Review: Dish Dash

Originally Posted on 09/27/06

For lunch today, Justyn and I went to Dish Dash Meditteranean Restaurant in Downtown Sunnyvale (T&C). Initially we were going to go to Thai Basil, but I wanted to try something new. We walked down Murphy St. to see what was available. There was Tumeric, another Meditteranean restaurant and Tarragon. I had never been to any of those, unfortunately Tumeric was closed.

By the time we got to Dish Dash there were about three outside tables filled and the inside was half full. This was at 11:15AM. We didn't wait at all and were seated immediately. By the time we ordered lunch, the line was out the door and the restaurant quickly filled. The other noteable thing that attracted me to Dish Dash, was that they were Zagat Rated.

I recently bought a little notebook thing so I could take notes while I ate. I know that's kinda dumb and nerdy, but now I can describe dishes that we've tried in better detail. I took out my notebook and jotted down some notes here and there. Justyn and I ordered the turkish coffee with cardamom to start. It arrived in tiny espresso like mugs without cream or sugar. This confused me at first, as I thought all coffee should be served with cream and sugar. I called the waiter to ask about that, and he said it is supposed to be consumed straight. Thankfully he brought us some sugar. At first taste, the coffee was extremely bitter and the cardamom was very prominent. Without sugar, I don't think I could've finished it.

The waiter came back a moment later to take our orders. I decided on the Tabsi. According to the menu it had ground seasoned beef and lamb in a thick sauce with eggplant, onion, pepper, tomato, garlic, mild curry and dried lime served over rice. Justyn initially wanted to get something with beef and cinnamon but the waiter couldn't make a recommendation because he didn't know what cinnamon was! (WTF?!) He settled on the Beriani which had beef, potato, almonds, raisins, garbanzo beans, spices and topped with an aged yoghurt sauce. This also came with rice.

There was no long wait for our lunch, but I believe that was due to the fact that we got in before the usual lunch mob. Before diving into our dishes, I smelled them first. It was divine. The first bite was absolutely delicious. The rice was dyed a golden yellow from the saffron and the lamb/beef "sausage" was juicy and full of flavor. The sauce was only slightly tart, but it matched well with the meat. Justyn and I decided to swap plates half way so we could enjoy both dishes. The Beriani was perfect. The yoghurt sauce was a little tangy, but it balanced well with the sweet golden raisins and the crunch of the almonds. The potatoes were cooked just right and not overcooked like most places do. I sipped the turkish coffee in between bites and it meshed well with the spices in the Tabsi & Beriani.

Before we knew it, we finished up every last bit of the dishes. The portions were good, definitely not designed to stuff you until you puke. It was just right. Every dish around us looked just as delicious as ours had been. I would definitely come back to this place and I'm curious to see what their dinner service is like. The price on a scale of $-$$$$, was a $$$. It's slightly pricey for lunch, but I think it was well worth it. I'd rate this place an 8 and would happily recommend it to anyone who has a craving for excellent Meditteranean.