Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. Something you don't read about on my blog often. For a pretty simple reason: I don't really generally like this type of food. I don't like rice (unless in dessert!), I don't really eat much bread (unless breakfast baked goods} or desserts of course, I'm not carb adverse after all), I hate legumes, I don't really like yogurt or feta, etc, etc. So generally, just not for me. At all. I rarely even like their desserts.
So, the fact that I fell in love with Sababa, a casual Middle Eastern street food restaurant in San Francisco, is fairly amusing. It was catering even, never when any restaurant is at their finest.
I haven't visited the store in person, but the concept is build your own bowl (with hummus or rice base) or pita sandwiches, filled with falafel, shwarma, and the like. Not my thing. But we had Sababa catering at an event I was at. I tried a few bites mostly because I was bored, hungry, and, to be honest, a bit drunk the first time. I was stunned though.
A few months later, another event, again with Sababa catering. I was curious to see if the previous experience was just a fluke. It wasn't. No, it wasn't just random fickle behavior on my part, nor drunken behavior, I really truly like Sababa. I don't understand.
That first time, I wasn't taking notes nor photos. I did find some funny chat logs from that first night, which will have to suffice for real "reviews". Starting with, group chat with my friends at the office where it was held, "OMG, the open mic event has REALLY good food! Mediterranean. Amazing hummus. Fresh pita. Great sauces. Seriously, come try this." And, to another friend, "Open Mic night had REALLY good Mediterranean food, I have no idea where from, but holy crap it was good!"
That still sums it up for me. Holy crap it was good! So good, that I had to find out where it came from. Sababa was the answer.
I know Oren's Hummus is the most famous hummus shop in the Bay Area, but for me, there was no comparison. Oren's pita and hummus, and nearly everything else besides the sweet potato fries, did not impress me in any way (as you read in my review), whereas Sababa is something I'd gladly get again.
So, the fact that I fell in love with Sababa, a casual Middle Eastern street food restaurant in San Francisco, is fairly amusing. It was catering even, never when any restaurant is at their finest.
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| Delicious Feast! |
A few months later, another event, again with Sababa catering. I was curious to see if the previous experience was just a fluke. It wasn't. No, it wasn't just random fickle behavior on my part, nor drunken behavior, I really truly like Sababa. I don't understand.
That first time, I wasn't taking notes nor photos. I did find some funny chat logs from that first night, which will have to suffice for real "reviews". Starting with, group chat with my friends at the office where it was held, "OMG, the open mic event has REALLY good food! Mediterranean. Amazing hummus. Fresh pita. Great sauces. Seriously, come try this." And, to another friend, "Open Mic night had REALLY good Mediterranean food, I have no idea where from, but holy crap it was good!"
That still sums it up for me. Holy crap it was good! So good, that I had to find out where it came from. Sababa was the answer.
I know Oren's Hummus is the most famous hummus shop in the Bay Area, but for me, there was no comparison. Oren's pita and hummus, and nearly everything else besides the sweet potato fries, did not impress me in any way (as you read in my review), whereas Sababa is something I'd gladly get again.
Catering Package - $8 Per Person.
"Sababa's catering meals are served family style. Each meal includes hummus, your choice of three salads, pita bread, tahini and hot sauce."
At both events, we had build your own pita platters, with a selection of proteins and sides. The selection was different at both events, so I've been able to try much of the menu.
The first time I had Sababa, the salad picks were quinoa tabouli, moroccan carrot, and cauliflower. The second time, it was beets, Israeli salad, and cauliflower again.
What really sealed the deal for me on Sababa that first time was the sauces. No surprise there if you know me I suppose, but, I fell in love with their tahini and hot sauce (green Sababa hot sauce, made from serrano peppers, garlic, cilantro, and cardamom).
For some reason though, it wasn't included in our order the second time. I think this was a mistake, as all catering packages are supposed to come with it.
Later orders came with only tahini, which is good, but I missed the green sauce!
I don't normally go for bread, but, once I realized how good Sababa is, I went back and tried the pita.
The pita was soft and fluffy. Clearly fresh pita. Good dipped in the addicting green tahini or slathered with hummus. Certainly quality pita.
Much, much better than the pita I found boring at Oren's, although still not my favorite thing.
The hummus was ... glorious. Life changing. The first hummus I've probably ever actually liked. Really. I don't like hummus, ever. It tastes like chickpeas. I hate the taste of chickpeas. And yet. This. This was fantastic.
