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By Jessyka Heredia
June 17, 2024 (El Cajon)
Middle Eastern cuisine has many regions that share similarities with readily available ingredients to the region and yet still have distinct differences in preparation. Tarbosh in El Cajon has brought their owner’s family recipes, which are delightfully light with generous portions that are sure to satisfy the whole family.
Tarbosh is a felt headdress in the shape of a short, cylindrical, truncated no brim hat, usually red, typically with a black tassel attached to the top. It is also known as Fez.
At Tarbosh, the first thing I noticed was the atmosphere. I arrived at lunch mid-week to find the restaurant bustling with hungry families who gathered around to enjoy a feast together. Large parties are no problem here but call-in advance to give staff time to get your table ready.
My guest and I started with the Appetizer Plate for only $19.99 where we were able to pick five different appetizers from the menu.
First, We had beautiful bright green stuffed olives. These olives had a nice buttery texture and a very fresh taste that was not bitter.
Next, we had a wonderful Yogurt Cucumber salad that had a very nice crunch from the diced cucumbers and a delicious creamy texture from the yogurt and drizzle of olive oil. This was delicious all by itself, but I loved it so much I dipped many things into it such as Pita bread or meats. This reminded me very much of Greek Tzatziki.
The Baba Ghannouj was out of this world. This dish incorporated chopped roasted eggplant, garlic and tahini. The texture was much like cottage cheese and the flavors were fresh and the most flavorful of the appetizers. I prefer this with pita bread.
Tabboleh salad is a common Iraqi salad with lots of fresh parsley, mint, tomato and spices is such a light dish, I found myself mixing this with the Yogurt Cucumber salad as well as mixing with meat. It’s also delicious on its own.
The last item on the Appetizer Plate was the Fattoush. When I asked the owner Ryan Najjar to tell us about the salad, he told us it is their version of a Caesar salad. It had a light vinaigrette dressing, crunchy romaine lettuce and crispy pita chips. It was simple yet a fantastic treat with the dressing and added crunch.
Next, we tried Tarbosh’s yellow lentil soup. Im a huge fan of lentils and this soup was wonderful with its smooth creamy texture. This soup came with a lemon slice and a dash of paprika. I highly recommend squeezing that into your soup. It really brightens it up and the citrus gives it a nice acidity to balance the heaviness of the lentils.
Shawarma is a popular street food in Iraq. Tarbosh has several versions; mine was served wrapped in Sag bread, which is a very thin dough that resembles the Mexican tortilla. The Shawarma is then coated with a garlic creamy sauce and stuffed with delicious chopped, moist chicken and some very tasty pickles. The Shawarma is then rolled up like a burrito and grilled on both sides. At Tarbosh they cut the Shawarma into handheld sizes, perfect for sharing. This dish, the Shawarma special, was served with a heaping pile of French fries and pickled cabbage, cauliflower and pickles. This dish Shawarma plate was a very generous portion for only $9.99.
Now I couldn’t leave Tarbosh without at least trying the Kabobs, so my guest and I shared a skewer of their beef kabob and a beef Tikka skewer. Both were delicious with very different textures and tastes. The Skewer was more of a ground meat that was fused together into bite size chunks that easily tear apart from each other. The Tikka was more of a steak consistency with a little char and juicy thick pieces. I recommend both dipped in the Yogurt Cucumber salad. The beef Kabob was $3.99, and the Beef Tikka was $9.99.
Tarbosh has a wide variety of pastries they offer such as Sausage Pastry, Pizza, and several meat varieties. They also have a chocolate fountain and a few chocolate and Nutella desserts to choose from.
Overall, all of the food was delicious. When you come here, I recommend you bring a group of friends or family and try things to share. Take your time to savor this experience in courses to truly appreciate the fresh, healthy and almost celebrated feast amongst friends.
Bis Sah’ha! This is a popular Iraqi saying before a meal meaning “with health”.
Tarbosh is located at 1142 East Main Street El Cajon, Ca. 92021
Phone (619) 312-0427
To see the full menu and even order online, visit their website at https://tarbosh.us/
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