Me Jana, part deux

We recently returned to Me Jana and wisely convinced a friend to join us so we didn't have to over-order for ourselves (again) to get the full experience. We only got 2 repeat dishes, and otherwise tried new things.

Kafta kebob - This mix of ground lamb and beef mixed with onion, parsley, and spices was molded into a sausage shape and cooked on the grill. It was OK.

Zucchini fritters - 2/3 of us really enjoyed the flavors in this wet, latke-like dish, made with zucchini, mint, scallions, egg whites, and Manchego cheese. The fritters would shine more and meet expectations if they were less wet, but if they are deep fried to a golden brown they'll likely just taste like fried (instead of mint).

Chicken shwarma - Again, these mini shwarma sandwiches, the meat tucked inside mini-pitas, was a huge winner. The fluffy accompaniment labeled "garlic whip" also won fans.

Lahem be ajeen - The pieces of this dish resembled pizza slices, so we called it the pizza. The pizza was baked pita topped with ground lamb, spices, and pomegranate molasses. Yes, I ordered it because it had the word "pomegranate." It was OK, but not wonderful.

Seared haloumi - J says this dish is too salty and too chewy, and I say, BRING IT ON, that's Haloumi cheese, baby! Grilled and tops with dates and pears, this dish is everything I'd want on an Aroma sandwich in Israel (or NY) and more.

Scallops - Light, not quite hot enough for my tastes, and an inoffensive but unmemorable sauce.

Salmon - I was asked if I wanted the salmon "well done," and said no, I want it how it would usually be cooked, which was "medium." We received salmon that was definitely overcooked, but it was fine. The result of overcooking it, for me, was that it seemed more like slightly-softer chicken, not light flaky fish, and the marinade of lemon and herbs was totally lost.

Arayes - I had this dish at Zaytinya, and J frowns when I order it--so sue me, I want to compare two dishes at restaurants with similar fare! I like it, it's basically what's in the kafta kebab (ground beef and lamb, parsley, onion, and spices) but pressed into a patty inside a pita.

The pita was still delicious, as was the labneh. Because J was with us I felt compelled to order more meat dishes, but in reality, the Arayes and the Chicken Shwarma are my favorite. But I could go meat-free there for sure and just eat 5 baskets of pita and order extra labneh.

Me Jana
2300 Clarendon Blvd
Metro: Orange Line to Court House