Krieger, 10/06/08
The somewhat bizarre restaurant you see in front of you is Midtown East's newest Lebanese experiment Naya. Designed by the architecture group SOMA and owned by 27 year-old chef Hady Kfoury, the place soft opened last night and holds its first media preview tonight. The look here is definitely something else, almost a toned down and colorless Kurve with a large open kitchen veiled by a set of brown blinds. But we have to say it looks better than we thought it would, given the renderings. As for the food, Kfoury is a relative newcomer, so we'll have to wait on the early reports for a verdict. However, the pricepoint is welcome for those scaling back. Entrees hover in the high teens and they have a mini tasting for $28. More reading here and the full menu ahead.
Salads & Soups
Tabboulé 7
Parsley, Bulgur Wheat, Tomato, Onion, Mint, Lemon, Olive Oil
Fattoush 7
Romaine, Parsley, Arugula, Mint, Tomato, Cucumber, Radish, Green Peppers,
Toasted Pita, Sumac, Lemon-Vinegar-Olive Oil
Feta 7
Diced Tomato with Feta Cheese Topped with Zaatar & Olive Oil
Lentil Soup 6
Red Lentil Beans with Sautéed Onions & Seasoned with Cumin
Mezze Vegetarian
Hommus 6
Chick Pea Purée, Lebanese Tahini, Lemon & Olive Oil
Baba Ghannouj 7
Roasted Eggplant Purée, Lebanese Tahini, Lemon & Olive Oil
Fassoulia 6
Red Beans with Lemon, Garlic & Olive Oil
Halloumi 7
Pan-Seared Halloumi Cheese Seasoned with Pomegranate Sauce, Tomato & Olives
Eggplant-Squash 7
Duo of Eggplant & Squash Stuffed with Parsley, Rice, Onion, Tomato, Red Pepper & Walnut
Eggplant-Tomato 7
Slices of Eggplant topped with Spicy Tomato & Olive Oil
Rkakat 7
Blend of 3 Cheeses, Wrapped in Phyllo, Deep Fried
Grape Leaves 7
Parsley, Onion, Tomato, Rice, Spices, Wrapped in Grape Leaves
Falafel 6
Ground Fava Beans, Chick Peas, Parsley, Onion, Coriander Served with Vegetables & Tahini Sauce
Labné 6
Strained Yoghurt, Dry Mint & Olive Oil
Loubié 7
French Beans sautéed with Tomato, Garlic & Olive Oil
Batata Harra 6
Spicy Sautéed Cubes of Potatoes with Fresh Coriander
Moudardara 6
Green Lentils, Rice & Red Onions
Mezze Meat & Shrimp
Kibbé Trio 8
Trio of Beef Dumplings Stuffed with Minced Beef, Eggplant & Cumin
Makanek 8
Fresh Lebanese Sausage Sautéed with Olive Oil & Lemon
Spicy Shrimp 8
Sautéed Shrimp with Garlic & a Spicy Home-Made Red Sauce
Lahm bi Ajin 7
Baked Dough Topped with Beef, Tomato, Onion & Pine Kernels
Kibbé Naya 10
Lebanese-style Steak Tartar with Bulgur, Onion and Mint
Entrees
Entrées from the Grill are served with rice, sumac onions, parsley and grilled tomato
Beef Shawarma 19
Strips of Marinated Beef Roasted on a Skewer & Served with Tahini Sauce
Chicken Shawarma 17
Strips of Marinated Chicken Roasted on a Skewer & Served with Garlic Sauce
Beef Kebab 19
Cubes of Marinated Tenderloin of Beef
Kafta Kebab 18
Seasoned Ground Beef and Lamb with Onion, Parsley & Mint
Chicken Shish Taouk 17
Breast of Chicken Marinated in Garlic & Lemon
Mixed Grill 27
Combination of Chicken Shish Taouk, Beef Kebab & Kafta
Samké Harra 22
Marinated Fresh Striped Bass, Topped with Spicy Tahini, Walnuts, Garlic & Cilantro Sauce
Samké Mechwiyé 22
Grilled Fresh Striped Bass
Side Dishes
Cabbage Salad 4
Shredded Cabbage Leaves, Lemon, Garlic & Olive Oil
Yogurt-Cucumber 4
Diced Cucumber with Homemade Yogurt, Mint & Garlic
Kabis 4
Combination of Pickled Turnips, Olives & Wild Cucumber
Lebanese rice 4
French Fries 4
Prix Fixe
NAYA’s Mini Tasting 28
Choice of 3 Mini Mezze: Tabboulé, Lentil Soup, Hommus, Baba Ghannouj, Grape Leaves
Labné, Loubié, Moudardara
Choice of Entrée: Beef or Chicken Shawarma, Beef Kebab, Kafta Kebab or Chicken Shish Taouk
Dessert
Ashta 6
Traditional Lebanese Sweet Cheese, Topped with Banana & Warm Syrup
Essmalia 7
Mouhallabié 5
Lebanese Milk Pudding Flavored with Orange Blossom Water
Khechef Dry Fruit Salad 8
Macerated Dried Fruit Salad of Apricots, Raisins & AlmondsFor more stories from Eater, go to eater.com.
