Week 6: Desserts, Yelp Theorization, and Habibis

Week 6: February 5-February 11, 2023

This week's new experience was delicious and reminded me of home. As a self-proclaimed content consumer of the utmost degree, it should not be a shock that I spend most of my free time scrolling through my phone. While it was the Yelp app's turn with my undivided attention, I came across Al Hamdani Sweets.

Initially I was wary, because it has 4.5 stars on Yelp, and I am a strong believer in the Yelp Theory. Some parts of Yelp Theory are explained by the guy in this TikTok. I can sum it up from my own experiences as well. If a restaurant on Yelp has a ton of bad reviews that are mainly focused on the service instead of the quality of the food, I will still try it out. For example, if you call a food joint, doesn't matter the cuisine, and they answer the phone with an accented "HELLO. OK. WHAT DO YOU WANT?" and abruptly end with "YES. OK. SEE YOU" the food is almost always delicious.

This is why Al Hamdani's 4.5 stars on Yelp were a bit of a red flag, which feels a bit silly to admit. I know there are many amazing places out there, from ones with glowing 5 star reviews to ones that don't even have a Yelp page. I got lucky with my find while scrolling this week.

The bakery was only an 8 minute drive from my apartment, a rare exception to the 15-minute miracle of San Diego travel. I parked quickly and could already smell the sweet bakery scent outside.

The bakery with a warm welcoming glow

Every display case inside was filled with amazing desserts. A kind woman smiled at me from the cash register as I ooh-ed and aah-ed at all the choices.

One of many full cases of dessert

I chose the 1 lb. box and was able to mix and match desserts to fill the box. Pointing to different options, asking what was recommended, and hearing the different ingredients felt like heaven.

The saray burma was gorgeous

I could have stayed and filled five more boxes of desserts. I ended up with a good haul. I got a couple baklava, some Turkish Delight (my favorite!) and an assortment of other goodies.

$17.50 for this gorgeous pound of heaven

I moved the lid so the business card didn't block it all

So gorgeous.

Such a beautiful assortment!

I didn't even expect it, but the night got even better as I was leaving Al Hamdani. I noticed a restaurant in the same parking lot called Zad Mediterranean. It felt like fate, because I had been dreading going home and figuring out what to make for dinner. Miraculously, here was a decent looking restaurant in the same parking lot as the bakery.

The woman who took my dinner order was gorgeous with thick, black hair. She made sure to ask me at least three times if I needed soda or water or something to drink while I waited for my kofta kebab plate. I assured her I was fine but I felt almost guilty refusing because she seemed like a woman who was not used to the word "no." She was one of those tough love types, the forceful caretakers whose love language is scolding you for not drinking enough water. I like people like that.

As I sat waiting, I stared longingly at my box of desserts, looking forward to going home and diving in. A high school kid came in to pick up his family's to-go order. He must have been a regular because he was greeted with a warm welcome complete with a hug, a cheek pinch, and a "how is your mom doing?... good.... okay, tell her I put extra sauce in today."

Overall, my food from Zad Mediterranean was good, and I would eat there again, but my dinner was not really the star of the night. Nothing can beat a Turkish delight and baklava. It reminded me of the Middle East Market in Berkeley and made me miss my parents. We have a habit of going there whenever I visit home.

Who would have thought that a little bakery right next to a hookah lounge and a boxing gym could produce such greatness?

I guess there are always exceptions to the Yelp Theory. Or just addendums to add. Here's one: When they call you "Habibi" almost as a filler word, you know the food is going to be good.

See you next week.