Love and falafel

My computer contains a review of Harmonie Garden going back to when Desiree Cooper was editor of the Metro Times — and that was Harmonie Garden III. Owner Taher Jaber has opened and closed five iterations of his Middle Eastern restaurant in five locations. What makes him think No. 6, open since November, will survive?

Low prices, huge servings, a Wayne State location, top-notch falafel — and a 10-year lease.

Wayne State grad Jaber, born in Damascus, is the falafel king, with a factory in Eastern Market that supplies Middle Eastern markets and, soon, Whole Foods. The Harmonie Garden staff wears T-shirts that say "Falafel, I / you."

Not every dish at Harmonie Garden is the most sublime Middle Eastern food I've ever eaten, but some are outstanding, and the food is certainly tasty and a great value when all aspects are considered: quality, quantity, price, friendly service. My party of two spent $30 and left with four Styrofoam boxes.

The vegetarian-friendly menu is long and comprehensive. Falafel gets its own section, including a "Flobby Joe" served with chili. Falafel stir-fry, fala-melt, falafel with Parmesan, falamankoush (za'ater pie stuffed with veggies and falafel), barbecue falafel — there's no reason to restrict yourself to the simple $3.50 falafel pita (except a reasonable skepticism about some of the aforementioned).

I tried Arabi Falafel for $5, a big pita stuffed with our favorite plus veggies and fava bean sauce. The pita was crisp and warm, the tomato and lettuce welcome, the mild falafel bright green on the inside (that's the parsley) and toasty brown without.

What stood out even more, though, were bamya, a sojouk sandwich, kibbeh, beef stew, and a Sharif spinach salad.

Bamya is okra stewed with peppers and onions and served with salad, rice and mujadra (lentils cooked with wheat and topped with caramelized onions) for $7.50. It's rich and satisfying, spicy in a complex and interesting way from the Syrian spice mix used, but not overly fiery. According to Saveur magazine, common ingredients in this mix are black pepper, allspice, paprika, sumac, cinnamon, nutmeg, cassia bark, coriander, cumin and cardamom.

Four pieces of kibbeh for $8.49 will fill you up, with hummus, rice and salad. (Kibbeh is minced lamb inside a torpedo-shaped shell of ground lamb, bulgur and Syrian spices, fried.) In this one you can taste the cinnamon.

Sojouk is used in an overstuffed pita sandwich called "lamb sausage and cheese" ($4.99). Peppery links are cut up and paired with fried onions and mild Syrian cheese, made from whole sheep's milk. Though I burned my tongue on an incautious first bite, I loved the vivid umami-ness.

The Sharif spinach salad with red and yellow peppers has a tahini dressing and is topped with a generous serving of crunchy, nutty, smoky mujadra, an appealing way to get protein. Jaber says it's one of his more popular dishes, after falafel.

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