Zefki Levantine Food With a Modern Essence

As you step into Zefki on the mezzanine floor of Tower One on Sheikh Zayed Road, you enter a huge sunlit venue that takes up the entire floor; with industrial style white high ceilings, white floors, solid wood tables, and cozy enclaves of seating nestled in the nooks of the walls as well as regular table seating. The décor is a blend of Moroccan, Turkish, and Arabic, and we met with Enna Zunic, the restaurant manager who explained that Chef Mohamad Derbashas been really innovative in creating a twist on some of the most revered dishes from the cooking style, to the ingredients, and the plating.

First we tucked into homemade bread along with a really homey mushroom soup. We enjoyed the fresh flavors of the Rocca salad with boiled beetroot, grilled marinated chicken slices, and avocado with the rocket, and it was the chicken actually gave it a heightened taste.

We had not one, but three different kids of labneh-chili, zaatar, and classic. And the Zefki falafel-stuffed with a mix of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, topped with tahini and tomato sauce had a center that was a melt-in-your-mouth yumminess of the two kinds of cheese.

The kibbeh-beef fried bulgur stuffed with mince and onion, served with tahini sauce, made the mark. The hummus was also creatively innovated with three differentkinds-classic, avocado, and beetroot.

Our mains included Sojuk-a dish from the Pottery section of the menu whereby the dish is cooked twice, once pan fried and then baked with dough on top so the baked bread becomes a lid and eaten with the stew. This was spicy Turkish sausages in a rich gravy of pomegranate molasses, onions, garlic, and potatoes. Iskender—one of my favorite Turkish dishes-had roasted shawarma meat, pieces of roasted pide bread, topped with a garlicky yogurt tomato sauce. The twist was the garnishing of cashews, almond slivers, and peanuts.

Mixed grill is always a treat with juicy lamb chops, lamb kofta, sheesh tawook, served on Arabic bread and chili paste, with hummus on an elevated wooden plank. Ena also explained that they will be creating unique one meter long kebabs, made on special order request which is super convenient fora house of guests.

My favorite from the clay pot dishes was the shrimp machboos-spicy rice with herbs and lots of grilled shrimp, served with a chunky tomato sauce. Coban Kavurma was another pottery dish with pan-fried beef tenderloin and vegetables, then baked in a clay pot under a coating of bread.

The sweet treats are also out-of-the-box-we indulged in Nutella pide with strawberries that were freshly baked and smothered with this heavenly spread. The Turkish baklava with vanilla ice-cream was rich and nutty. And finally, the king of all desserts-Um Ali-oven baked puff pastry, loaded with nuts amidst a sweetened milk reduction, was perfectly balanced in its sweetness.

The Verdict: Check out Zefki if you love MiddleEastern cuisine but want something out-of-the-box, yet delicious at the same time.

Instagram – @zefki.ae