Each time the setup came with two proteins (eggplant and chicken the first, kofta and falafel the second), and the pita and hummus.
The first time I had Sababa, the salad picks were quinoa tabouli, moroccan carrot, and cauliflower. The second time, it was beets, Israeli salad, and cauliflower again.
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| Tahini. |
For some reason though, it wasn't included in our order the second time. I think this was a mistake, as all catering packages are supposed to come with it.
Later orders came with only tahini, which is good, but I missed the green sauce!
Base
At the restaurant, you have your choice of base, a rice bowl with spiced rice and lentils (and one salad), a hummus bowl (with three salads), or a pita sandwich (with classic Israeli salad, hummus, tahini, cabbage, pickles). Pita is their only non gluten-free item on the menu.
For our events, it was a DIY bar, with both hummus and pita offered, which of course, you could use in any way you wanted, not just as a pita sandwich or bowl base as they serve it. Both pita and hummus are also available as sides.
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| Pita. |
The pita was soft and fluffy. Clearly fresh pita. Good dipped in the addicting green tahini or slathered with hummus. Certainly quality pita.
Much, much better than the pita I found boring at Oren's, although still not my favorite thing.
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| Hummus. |
It was incredibly creamy and smooth. I know people say Oren's has the best hummus there is, and Oren's hummus was creamy, but this was something else entirely. I couldn't get over how fantastic the texture was.
And the flavor. It didn't taste like chickpeas to me, at all. It was rich and luxurious. Absolutely fantastic when combined with the tahini, or even alone.
I've had this several times now, and no, it was not a fluke, I truly adore it.
The falafel was the option I was most interested in, even though I'm not generally a huge fan of falafel. I've had some pretty bad falafel in SF, like the microwaved and spongy one at Baladie and the oily and flavorless one from Fresco Pizza & Shwarma, although Oasis Grill did a decent job.
Sababa did even better though.
The balls were a small size, and super crispy. Seriously crispy. They almost look over-fried, but I assure you, the crispy level is awesome. Good texture, good flavor, not too, uh, chickpea-y.
They also had a great kick of garlic in them, and a lot of herb influence, really, quite flavorful.
This was truly good falafel, and great when combined with the toppings.
"Ground Beef Kabab."
I didn't try the kofta as there were only 4 left and I wanted to be kind to others (and I wasn't sure if it was beef or lamb at the time). It turns out to be ground beef, and I'd love to try it sometime. I liked the looks of it, great sear on the outside.
"Chargrilled shawarma spice."
I don't like chicken, and this looked fairly dry, but, this was the chicken option.
"Dressed with yogurt cheese and Za'atar spice"
Eh, beets. Another thing I don't really like. I took one little chunk just to try it, only once I had discovered how good the other food was.
It was decent. The beets nicely cooked, soft but not mushy, the labne added a touch of creaminess, the Za'atar was generously applied.
But it was still cooked beets, and tangy labne, and not really for me.
"Chopped tomato, cucumber, & onion."
"Chopped tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and parsley dressed with lemon vinegrette."
The Israeli salad was fairly standard, tomato/cucumber/onion, but was fresh, juicy, and all same size cubes (good nice skills!) The lemon vinaigrette was bright and refreshing.
A good compliment to the thick, creamy, hummus.
"Pine nuts, celery, & serrano pepper."
"Sesame dressing, serrano pepper, and pine nuts."
I've had this several times now, and no, it was not a fluke, I truly adore it.
Proteins
Sababa offers 4 main proteins: falafel, chicken shawarma, ground beef kofta, and sabik (fried eggplant and egg). The chicken and beef are the only two non-vegetarian items on the entire menu.
"Fried chickpeas, herbs, & spices." |
| Falafel. |
The falafel was the option I was most interested in, even though I'm not generally a huge fan of falafel. I've had some pretty bad falafel in SF, like the microwaved and spongy one at Baladie and the oily and flavorless one from Fresco Pizza & Shwarma, although Oasis Grill did a decent job.
Sababa did even better though.
The balls were a small size, and super crispy. Seriously crispy. They almost look over-fried, but I assure you, the crispy level is awesome. Good texture, good flavor, not too, uh, chickpea-y.
They also had a great kick of garlic in them, and a lot of herb influence, really, quite flavorful.
This was truly good falafel, and great when combined with the toppings.
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| Beef Kofta. |
I didn't try the kofta as there were only 4 left and I wanted to be kind to others (and I wasn't sure if it was beef or lamb at the time). It turns out to be ground beef, and I'd love to try it sometime. I liked the looks of it, great sear on the outside.
