What: The lamb kofta burger
Where: Evzin Mediterranean Cuisine, 72695 Highway 111, No. A6, Palm Desert
How much: $11
Contact: 760-340-2020; www.facebook.com/evzinrestaurant
Why: The meat was just perfect.
My friend Jeffrey was effusive in his praise.
“Steven H. and I went to this new Greek place in PD,” he told me via Facebook. “WONDERFUL service was over the top … and they gave you all sorts of yummies before you even order.”
Good Greek food? Wonderful service? Yummies before you order? I’m there, dude.
Well, I was there a week later, at least, when I met Jeffrey at Evzin Mediterranean Cuisine for lunch.
Evzin is located in that warren of strip-mall buildings located between Highway 111 and the western genesis of El Paseo, and while it’s sort of difficult to find, it’s worth the effort. Jeffrey and I were greeted gleefully by the owner, who remembered Jeffrey from his previous visit, and we got the last unoccupied table in the small room. Sure enough, before we ordered, complimentary yummies began arriving—including a taste of the soup of the day, as well as pita bread with various sauces. Yummies, indeed.
The “soft opening” lunch menu on my visit included various salads and appetizers, pita sandwiches and four “mains.” It was one of the “mains” that caught my eye: the lamb kofta burger with Manchego cheese, harissa tahini, herb yogurt sauce, lettuce, tomato and onion, along with hand-cut fries.
Given all the flavors present in that description—the spices in the kofta, the herb yogurt sauce, the tahini—I was expecting a flavor bomb. However, that’s not what I received—and I don’t mean that as a criticism. There was indeed a lot of flavor, but it was all subtle. What really made the burger fantastic was the lamb meat: It was juicy yet firm, and utterly delicious.
I’m really looking forward to seeing what this brand-new restaurant does for dinner. After all, we can all use more yummies in our life, can’t we?