Fortunately, there were tables available on the patio where we enjoyed the nice weather.
We love Mediterranean food so it was difficult to decide what to order. I ended up ordering the Aladdin Meza Platter ($26) to share with my husband since the waiter said it was enough to feed two. There was actually enough food for three people since the dish included slices of chicken and lamb shawerma, three big falafels, koufta, three dolmas, hummus, tabouleh salad, baba ghanoush, mixed pickles, garlic sauce, and a generous portion of pita bread. Everything was made from scratch and I loved everything with the exception of the koufta, which was a bit oily.
Daughter #1 ordered the Chicken Tika Kebabs ($19) and Daughter #2 ordered the Shrimp Kebabs (I think it was $22). Both orders came with basmati rice, hummus, Lebanese salad, garlic sauce, and pita bread. Daughter #1's friend ordered the Vegetarian Byrani ($11.50) with tomato, cucumbers, onion, mushrooms, squash, pepper, carrots, peas, green beans and almond slivers. He noted that there was no "centerpiece item" to replace the meat so this dish would have been better as a side dish rather than an entrée. I did notice that his meal seemed small, especially compared to mine. We shared some of our food with him and he agreed that the falafel from my Meza Platter was superb.
In addition, Daughter #1 ordered the Jallab, which is a cold beverage made with a dark syrup and topped with pine nuts. My husband felt adventurous and ordered one, too. I tasted his Jallab and detected rosewater, which I don't care for. Although my well-traveled daughter enjoyed her sweet cool drink, my husband and I agreed that it was an acquired taste.
When we placed our order, the waiter advised us that the kitchen was busy filling the order of a large party so we would have to wait at least 20 minutes for our food. That gave me time to check out Trader Joe's across the street, which we don't have in Hawaii. Daughter #2 and I walked over to buy a few items as gifts to take home and returned just in time for our meal. Unfortunately, everyone was already eating when we returned to the table so I was only able to get a photo of my dish.
Overall, the service was good and the food was presented very nicely. The only caveat was the fact that the waiter added an 18 percent tip to the bill without notifying me first. We were only a party of five so I thought it was unusual since adding the tip to the bill is usually only done for large parties in most restaurants.
Would I eat there the next time I'm in San Diego? Most definitely, but I would make sure to check whether or not the tip was already added to the bill before paying.
Aladdin Restaurant
Hillcrest Shopping Plaza
3900 Vermont Street
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 574-1111
http://aladdinsd.com
Aladdin Meza Platter
(There was so much food that I had to angle my iPhone to take the photo.)
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