Baba Kebaba, a brand new Middle Eastern restaurant just off Shida Road (師大路), has a name and a menu that are reminiscent of Sababa, another Middle East-themed restaurant that's opened four branches in Taipei.
Like Sababa, Baba Kebaba sells falafel, hummus, Moroccan cigars and other Middle Eastern/Mediterranean staples. Both restaurants aim to double as hangout spots, a formula that has proved successful for falafel shacks around the world. And like Sababa (沙巴巴), Baba Kebaba's (巴巴卡巴巴) Chinese name sounds both lucky and Arabic, as in Ali Baba (阿里巴巴).
When it comes to the food, however, the two offer very different experiences.
PHOTO: RON BROWNLOW, TAIPEI TIMES
With dishes featuring variety meat - the Jerusalem pita pocket (NT$110) and Jerusalem mix (NT$180), as well as the option of upgrading an entree to get soup, salad and a drink, Baba Kebaba seems to be making more of an effort to suit local dining customs.
While Sababa's food can taste a bit dry at times, Baba Kebaba's goes the other way. On a recent visit, the meat in the lamb shish pita (NT$120) was literally swimming in oil, though it should be noted that the pita did not crack and fall apart. Likewise for the cucumber, onion and tomato salad that I got when I added NT$100 to my kafta and couscous meal (NT$180). The kafta, a kind of dumpling made from minced meat and spices, was also a tad on the oily side, but it was savory and generously portioned.
Other dishes, however, are not as flavorful as one would expect from a Middle Eastern restaurant. A good example is the hummus (NT$80), a spread traditionally made of blended chickpeas, garlic, lemon and tahini. Baba Kebaba's hummus tastes like olive oil and is the texture of puree. Not enough pita comes with the hummus for dipping, and it is buttery and white. This is fine as bread goes, but if you're expecting authentic pita you'll be disappointed.
On the plus side, the service at Baba Kebaba is friendly and efficient. The interior is pleasantly decorated with the standard Middle Eastern touches: Turkish carpets, ceramics, mosaic tiles, mirrors and embroidered cloths. Unlike Sababa the lighting during lunchtime is not too dim, which is good if you want to read a book. If you like belly dancing, you can see it here every Friday and Saturday at 7pm. And Heinekens are free with meals and half-price at NT$40 every Sunday until the end of next month.
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
Last week the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said that the budget cuts voted for by the China-aligned parties in the legislature, are intended to force the DPP to hike electricity rates. The public would then blame it for the rate hike. It’s fairly clear that the first part of that is correct. Slashing the budget of state-run Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) is a move intended to cause discontent with the DPP when electricity rates go up. Taipower’s debt, NT$422.9 billion (US$12.78 billion), is one of the numerous permanent crises created by the nation’s construction-industrial state and the developmentalist mentality it
Experts say that the devastating earthquake in Myanmar on Friday was likely the strongest to hit the country in decades, with disaster modeling suggesting thousands could be dead. Automatic assessments from the US Geological Survey (USGS) said the shallow 7.7-magnitude quake northwest of the central Myanmar city of Sagaing triggered a red alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. “High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread,” it said, locating the epicentre near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay, home to more than a million people. Myanmar’s ruling junta said on Saturday morning that the number killed had