Malawach, a thin and crispy flatbread, is the highlight of the current menu. This version stars egg, whipped feta, cilantro chutney and sun-dried tomatoes.
If you haven’t eaten at one of Laila Borokhim’s restaurants yet, it’s time. She’s a gem in the Madison food scene because she is not afraid to go against the grain, creating dishes very unlike what you will get anywhere else in this city. Her first restaurant, Layla’s, opened on South Butler Street in 2013 and serves homestyle Persian dishes. Noosh is Borokhim’s opportunity to experiment with the Jewish side of her heritage.
Noosh has already been around the block a few times. It opened briefly on South Park Street in 2016, closing after a dispute with the landlord. Borokhim then tried it as a food cart. The new brick and mortar restaurant opened near Camp Randall in November. The building is an old Quonset hut, formerly a tattoo parlor. Brightly spray-painted flowers adorn the front door which, it deserves mentioning, could use a little maintenance — it’s hard to open.
Inside, the setting is intimate and full of character; it’s as if you are going over to grandma’s for a meal. A half dozen two-tops and four-tops are lined up along the length of the building; in the rear, a small, living room-type spot boasts some comfy chairs.
The mostly vegetarian menu is small enough to fit on a chalkboard. Lentil soup was a nice starter. This version was solely lentils and a flavorful, salty broth with a hint of coriander, topped off with a little sour cream. I’m used to the addition of a few more veggies, but I enjoyed the simplicity here.
There are several dumplings that Noosh sources from Chicago: potato pierogi, lamb pelmeni, and cheese and potato pierogi. These are all served in soup. I had the lamb, which contained little nuggets of lamb sausage nestled inside bite-sized dumplings, in a savory broth that was a pleasant combination of beets, onions and garlic. A generous dollop of sour cream brought the whole dish together. Thankfully, I was the only one in the restaurant that day because I’m certain I was eating these noisily — less eating than inhaling them. They certainly brought back memories of a lamb stew with dumplings from my own family’s Czech heritage.
The unexpected take on shakshuka, a tangy mushroom version, was also satisfying. Commonly, shakshuka is eggs poached in a thick tomato stew. Noosh poaches the eggs in a broth seasoned with cumin and curry, dotted with grape tomatoes, chopped mushrooms and strands of onions. It’s served with a side of toasted challah, which comes in handy to soak up some of that broth.
The highlight of the menu is the malawach, a Yemeni flatbread similar to naan, but thinner and crispier, brushed with oil and pan-fried. Noosh offers four versions: lamb, and three vegetarian options.
The malawach with fried egg has a layer of whipped feta, spicy cilantro chutney and plump, rich sundried tomatoes sandwiched between the egg and the bread. Everything about this combination won my heart.
The cauliflower malawach has creamy, nutty Jarlsberg cheese melted and mixed in with roasted cauliflower florets, topped with the cilantro chutney, which was much spicier this time. No complaints here, but important to note for customers who may be sensitive.
The third vegetarian option for the malawach is roasted eggplant, a hardboiled egg and pickled mango sauce. This may be a more enjoyable option for vegetarians or anyone who prefers a milder meal.
There is only one dessert offered at this time. I indulged in a couple of the coconut chocolate macaroons which were dense and chewy, and the perfect end to a satisfying meal.
Noosh is a great addition to the Madison dining scene. I appreciate Borokhim’s unexpected twists on her family’s traditional dishes and I hope the third time’s the charm with Noosh’s newest location. I feel hopeful on that score when I glance at the sign she has framed on her counter: “Beyoncé wasn’t built in a day.”
Noosh
1431 Regent Street; 608-216-4511; facebook.com/NooshMadison
11 am-2 pm Mon.-Sat., 5 pm-9 pm Thur.-Sat.; $1-$10, cash only; Small lip at door
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