My friend Sara gets credit for telling me about Taboon 773 Tenth Avenue, New York, NY 10019, a great option for brunch, but not your average Eggs Benedict and Banana Pancakes brunch. The chef is Israeli and draws inspiration mainly from his origins but takes bits and pieces from surrounding countries as well. Pete and Lon both started with mint tea, which came in a beautiful pot, and smelled wonderful. We were not surprised to find whole tea leaves in the pot; it could not have been mistaken for tea bags. My coffee was acceptable but completely forgettable.
We ordered Hummus to share, a deliciously soothing bowl. A good hummus is so soft and creamy, feeling light against the tongue, and all the flavors blend together seamlessly. This was exactly that. The tender chickpeas, an orange colored oil, tahini, and herbs gave it wonderful look.
Warm, oven fresh bread is perfect for dipping. The thicker, puffier parts are better.
Taboon, which means “oven” in Arabic, has a whole sections called “Boards”, flatbread based dishes served on the individual peels. All three of us were enticed by these, especially after seeing a few being served at nearby tables.
It was a bit odd that Pete’s Sambusak was served first, a feta and brown egg (hard-boiled egg) stuffed bread. I didn’t dislike it, but I wasn’t that interested in it either. The feta is mostly on one side making that side nice and moist. The brown egg is put on the other side, making that side a bite dryer.
Later, my dish arrived, closely followed by Lon’s. I ordered the Eggs Taboon, sort of a make-your-own breakfast pizza. You choose two toppings (and pay for extras) to top the flatbread, which is then topped by perfectly runny eggs. I chose Merguez sausage, oven roasted tomatoes, and mozzarella, making it even more pizza-like I guess. All the ingredients were top notch and it was delicious.
Lon ordered the Lachma B’ajoon, a flatbread covered with spiced ground lamb, tahini, and aromatic toasted pine nuts. He added the Merquez, making it even more decadent but worth the comfort.
The three of us were pretty happy with the meal. The service was good. It’s a well lit, clean and comfortable atmosphere. They have clean bathrooms (a must for my need to drink coffee at brunch). The roughly $21 per person (including tax and tip) is well deserved. Plus, we ordered an extra dish to share so you could easily get away with a little less, but I think you’ll want to share that hummus.
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i’m not sure how i feel about this cuisine for brunch, but i certainly wouldn’t turn it down. middle eastern food is always welcome in my belly.
Brunch, breakfast or lunch, we’d eat this. It all sounds great. The flatbreads are the best part.
Yay! I’m glad you tried Taboon and liked it. It is now one of my favorite brunch places. I would also highly recommend the Sabeech.
EVERYTHING looks so good!
Oooh doesn’t everything look so delicious! This is my kind of meal! Lucky you!
Dang that looks so tasty
That looks so good. The only problem is that I don’t think I could make something like this!