Seattle: Mamnoon (August 2014)

My spouse and I dined at Mamnoon for dinner on a Monday night in early August 2014. We made a reservation on-line using the Rezbook / Urban Spoon reservation system (which Open Table has recently acquired; however, the systems are not linked yet). It was fortunate that we made a reservation, because diners occupied every table on the weekday night that we dined. Mamnoon is open for lunch and dinner daily.

Mamnoon is located in the First Hill / Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, across the street from Terra Plata and the Melrose Market. Parking is available on the street, or in a nearby parking lot or garage (such as the garage at the Convention Center or the garage at the Homewood Suites). We stayed nearby at the Homewood Suites, so it was a quick 5-minute walk (although slightly uphill) to Terra Plata.

The restaurant space is large, with an open kitchen area near the entrance; however, we think that only certain dishes such as pita bread are prepared there, and that another kitchen area exists behind closed doors. Near the front door and the host stand is a long, high-top communal table. Individual tables fill the back half of the restaurant. Near the rear of the restaurant is a lounge area, where a shared cushioned banquette and tiny two-person tables line the outer wall. The overall atmosphere is dark and clubby, which works well for this Middle Eastern / Lebanese / Syrian restaurant. The lounge area has unique colored lights / chandeliers, as well as humorous ethnic artwork on its walls. The restaurant can slide back its front wall to open the indoor space onto the sidewalk, and some small tables are available to dine outdoors.

This restaurant has a strong “to go” component, with a take-out menu posted near the front door. Many of the items on the takeaway menu are not repeated on the sit-down menu, and vice-versa, so we recommend that you try both a casual meal and a more formal sampling of Mamnoon.

When we arrived at Mamnoon, a musical trio was playing. Initially, the hostess seated us directly in front of the musicians, but the noise volume was so loud that we asked to be re-seated. She then led us to the lounge, where the tables are tiny and not conducive to the shared / small plate format of the food.

The menu was slightly daunting, and we amused ourselves when we tried to pronounce various dishes. Fortunately, our server was helpful, offering his suggestions and preferences, and he made us feel comfortable.

After we enjoyed the complimentary pita bread and oil, we shared several menu items. We ordered the arnabeit makli (fried cauliflower), muhammara (spread / paste of walnuts and pomegranates), kibbeh (fried meat and onion pies), and dolmeh (stuffed grape leaves served cold), followed by mouhallabia (a pudding garnished with pistachios) for dessert. The muhammara was intriguing: not the format of the spread, but the unique combination of walnut paste, red pepper, and pomegranate. The kibbeh was a bit over-cooked / over-fried. After your meal, the restaurant serves guests a complimentary digestif (herbal tea) when your server delivers your check. We bought two dark-chocolate-covered dates enclosed in a tiny box to take home for a midnight snack treat.

Our dinner at Mamnoon was enjoyable. We wish that we had more opportunities to dine on Middle Eastern cuisine in an upscale environment in the town where we live.