Loomi

«Loomi» is named after dried black lime — a spice without which no self-respecting Middle Eastern dish is complete. The chef here is Mohamed Alama from Egypt, who has brought together the culinary traditions of Syria, Egypt, Lebanon and Morocco in the menu, adding notes of the Caucasus and Central Asia. An open kitchen with a charcoal grill and a wood-fired oven turns out halal meat, kebabs and fish. Among the mezze, worth trying are baba ganoush, labneh, matbucha, muhammara and moutabal, along with several types of hummus and tabbouleh with basturma. Also worth special attention are the mini chebureki with lamb or shrimp, and the tagine with chicken, saffron and loomi. A cook from Uzbekistan is in charge of the lagman here — the noodles are pulled and beaten by hand on the spot. He also prepares the plov and shapes the manti individually for each order. Eastern sweets are handled by a Turkish master with twenty-five years of experience: the baklava comes in several varieties, juicy and honeyed, but not overly sweet. «Loomi» is a two-minute walk from Lubyanka and Kuznetsky Most metro stations, at 8/10 Neglinnaya Street. The average check runs from 3,000 to 6,000 rubles.