Restaurant Review #2: A NYC Gem... and by Gem, I Mean Falafel Ball

Name: Mamoun's Falafel Restaurant

Location: Two locations in New York, NY, and one in New Haven, CT

Prices: Pocket Change

Food: Looking for the perfect place to snack in the city for a reasonable price? Well, you've come to the right place. Vegans, you're gonna love this!

Anyone who lives/visits New York City knows that finding reasonably-priced food can be near impossible. However, this statement does hold some falseness when one visits St. Marks Place. This area of New York City, along with Chinatown, contains the thousands of students attending New York University, pseudo-hipsters, and artsiest of the artsy, looking to put their dollar to the best use. Not only do they wish to fill their stomachs with something cheap, but also with something delicious. No duh there. This location is where I was taken one late winter night around a year and a half ago for falafel. Since then, I've been back two more times, and plan an infinite number of returns.

St. Marks Place's Mamoun's, from the outside, is just a small hole-in-the-wall dive. Outside are a few tables, and inside, there are even less. To give you an estimate, there are only three or four inside. To the side, there is a wooden bar, where a few bottles of hot sauce (we'll cover this later), a napkin dispenser, and a straw dispenser are positioned. Then there's the counter. Simple layout, nothing special.

However, what the joint lacks in pizazz, it makes up for tenfold in edible wares. I ordered the falafel, the restaurant's specialty, something that was recommended to me by my boyfriend, Michael, who is just as into exploring the culinary world as I am. For those of you who are unaware of what falafel is, it is a mixture of ground-up chickpeas, garlic, onions, and spices, which is then rolled into bite-sized balls and deep-fried until golden and crispy on the outside, and hot and fluffy on the inside.

After paying the equivalent of my usual spendings in the arcade (for Dance Dance Revolution) on the falafel (which is not very much, considering my lack of desire to be physically active), around $3, it was handed to me, in all its golden-delicious glory. The falafel were stuffed inside of a warm, fluffy pita, and was nestled safely under a bed of chopped lettuce, tomato, and onion, followed by a healthy drizzle of tahini-based sauce, a cool, creamy, sesame-based condiment used often in Middle-Eastern foods. It was the perfect package: crispy falafel, with the fresh crispness of the veggies, and creamy tahini sauce, all bundled up in a warm pita and wrapped up in parchment paper. Sweeeet...

First bite: like heaven~

I even invested an extra dollar (yes, one dollar) for a healthy cup of mango juice. You can choose between mango and tamarind if water or soda isn't your forte.

Now, for the kicker of my visit. Quite literally. Remember the bottles of hot sauce I mentioned earlier? Well, when you come to Mamoun's, there will only be one or two of those bottles out for customer use. Hefty bottles, too, and I have a good feeling that's all they go through on a regular business day. This hot sauce is, by far, unlike anything I've ever experienced, and can vary from 'not too bad' to 'blistering my lips and tongue for over an hour.' USE SPARINGLY IF YOU HAVE VERY LITTLE EXPOSURE TO SPICY FOODS. Here's how it goes: you have one bottle of hot sauce, which isn't entirely liquid. At the bottom of the bottle are the atomic bits of pepper, as well as the seeds of it. The lower your serving you used is in the bottle, the hotter it'll be. Don't try shaking it, because the bottles are, plain and simple, somewhat flimsy-looking. The last thing you want is to possibly burn a hole in your clothing. Or your skin. Mamoun's also sells bottles of the hot sauce to bring home for $3.50 a piece, just in case you miss the burn once you return home. I bought my own mother a bottle, and she hasn't opened it. She says she's waiting until she eats falafel again, but I just think it's because she's a bit scared from her own experience.

Apart from the falafel, Mamoun's carries various other Middle-Eastern specialties that are sure to be a delight to your tastebuds, such as hummus, a puree also made from chickpeas; or tabouleh, a salad-like dish made with bulgur wheat, mint, and chopped tomatoes. If you feel more carnivorous on your day, I recommend the shawarma, or rotisserie lamb. It has won critical acclaim for being some of the best in all the city, and of course, being matched with incredibly low prices. There are also the combo platters, where you can mix and match to your heart's desire. Or rather, to the limits the menu item gives you.

While eating at Mamoun's, and especially while waiting in line, I let my eyes wander over the walls, where various news articles and reviews were posted for the public to read. Best Falafel by the New York Press: Best of Manhattan, #81 out of 6718 restaurants in NYC by TripAdvisor (damn...), as well as a listing in the book 1000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz (2003). Yet again, I am amazed at how something so simple can win the hearts of so many people. It makes me feel all warm (and hungry) inside that people can still learn to appreciate the basics of life, and the treasures that a dollar can possible get you. For more information on Mamoun's Falafel Restaurant, you can visit their website, mamouns.com, visit them at one of their three locations, or call them at the following numbers:

212-674-8685 (119 MacDougal, New York, NY 10012)

212-387-7747 (22 St. Marks Place, New York, NY 10003)

203-562-8444 (85 Howe St., New Haven, CT 06511)

Peace, love, and chocolate

Kayla~