Jannah

I really wanted to like this restaurant more than I actually do, mostly due to my opposition to the Iraq War and my share of collective guilt at the botched job. Any Iraqi wanting to make a life for himself and his family in America should get some help from the community and I wanted to do my part. I've done my part three times now and suspect I do not particularly like the cuisine of Iraq, although lamb is a favorite meat of mine.

A+ for the pita and hummus. This  version of the Middle Eastern garbanzo bean dip was loaded with flavor and the grassy taste of the olive oil as well as the ground sumac only added to that.

 

Another winner comes forth in the form of  tabouleh. This refreshing salad of couscous, parsley and tomatoes  was bright and refreshing. The added mint was a good idea.

 

The bread and pita were warm; the dipping sauce, not so good. The lamb with an onion yogurt sauce was served with a good rice pilaf, but the lamb cut was boney, with little meat. Even a sprig if parsley or a spoonful of tabouleh would have worked wonders to give the plate some vibrancy. Visually it was so very unappealing, the taste became secondary. My partner in crime offered me a taste, but after my experience with yogurt sauce on lamb at Ziryab, I was gun shy. Next on the list of small disappointments was the dessert made with a rosewater flavored recipe similar to panna cotta. The chocolate sauce didn't work well with the rosewater. It would have been better if they had just sprinkled the pistachios on top and left it at that.

My love of lamb was definitely satisfied with the lamb kabab. Jannah served a portion of meat that was generous. It had a faint marinade flavor that was subtle and allowed the lamb to take a step forward in this dish. Again the portion of vegetables was generous and mercifully not overcooked, but they lacked seasoning. I'm still not certain what the item on the right of the photo was. It seemed like there was too much for it to be a sauce, but it was not substantial enough to be anything else.

 

As tempting as it might seem, don't try the beer, please. Even an amateur can describe this beer as being awful. Italian Peroni is a bad beer, but next to Almaza it shines. The chicken dish wrapped in phyllo sounded very appealing since, unlike Moroccan bastilla, it was being served with an apricot sauce. Unfortunately, because it was made with chicken, almonds, rice, phyllo, cinnamon and powdered sugar, the comparison with bastilla is certainly going to be made. That's the problem, because it doesn't compare favorably. When the first bite went into my mouth, it seemed to be lacking both powdered sugar and cinnamon. As one looks at the photos, they are clearly present, but in such small proportion, they were imperceptible. The filling would have been so much better if cinnamon was added to it, but again, it could not be tasted. If the fruit sauce were even the slightest bit sweet, the lack of powdered sugar wouldn't have been an issue, but it was tart without any sweetness. There was great potential in that dish, but it went unfulfilled. Maybe I'll go back for the lamb. On several occasions, it's been said that their Middle Eastern version of pizza is excellent. I'm willing to try that too.

Jannah's Menu

1775 Fulton St San Francisco CA 94117 (415) 567-4400 Hours: Mon-Thu: 5pm-9pm             Fri-Sun: 5pm-10pm