Some day I will go out to get lunch and come back dead or it least in a “critical but stable” condition. That’s because unlike the local lunch-reviewing icon who eats in the safety of Johnson County,I have to forage for food around the war zone a.k.a. Independence Ave. Its unpredictable mix of ethnicities, poverty and crime make every lunch trip an adventure.
I am not sure where I ate today. I can see the place on Google Street View (it’s the white storefront to the left of the barber shop).
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I think it was called “Yasmine Cafe” but I can’t find it in the Yellow Pages, Google and anywhere else. This trip started few days ago when I noticed a sign advertising shish-kebab while driving around looking for Mexican food. Today I came to work with a thought to try some middle-eastern cuisine. I drove to the place and walked in. 
Small clean room with a few tables and booths and no signs of food, decorated with a TV with some Arabic channel, few paintings and a sign that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. Three guys hanging out in the dining room, watching TV. By the way, on Arabic TV the ticker at the bottom of the screen is moving in the opposite direction.
I started to feel like Jimmy Carter on his way to talk to Hamas, except that he is not Jewish. I asked one of the guys if there is any way I can get some food to go, so one of them went to the back of the building and retrieved a nice guy who could speak English. I asked about food again to which he smiled and said “Do you want to know the menu?” and proceeded to make up and recite the menu from the top of his head. I recognized some items and ordered shish-kabob, rice and salad, and he also offered to get me some soup just to try. I asked him how much this would cost and after minor hesitation he said that he will give all this food to me for 8 dollars. I watched Arab TV for about ten minutes, they were talking about NYSE, probably enjoying the oil prices. Then a group of men walked through the building and all greeted me with As-Salāmu `Alaykum, I actually knew the reply (wa `Alaykum As-Salām) but decided to limit myself to diplomatic shaking of hands. I got my food, paid and left.
The food was actually pretty good and there was so much that I split it in two decent size lunches. I also got a 16 inch flat bread to go with it. I didn’t really like the eggplant soup, it was to acidic for my taste. The rice had some vegetables in it and even a few raisins and was light and tasty. Kebabs were grilled and meaty. Salad had cucumbers and lettuce, nothing weird. If anything, I expected the food to be a little more spicy, but a co-worker who spent some time in the Middle East confirmed that it was pretty close to authentic.
I am not sure if I’d recommend this place with no menu and all, try it at your own risk. I am still alive so food quality is not substandard. So just like Jimmy Carter, I am not only eating lunch, I am also improving Jewish-Arab relations, one kebab at a time.
7 responses so far ↓
1
Burrowowl
// May 23, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Only by partaking in each others’ eggplant recipes will we ever be able to achieve a lasting peace.
2
Shane
// May 24, 2008 at 5:43 am
Persian food is good. It’s tough to find good kabobs in KC…you have to go to the Persian parties to get all the really good food.
3
Moxie Mama KC
// May 24, 2008 at 11:23 am
I used to live up by the Kansas City Museum off Gladstone Blvd and Handsome and I would brave “The Ave” and try out the delicacies though I could never get him to try the Vietnamese food. He’s a semi-picky eater.
We had some really great AUTHENTIC Mexican food at a place just off Prospect and Independence Ave…it’s been about 5 years now and I can’t remember the name.
Try Frankie’s Ice Cream and Deli at 12th and Benton (?). It’s awesome and they give away free cake! Too bad Chubby’s isn’t still on Independence Ave. I always liked that the Texas Tom’s was owned by a guy from Saudia Arabi.
4
Happy
// May 24, 2008 at 8:27 pm
This is why I read blogs.
5 Chicken With a Side of Conspiracy // Aug 27, 2008 at 8:58 pm
[...] the way, Super Pollo is located in the same building as “Yasmin Restaurant” which I previously reviewed but still can’t find any mention of it anywhere. Here is the proof that it [...]
6
KCNorthEastGuy
// Sep 20, 2008 at 3:38 pm
So—I am curious because the constant slamming of NE KC is driving me crazy…Do you really feel like you are going to be killed or shot when you are on Independance? I have lived three blocks off of the Ave and was worried that I would feel the same, but I have not EVER had one encounter to make me think my life was at risk. If you have the feeling that you are putting your self out there for geting hurt….I would like to know how?
On a side note I think that it rocks that you are stepping out and trying a lot of these eating establishments that I do not have a chance to partake in the week. There are some pretty interesting Mexican and ?Middle Eastern? establishments up the street from me that I have wanted to check out.
7
m.v.
// Sep 20, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Statistically there is a much better chance of being shot or mugged on Independence Ave than in JoCo where I live, although JoCo’s crime levels are increasing as well. Independence Ave. is in the crime news almost daily. There was a carjacking in the Apple Market’s parking lot, other things happen all the time. On my lunch trip 9 times out of 10. I encounter police cars with sirens on. Do I personally feel threatened? Not really, but it’s in the back of my mind. I would be feeling a lot different during the after-dark hours; if I have to be shot I’d rather it happened while I am saving a beautiful woman than over a burrito.
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