I always welcome a return visit to Taboon, the restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen with Middleast and the Mediterranean cuisine when on my way to theatre. This time we stopped in before seeing An American in Paris, inspired by the 1951 Academy Award winning film starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron.

The first loaf of their focaccia bread hot from the namesake oven is gratis; it comes brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with rosemary, sage and fleur de sel. It’s so irresistible that during this visit with three others, we (gulp) demolished three loaves! Of course, we used that warm bread as a carrier for food.

I always indulge in what I call their meze ($5 each) — a bowl of their tzaziki, smoky baba ghanoush, spicy feta spread and — this time I tried the really hot and piquant green paste — schoog made of cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, lemon, caraway and cardamom.

Don’t miss the baked heirloom tri-color cauliflower, drizzled with honey, anise and nigella seeds and sitting in a puddle of olive oil and labneh (Lebanese yogurt). The only thing I wouldn’t re-order are their zucchini cakes (three for $14) as they’re nothing special.

Their crab shawarma, though, is for lovers of that seafood as it was mostly all the seasoned lump crab meat ($18.) Also good is the el guapo ($15) some crispy avocado topped with a tomato salsa sitting in black beans and hummus

I highly recommend Taboon!

– bonnie

BonnieBOTB
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Taboon
Hell’s Kitchen
773 10th Ave (between 52/53)
New York, NY 10019
(212) 713-0271

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