“Oasis Mediterranean (or “Middle Eastern” depending on where you find the listing) Restaurant”, located at 1907 White Plains Rd., has been serving the local Muslim community in Van Nest for some time now. It’s location is hard to miss when heading north along White Plains Rd. between Rhinelander and Cruger, and its very close to the Bronx Park East 2 Train stop.
You’ll walk through two sets of double glass doors at the entrance(with a large print covering the second set). You may wonder if you have chanced upon the wrong place, but get past the initial awkwardness and It becomes clear that this place is by Yemenis, for Yemenis. A usually promising start for the grail of authenticity.
It’s designed more like an event space than a restaurant, I think due to its serving the Muslim community after prayers at the local mosque, but I’ve never been here at that time. The lighting is quite low, and there are pretty accents everywhere that give the establishment a very genuine vibe. I’ve never been to Yemen, but you may feel like an international traveler here. The restaurant feels very authentic, down to the layout and elegant design accents combined with the somewhat kitschy colored lighting along the walls.
The service is a bit hands off at first, but if you’re OK with making your interests known you’ll be fine. I made the effort to converse with the maître d’ and he was exceedingly warm and friendly. All in all, the staff are well-meaning and the place is immaculate, even if it’s run a bit colloquially.
There are a selection of teas available, of which We had the Mearmaria (sic, probably maramia) or Sage tea this time around. It was prepared well, nice and strong. They provided sugar but it honestly wasn’t necessary. There is also a strong and spicy Turkish coffee available, but you have to ask, otherwise they may assume you’re interested in a run-of-the-mill brew.
The menu is a various mix of Middle Eastern fare, with all of the expected standards. There is also a dedicated Yemeni food menu, which i naturally gravitated to. As of this writing, there aren’t any vegetarian entree options available, but there are some hot and cold veggie appetizers which fit the bill. Make no mistake, this is definitely a meat lover’s establishment. We decided on the “Tahaneh Salad”, “Hummos with Lamb” and “Saltah with Roasted Chicken.”
You can’t help but be impressed by the food presentation here. There is a clear attention to detail involved with the plating and layout of each dish, which I very much appreciated. Furthermore, the food itself was so colorful and robust in hue that it it was hard not to just dig in before taking the photos. The food just plain looks good when it comes.
The provided pita bread was clearly a packaged variety, but it did come in healthy portions and warm, which I’m a stickler for.
The Tahaneh Salad, which is described as being a tahini based cucumber and tomato salad, comes in a small and unassuming bowl. It’s light, airy and crisp. The cilantro and other herbs bring out a depth and leaves you honestly wondering why the bowl isn’t bigger. In the pic below we had already had a good amount of it.
The “Hummos with Lamb” was good . Very good. Better than it ought to be for an appetizer. The plate had a satisfying amount of olive oil drizzled over it, and the lamb was cooked to perfection. The whole thing was sprinkled with toasted pine nuts. It complimented itself, and honestly I don’t think pita was even necessary. I would (and did) eat it straight.
The “Saltah” is described as “Fresh assorted root vegetables combined with whipped fenugreek and lamb sauce.” It comes piping hot in a cast iron skillet. It has a thick and rich meat sauce consistency with small chunks of veggies, and the whipped fenugreek on top has an interesting foamy texture. It has an earthy hearty curry flavor that to me is clearly meant to be paired with a meat. We opted for the Roasted Chicken, and dropped it directly in the pot, upon recommendation.
Good stuff. Apparently the right way to eat Saltah is by eating directly from the pot together, so we were grabbing huge chunks of chicken with our forks, making sure to secure a healthy portion of the saltah with every bite. Once the meat was gone, the pita started doing double duty.
The food, as a whole, is great. It shines in taste, authenticity, and presentation.
I do feel like some solid vegetarian options should be on the entree menu, especially considering a google search will come up with some delicious Yemeni veggie dishes.
I’ve been here a few times during the evening, and it seems to be seriously under-appreciated, especially by those not in the Van Nest Muslim community. Every time I’ve gone, there were only a few community locals dining.
It’s a good quiet date spot, but be comfortable filling time with conversation, as there are no media distractions here. You could hear a pin drop.
There is an attached but unobtrusive hookah lounge which doesn’t seem to get much action. This is probably due to another bouncy hookah spot that’s right around the corner. Either way, you could start your dinner here and end with proper hookah close by if you’re so inclined.
The clear star of Oasis is the food, with the ambiance being a distant second. Despite some minor issues, the fare here is prepared with skill and heart. Just be prepared to pay more attention to making sure the service is up to par, even though it’s not for lack of trying.
I will definitely come again.
