The ethnically diverse food scene is always a draw for me to take the three plus-hour road trip down to Portland.
This time, I wanted to try out this highly rated Lebanese and Syrian restaurant called Karam.
Top L: gyro salad — Top R: kafta
We went with a very big group, and were the only people at the restaurant — that got me worried a bit.
Slowly people trickled in, and next thing we knew, by the midst of our dinner, the restaurant was packed.
It was also a very good sign that most patrons were of arabic decent, we definitely went to the right place.
There were many interesting dishes that I wanted to try.
Appetizers such as Fataya, a pastry dough wrapped beef, tomatoes and onions; Kibbee balls, bulgar wheat with roast beef and pine nuts, and entrée such as goat casserole; Kibbee Saneeyeh, a layer of bulgar wheat, ground beef and spices, similar to the one at Sunset Gyro; and Molohkie, rice and bread with lamb, molohkie plant (jute family) and spinach.
Of course, two other Middle Eastern staples that I always like to try different restaurants’ interpretations: ful mudamas, cooked fava beans with garlic and spices; and kafta, ground beef with onions and spices, and shaped like sausages.
Just as most Mediterranean restaurants, Karam’s portions were amazingly generous.
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