Long Island Restaurants

Ali Baba 2

Winters in Afghanistan are known to be cold and cruel. It only seems logical, then, that such harsh terrain would spawn a cuisine designed to thaw both body and spirit. What stands out about Ali Baba 2 in Hicksville is a welcome as warming as the food.

The first time I went was for lunch, when a courtly and dignified-looking gentleman, owner Jilani Azimi, led us to a table and took our order. When we returned in the company of friends, he referred to us as "my regular customers." A restaurateur who remembers people and makes them feel cared for gives them yet another reason to go back.

The foremost reason is, of course, the food. I would readily return for the borani badim jam, sliced eggplant cooked in tomato sauce with onion and spices, topped with a creamy dollop of yogurt. Hummus, the thick, garlicky Middle Eastern chickpea spread, was good slathered onto the ridged pita-like house bread. I especially enjoyed the sambuseh, crisp dumplings stuffed with a well-spiced hash of ground beef, vegetables and seasoning.

Fresh pasta -- which is not the exclusive province of Italian restaurants -- is something I make a point of ordering wherever and whenever it's available. At Ali Baba 2, it takes the form of ashak, large flat ravioli-like steamed dumplings stuffed with a verdant scallion mixture and topped with yogurt and fresh herbs. Although it's listed as a main course, four of us shared it as an appetizer. It proved a huge hit.

So did the sherin palow (basmati rice with shredded orange peel and pistachio nuts, which came with juicy kebabs of marinated chicken. Zeresh palao with jujeh featured moist and tender grilled marinated pieces of Cornish hen alongside a melange of basmati rice and cranberries.

At a subsequent meal, the only complaint about the stewed lamb shank with baghali palow (basmati rice tinged green with baby lima beans and dill) was a slight shortage of the soft, satisfying meat on a rather large bone. But there was no lack of lamb in the lamb kebab, boneless cubes of meat grilled to a tender turn and served with basmati rice and grilled tomato. Kufte kebab, a savory grilled blend of skewered ground beef and spices, was especially fine. The real surprise was the fish kebab, comprised of grilled chunks of salmon and onion. I had surmised, incorrectly, that the fish would be dry and overcooked. Instead, the pieces were lightly charred on the outside, bursting with flavorful juices within.

At almost any Middle Eastern restaurant, baklava is a requisite dessert. Here, the phyllo and nut confection was commendably rendered -- sweet but not overly so. My preference, though, was firni, a creamy, milky, clean-tasting pudding topped with pistachios. Light yet gratifying, it was a fit finale.

Reviewed by Joan Reminick, 1/13/05.

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Major Credit Cards Accepted

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Wheelchair Access