Me Jana is a Lebanese restaurant that has been open in Arlington, Virginia since 2007, yet I had never heard of it! So, when a friend suggested Me Jana for dinner on a Sunday night, I was excited.
The large restaurant is situated very close to the Courthouse metro station. Inside, it is more elegant than I had expected with dark wooden tables, printed upholstery, and dim lighting. We were seated at a table in the main dining area. We both ordered glasses of Chardonnay as we perused the menu.
The server did not seem too confident about what was and wasn't vegan so I took him through what I thought could be vegan and he confirmed or denied the items. That was helpful. Later I found that there is a clearly labeled vegan menu online!
We decided to order a bunch of dishes to try them tapas-style. First, we received the Fatteh, which was fried baby eggplant with pine nuts, chickpeas, and garlic (sans yogurt). This dish was my least favorite of them all as it tasted like steamed eggplant. Without the yogurt, perhaps a tahini-based sauce would have made it much better.
Next, we tried the Tabouleh, which was really good. A nice balance of parsley and mint with not too much lemon made this a great, light salad that complemented the other heavy dishes.
The Falafel was good, but a bit too deep fried for my liking. It wasn't bad, but some of the gourmet falafel I've had in DC is definitely better.
The Hummos was great and a nice basic, crowd-pleasing dish we could share with pita.
The Grape Leaves were good as well.
All in all, it was a good experience. The service was good, the food was good, and the prices were reasonable. I think it's a good Lebanese staple in the area.
Me Jana
2300 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 465-4440
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