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| Chicken. |
I don't like chicken, and this looked fairly dry, but, this was the chicken option.
Salads
Sababa makes 5 salads: Israeli salad, quinoa tabouli, moroccan carrot, roasted beets, and roasted cauliflower. I've had them all, over the two encounters.
The first time I encountered Sababa, it was the roasted cauliflower, smothered in tahini, that showed me how tasty this food was. It was really memorable, and is what made me try more items in the first place.
That first time, we also had the moroccan carrot salad, which I tried, but I don't remember anything about it.
I do know I was impressed with the quinoa tabouli though, it was really vibrant from the mint.
I was so surprised by it that I even commented over chat, "I even like the damn cous cous!" That counts as a review, right?
[ No Photo]
Morrocan Carrot
"Harissa spice, sheep's milk feta, orange, and cilantro."
That first time, we also had the moroccan carrot salad, which I tried, but I don't remember anything about it.
[ No Photo ]
Quinoa Tabouli.
"Picked red onion, kale, parsley, and mint dresssing"
I do know I was impressed with the quinoa tabouli though, it was really vibrant from the mint.
I was so surprised by it that I even commented over chat, "I even like the damn cous cous!" That counts as a review, right?
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| Roasted Beets. |
Eh, beets. Another thing I don't really like. I took one little chunk just to try it, only once I had discovered how good the other food was.
It was decent. The beets nicely cooked, soft but not mushy, the labne added a touch of creaminess, the Za'atar was generously applied.
But it was still cooked beets, and tangy labne, and not really for me.
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| Israeli Salad. |
"Chopped tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and parsley dressed with lemon vinegrette."
The Israeli salad was fairly standard, tomato/cucumber/onion, but was fresh, juicy, and all same size cubes (good nice skills!) The lemon vinaigrette was bright and refreshing.
A good compliment to the thick, creamy, hummus.
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| Roasted Cauliflower. |
"Sesame dressing, serrano pepper, and pine nuts."
The roasted cauliflower was the first thing I tried, and liked, that first time. I don't even really like cooked cauliflower that much, but I remember taking a really charred piece, and mostly some celery and sauce, and hoping for the best.
The flavors blew me away. It was all about the sesame based sauce. Creamy and really flavorful. The cauliflower, like everything else, was well cooked, not too soggy or mushy, not al dente. Just, done right. The celery added freshness and crunch. It had a touch of heat. All awesome.
And ... it had pine nuts. I didn't realize it until I had take my second bite, impressed, and looked closer to investigate more. Uh-oh. Pine nuts.
I ... don't eat pine nuts. There are only two things (besides things I'm allergic to) that I will not eat: pine nuts and rabbits. Rabbits because I had too many pet bunnies to bring myself to do this. Pine nuts, because I experienced pine nut syndrome a couple years ago, and it ruined my life for nearly a week. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go look it up on Google. I promise it is real, and it was more horrible than I ever could have imagined. I have not been willing to eat pine nuts, no matter what that means not trying, no matter where I am, ever since. I can't say I planned to *never* have pine nuts again in my whole life, but I was prepared to go another 10 years easily. And then this happened. My extreme fear of pine nuts at this point meant that not only would I not eat pine nuts, I certainly wouldn't touch anything that had touched them.
I was fairly deer in headlights once I realized what had gone down, and also, that I had more on my plate, mixed with everything else, and there were pine nuts everywhere.
Once I gained my composure, I tried another few bites of the hummus and tahini, things that weren't touching anywhere near the cauliflower. It was so good.
I caved. I didn't eat any pine nuts, carefully picking around them, but, I did eat this dish, and it obviously was "contaminated" with the pine nuts.
The second time I got Sababa, I hesitated, and then got it again, still avoiding the pine nuts, but, yeah. I love how well roasted and smoky the cauliflower is. They managed to make cauliflower interesting.
I was willing to risk pine nuts.
Once I gained my composure, I tried another few bites of the hummus and tahini, things that weren't touching anywhere near the cauliflower. It was so good.
I caved. I didn't eat any pine nuts, carefully picking around them, but, I did eat this dish, and it obviously was "contaminated" with the pine nuts.
The second time I got Sababa, I hesitated, and then got it again, still avoiding the pine nuts, but, yeah. I love how well roasted and smoky the cauliflower is. They managed to make cauliflower interesting.
I was willing to risk pine nuts.