Ahlan! Let us take you on a journey, an adventure.. that is traditional Arabic food! Traditional Arabic food is so unique, flavorful, and extremely diverse! There is really something for everyone.. whether you’re a meat person, a protein person, a vegan (yes, really..) Whether you’re craving breakfast, lunch, dinner…Savory, Sweet? Traditional Arabic food is guaranteed to satisfy your cravings!
What is Traditional Arabic Food?
Traditional Arabic food comes from all over the Middle East and North Africa. From Saudi Arabia to Egypt to Lebanon to Morocco.. Arabic cuisine features a huge number of countries with a lot of diverse offerings! Let us tell you about a few of the most popular traditional Arabic Foods..
the OG that is loved worldwide.. HUMMUS, it is used so diversely.. as a dip, as a side in breakfast, as an appetizer, and even in dinner! You can’t go wrong with it. If you’re a vegetarian, vegan, or have any dietary preference really, Hummus will probably be your best friend! SHAWERMA.. yummy cutlets of tender chicken or beef simmered with tasty herbs, usually served with a garlic paste or tahini.. we can’t say yummy enough! FALAFEL.. where do we begin to describe??? Ground chickpeas, ground beans, or both.. a perfect blend.. a delicious deep-fried ball that is SO CRISPY. Trust us on this, if you start your day with Falafel, it’s going to be a good one!
What Makes Traditional Arabic Food Unique?
Traditional Arabic food has been around for centuries, it is very authentic and has an array of flavors not many cuisines can offer. All traditional Arabic food is infused with a unique mix of herbs and spices that is unmet! Some of the most used herbs and spices include but are not limited to sesame, saffron, black pepper, zaatar, turmeric, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, parsley, coriander, and sumac. Can you imagine the deliciousness?!
Traditional Arabic Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, we all know that, right? But Habibi, Traditional Arabic Breakfast.. it’s something else! Picture this: A very nice cheerful setting, a relaxed weekend with the best company and the most DELICIOUS Arabic foods. Can you think of anything better? Let us give you some amazing ideas for your next breakfast outing at Meez!
(1) Fried Falafel Skewers
Let’s talk about the Egyptian breakfast sensation… FALAFEL! Ground chickpeas and beans blended and shaped into patties or balls that are deep-fried to golden perfection!
At Meez we make Falafel into skewers, you crisp into the skewers one by one until you cannot get enough! It’s served with our unique Sriracha tahini, beetroot hummus, and chimichurri dip! Whether you like to eat on your own or like to share, the falafel skewers are the way to go!
(2) Shakshuka Fondue
A super balanced start to your day. This is not your typical shakshuka.. we present to you, our shakshuka fondue! Perfectly boiled eggs drenched in a very creamy and cheesy bechamel sauce and truffle! You can enjoy it with bread, with different dips as sides, as a shared item with your clique amongst other dishes or as your main breakfast item.. your tummy will definitely be satisfied, and if you’re focusing on protein intake.. this dish is very high in protein! A win-win situation.
(3) Spinach Cauliflower
Coming in HOT from Meez’s oven.. this Man’ouche is guaranteed to give your stomach a hug. Don’t we all just love Mana’eesh? They’re definitely one of the most comforting foods there is. Let us tell you more about the Spinach Cauliflower Handcrafted dough made with care and love to serve you the perfect Man’ouche.. but it’s not your typical Man’ouche.. this is a creamy spinach cauliflower man’ouche, the perfect ratio and combination of cheesiness and vegetables. Yum yum yum!
Traditional Arabic Lunch
Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, and honestly.. it is super important! But let us take a walk down the Arabic lunch lane. Oh, the options you have when you’re thinking of having lunch! From the simplest meals to the most complicated ones,
lunch is considered the favorite meal for many many people.. especially Arabs. Contrary to popular belief… Arabic lunch is actually the main and bigger meal, unlike western cultures where dinner is the main and bigger meal. That being said, let’s put it aside and talk facts… when your stomach is hungry.. it’s hungry.
Breakfast, brunch, lunch, late lunch, early dinner, dinner, late dinner, snacks… we welcome delicious food all day long, all week long, and all year round! A traditional Arabic lunch usually consists of all macronutrients. It has a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat! A lot of the food is also packed with fibers. Meez overs a huge variety of classic and not-so-classic choices when it comes to Arabic lunch.
There’s a twist on traditional Arabic lunch on Meez’s plates and our tummies have been waiting for mouthwatering dishes like this forever. Let us tell you a bit about a few traditional lunch options we have, and the twist we’ve added to them!
(1) Koshari
Koshari Koshari Koshari.. oh Koshari you are so delicious! All the way from Egypt, Koshari is considered a street food that is very prominent in Egyptian culture. It is served in many ways.. and it is definitely and surely one of the absolute favorite Arabic lunch dishes there is! It is loved worldwide, especially among Arabs. Koshari is made of lentils, rice, pasta, a super yummy unique and juicy tomato sauce, adding Dugga (garlic, salt, cumin combination that is blended delicately together to create the perfect juicy dugga.. it is added to the koshari and perfectly balances it out) and it’s finished with a sprinkle of some fried crispy onions.. just amazing!
