a great meal from Khyber Halal. I really wanted to like this place, based on all my fellow Yelpers' reviews, but, in my opinion, it just wasn't up to snuff.
I checked them out on a Friday night after work, looking to grab a few items to go. After entering the hole-in-the-wall location (which I love, by the way), I was greeted from behind the counter by an older gentlemen and a few teenagers. You could tell this was truly a family run operation.
After perusing the menu for a bit, I asked for a few recommendations. I'm a pretty adventurous eater, so I told them to throw the best of the bunch at me. He suggested the Uzbak Pulao, which was grilled lamb on top of a rice mixture (carrots, currants, and bits of meat...I'm assuming it was lamb or goat). My husband ordered the Chicken Handi, which was grilled chicken with a spicy rub over rice (nothing fancy here). We also ordered Naan and a side of hummus.
We got home and dove into our meals, which by the way, was enough to feed a family of four, if not six. My lamb was chewy (I ordered it medium rare) with very little flavor, and the rice mixture was bland and oily (probably from all the meat). The Naan had no flavor at all, either, and after a certain point, I felt like I was eating a chewy piece of cardboard. By far the worst of the bunch was the hummus. It was literally mashed up chickpeas with no additional ingredients (tahini, anyone? Maybe a little lemon juice?). It was bland as can be. To be fair, my husband enjoyed his chicken, but it doesn't take a lot to please his palate. I also tried his rice, and it was nothing special.
While this place is a killer value and and a sweet family run establishment, we, sadly, won't be returning.
|