Oleana: not a must have, more of a “why not?”
A decent — but not mind blowing — dining experience
Alor Sahoo–The Tech
Alor Sahoo–The Tech
Alor Sahoo–The Tech
Alor Sahoo–The Tech
★★★★☆
Oleana
Middle Eastern, $50-100
134 Hampshire St., Cambridge, MA 02139
Sunday to Thursday 5:30 p.m.- 10:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 5:30 p.m.- 10:30 p.m.
Located in Cambridge’s Inman Square, Oleana prides itself on its fresh Middle Eastern cuisine, so I had to investigate. Upon entry, my group of five (myself included) put our coats away in a separate room before heading to our reserved table. While the interior is fairly austere, the wood panelling around the room contributed to a log cabin atmosphere. The environment was bustling, but not overly boisterous; I was able to hear everyone without issue.
Beyond the food itself, our waitperson handled allergies well — someone in our party was (mildly) allergic to shellfish, and every time a new dish arrived, she notified us whether it was safe for him to consume. We ordered around the allergy anyways, but it was a nice thought!
Since the food was served family-style, we ordered and split seven distinct dishes described below. Our group had gotten dessert at Toscanini’s before the meal, so we ate less than we might have otherwise.
Sultan’s Delight: This was delightful, so much so that it was the only dish that we ordered twice. The lamb was quite flavorful and fork-tender, and the tamarind sauce complemented it perfectly. The eggplant puree was a nice touch. 10/10.
Za’atar Bread: Nice, especially with the date butter and goat milk labne. However, it wasn’t the most interesting thing — I think I’ve been spoiled by my friends’ homemade focaccia and similar bread. 8/10.
Ricotta Köfte: These ricotta balls had a nice al dente bite to them, but were somewhat bland, having not absorbed much of the garlic saffron broth. Beyond their tender mouthfeel, there were no other contrasting “crunchy” textures, which was disappointing. The aroma was pleasantly floral, though rather one-note. Some might argue that not every dish needs to be individually balanced, but I believe each should be able to stand on its own, given that they aren’t marketed as a set. 6/10.
Lamb Shish: Unfortunately, the lamb was rather tough. I couldn’t taste the cashew dukkah at all. The freekah and nettle pilaf had a nice mouthfeel, but ultimately didn’t contribute enough moisture to outweigh the dryness of the lamb kebab itself. 5/10.
Mushroom & Artichoke Briouat: This savory, crepe-like mushroom and artichoke dish was quite balanced — the exterior was crispy and the filling was hearty. The snap peas on the side were perfectly cooked. Even though it was not portioned into five servings beforehand, this was an easy dish to cut up and share. 9/10.
Fatteh: This mixture of caramelized onion, cauliflower, crispy mushrooms, pine nuts, and yogurt alongside a wafer was delicious. We were instructed to break and mix everything together before eating it, which helped meld all the flavors together. The balance of textures was satisfying, but not particularly noteworthy. 8/10.
Ekmek Kataifi: For dessert, we ordered this unique, exquisite combination of fenugreek pudding, kaymak & fig jam ice cream, and pomegranate sauce — it was the perfect ratio of sauce to cold, fatty ice cream, to spicy pudding. 10/10.
An awkward note regarding payment: I paid with a gift card, but I couldn’t tip on a gift card. As a result, I had to tip on my credit card and now have $30 left on a gift card that I’ll likely never use, which was already paid for by the gift giver. Unfortunate.
Overall? If you’re on someone else’s dime, Oleana is a great place to splurge. On the flip side, if you’re paying, you might want to make sure you eat a bit beforehand!