oren's hummus shop

oren's hummus shop  126 castro st., 650-938-6736.  $.  a branch of the mother ship in palo alto that specializes in authentic middle eastern cuisine, this spot by the cal train station offers a nice outdoor space that lets you fully enjoy the sound of the signals and passing trains.  the food style reminds me of what i enjoyed at similar simple spots in israel, and that should be no surprise since many of the basic ingredients are imported from there.  a complimentarybowlof tangy coleslaw arrives with the menu and helps tide you over until your order arrives.  service can be slow.  my menu favorite is the sampler plate that includes eggplant three ways and a slab of labane yogurt cheese, plus marinated beets moroccan carrots, and fluffy pita breads.  i always like to purchase some hummus and eggplant to go for my next day’s lunch.

oren's serves some good mediterranean cuisine in a casual dining setting. the place is crowded, especially on weekends. however, coming from the middle east, it's not too easy to rate mediterranean restaurants here too high.

we tried out their sampler dish, which had an assortment of middle eastern side dishes. a notable exception in the dish was hummus. but it served up a fair idea of the variety of sides in the middle east.

we also tried their ricebowl& chicken skewers. the ricebowlwas a cross between indian pulao and arabic mandi. the skewers came with hummus so we didn't miss it.

if i do come here again, i'm definitely gonna try the various hummus dishes they have. it's something i felt was unique about oren's.