Dining According to Karen: Review: Kan Zaman

Always looking for a new place to eat, Kan Zaman was highly recommended to me by another foodie, Grant Shindo. This new Moroccan/Lebanese restaurant is unique as there are not many middle eastern restaurants in Hawaii. To date, I've had lunch here twice with plans to return a third time very soon.

On my first visit, a coworker and I took the short walk from our office to Nuuanu Avenue, which is sort of the dividing line between Downtown Honolulu and Chinatown. We were greeted warmly by a handsome waiter and invited to seat ourselves at any open table, so we chose a table for two by the window. I was immediately impressed by this new establishment that used to house Krung Thai Restaurant. It is an amazing transformation, as the former occupant was a no-frills, cafeteria-style place with a few tables inside and a covered deck outside with additional seating. Fortunately, Kan Zaman kept the outside deck so customers can dine al-fresco if they choose. For those familiar with the former occupant, you no longer have to bus your own table or scrape your plate over the garbage bin before piling your dirty dishes in the bus tray.

My coworker and I shared a Moroccan Salad ($7.95) comprised of mixed greens, orange slices, cucumber slices, and radish slices drizzled with a light house-made honey/orange blossom dressing. I ordered the Lamb Tajine ($18.95) which was a tender lamb shank with a delicious white bean gravy. The meat fell off the bone as I poked it apart with my fork. The only thing that would have made my lunch complete was some warm pita bread. My coworker ordered Kofta ($10.95) which is a sandwich comprised of ground beef seasoned just right, cheese, grilled onions, and smoked paprika oil in a baguette pressed panini-style. Her sandwich was heavenly and I made a note to order Kofta during my next visit. For dessert, we ordered Katayef ($4.95), a small banana pancake with floral-infused cream and honey. We also ordered Baklava ($3.50) which I enjoyed much more than the Katayef. For the price, the two slices of Baklava covered with fresh nuts was also a better deal.

On my second visit to Kan Zaman, I ordered Falafels from the Mezza selections as an appetizer ($6.50) but received the full lunch order instead ($8.95). The full order included 6 small falafels on a large warmed pita and a small green salad. Since there was a mix up with my order, the restaurant only charged me the side-order price. My lunch companion was running late so she told me to order for both of us. I ordered Kofta (of course!) and Merguez ($11.95) sandwiches to share. Merguez is a lamb sausage sandwich pressed in a baguette with cheese and served with fries. (Grant recommended this sandwich and told me to ask for some garlic dipping sauce for the fries.) The 3 dishes ended up being too much for my lunch companion and me to finish and we both took home leftovers.

I highly recommend trying the Moroccan Mint Tea. A pot of hot tea is $6 while a glass of iced tea is $3. The sweetened tea is infused with orange blossom water and fresh mint. I normally don't like floral waters in my food, but I found the orange blossom water to be the exception.

Finally, a waiter offered us a few drops of orange blossom water to refresh our hands after we were done with our lunch. I'm usually sensitive to perfumes but I didn't have an allergic reaction to this natural scent. It must have looked weird as I walked back to my office sniffing the palm of my hands!

Update: I went back today for my third visit, this time with my husband. I ordered the Lamb Kebob ($9.95) which included a generous amount of gyro lamb slices on a large warm pita with a layer of hummus, topped with feta, olives and a light sauce. My dish included a side of fresh greens with house-made dressing. My husband was eager to try the Merguez after hearing how much Grant likes this sandwich. He didnt believe me when I suggested that we should share it and I now have half of his sandwich in my fridge.

We tried to order Baklava for dessert, but they were out. However, the waitress suggested a new item, Cheesecake with warm date sauce ($7). The slice was a little small for the price, but the cheesecake was delicious, especially the date sauce! The waitress told us that a customer created the cheesecake just for Kan Zaman after tasting their dishes. She was inspired by the orange blossom flavor. My husband encouraged the friendly chef to keep the cheesecake on the menu. We both feel it was the highlight of our lunch.

Kan Zaman

1028 Nuuanu Avenue

Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Phone: (808) 554-3847

www.kanzamanhawaii.com