Photo by team writer Subhana Ahmed.
The Mediterranean restaurant, The Olive Bistro, is located in Little Falls, NJ. Brothers Anwar and Osama Mansour say that they use their mother’s and grandmother’s recipe, presenting authentic Palestinian dishes.
As I walked in, I was greeted by a welcoming waiter. The vibe in the restaurant was quite cozy and gave a homey feeling.
This restaurant offers a wide variety of cold appetizers, including, Hummus, Muhammara, Labana, Baba Ghanouj, Zataar Chips and Makdous. The hot appetizers include Falafel, Fried Kibbeh, Sambousek, Fried Liver, Zahir, Crispy Cheese Rolls, Musukhan Rolls, Arayes with meat and cheese and Spicy Chicken Wings.
From the grill, the entrees include Shish Kabob, Chicken Kabob, Lamb Chops and Beef/Chicken/Lamb Shawarma platter. They also offer house specials including Chicken Musukhan, Authentic Palestinian Kidreh and Makluba. They have vegetarian friendly dishes including Falafel Platter and Stuffed Peppers. The dessert menu includes, Knafeh, Warbat, Baklawa, Rice Pudding, House Special Waffles, Bistro Crepe and Baklawa and Knafeh flavored ice cream.
I got the Arayes with meat for the appetizer. This dish includes four pita breads stuffed with ground pepper, onions and parsley.
As I took a bite, I immediately noticed the chili powder, which was a perfect touch of spice to the dish. The ground beef was so flavorful. I wished that there were more pieces because of how delicious the Arayes was.
As an entrée, I got the Shish Kabob platter.
The waiter asked me how I wanted to get the meat cooked. I was impressed by the beautiful presentation. The dish included brown rice, 2 pita breads stuffed with ground beef and spices, onion salad, 1 grilled jalapeño pepper, garlic sauce and pieces of shish kabob. The shish kabobs were so juicy and tender. The brown rice was seasoned perfectly.
I was so happy to discover that the pita breads were stuffed with ground beef, grilled onions and spices because I wanted to order more Arayes, but this dish fulfilled that craving. I love cutting up a piece of the jalapeño pepper and eating it with the shish kabob. Beware of its spiciness though! I also got to try some of the beef shawarma from my friend’s platter.
I noticed that the shawarma had a slight sweet, yet enjoyable taste to it in the beginning. Both dishes were super filling and delicious overall.
If you ever find yourself in the Little Falls or Montclair area, make sure to try this place out for a meal packed with flavors.