But we’ve added our own twist to just an ordinary Koshari plate.. at Meez we serve you Koshari balls.. so what’s the difference? We’ve added some deep-fried golden mozzarella balls that crunch in your mouth or explodes over that mix of deliciousness as you dig into it.. Giving that amazing and ordinary Koshari an extra layer of flavor and texture. This lunch can turn any bad or even ordinary day into a really really good and delicious one! We think we might’ve gotten a bit hungry just telling you about this.
(2) Halloumi & Chicken Pasta
Let us tell you about a dish that is a blend of so many different cultures and oh-so-delicious flavors! Meez’s Halloumi & chicken pasta! Pasta is a very widely loved dish worldwide, and not just a main dish.. it is often a side dish, and honestly, whatever the context of pasta is.. it makes everything better! And what goes perfectly with pasta? Cheese.. lots of it!
Halloumi cheese is a favorite for many people, it is served in many different ways, it can fly solo as grilled halloumi, top an oven-hot delicious Manouche, or it can also be added to dishes to add an exquisite flavor to them. Back to speaking about pasta being the main dish.. this halloumi & chicken pasta is beyond compare. Every ingredient is carefully crafted in this pasta we don’t even know who the main hero is anymore! It’s the perfect combo.
The pasta is soaked in a creamy AND cheesy (yes, both) pink sauce, topped with marinated juicy grilled to-perfection chicken, and finished with some grilled halloumi and roasted pine nuts! My oh my your tummy will be having a party with this dish.
(3) Eggplant Fatteh
Fatteh is a very diverse Middle Eastern dish that is served in many different ways depending on the country of origin. The idea is the same in most Fatteh.. it’s a multilayered dish that has crispy bread and many different combo mixes are available… it contains many flavorful items that may seem weird together, but they fit perfectly.
Let’s talk about Eggplant Fatteh… it’s made of fried eggplant, topped with a delicious tomato sauce, layered with chickpeas, and crunchy potato cubes, finished with crispy pita bread, sprinkled with fresh coriander, and topped with a garlic-y yogurt topping! So many things right? They go PERFECTLY together. This dish is an excellent choice if you’re craving something delicious, filling and vegetarian! If you’re a fan of Eggplant and Fatteh.. Meez’s Eggplant fatteh definitely will not disappoint!
Traditional Arabic Dinner
Dinner.. the most relaxing meal of the day! After a long day of working or studying, you deserve to reward yourself with an absolutely delightful meal. Traditional Arabic dinner and lunch items are a bit similar, you will probably have a lighter dinner than lunch, but this is a very personal preference… some people have dinner as their main meal vs lunch. But like Arabic lunch, Arabic dinner offers a wide array of choices that is insanely delicious!
(1) Stuffed Vine Leaves
Oh Stuffed Vine leaves! AKA Wara’ Enab.. Who can have enough of you? Fresh Cranberry vine leaves are hand-picked to make you the freshest and tastiest cranberry vine rolls! The leaves are stuffed with herbed rice with a special mix of flavors, and cooked to juicy perfection in zesty olive oil with the freshest squeeze of lemon, and our main hero… pomegranate mollases! It is the perfect savory and a bit tart dinner. And if you feel like mixing it up, you can always share your cranberry vine rolls and eat other things with it. What we do know is.. you need to try this if you haven’t already!
(2) Hummus Ribs/Smoked Capsicum
Hummus is a favorite in Arabic cuisine.. and so are ribs! So we decided to make a combo of Hummus and Ribs.. and the result was phenomenal! Pieces of perfectly marinated beef ribs slow cooked till soooo tender it falls right off and melts in your mouth, with a deliciously creamy tahini hummus, and smoked to perfection red pepper sauce. A truly delicious meal indeed, and it’s combined some of our favorite things into one plate!
(3) Shawerma
SHAWERMA! The absolute favorite of the entire world.. literally. We don’t think anyone has tried Shawerma and not fallen in love with it. But this isn’t your ordinary Shawerma. Introducing Meez’s Shawerma Robuchon.. Cutlets of spiced Beef Shawerma.. so juicy.
Both Dutch AND sweet potato roasted cubes, not an ordinary Tahini but a Harissa-Tahini paste that is SO delicious and of course, some hand crafted pickles! If you love Shawerma, you absolutely have to try this.. it is life-changing! If you’re not a Shawerma person (is there anyone who isn’t?) then this isn’t your best option.
Celebrate with us!!
Celebrate with us any occassion that you want to celebrate! Whoever comes to Meez on a special occassion knows how cheerful and welcoming the staff is and will help you turn a good day into a great one! If it’s your birthday or any of your loved one’s birthdays, we provide a warm welcome and a celebration with music and singing to the person. If it’s your anniversary and want to have some authentic delicious food and celebrate with your partner… we would love for you to join us!
What if you have nothing in specific to celebrate… we can still make you very happy! Meez’s famous Saturday brunch has all the good vibes you can get.. delicious brunch with a special menu, live performances and activities that are entertaining for all ages. Whether you’re coming with family or friends or both.. Meez brunch will amaze you. Let us show you what Meez Celebrations are made of… we can’t tell you enough about it. We’ll celebrate you with a warm welcome, delicious food, entertainment, and lovely vibes, even if there’s no occassion!
