★★★★| Middle Eastern | Ithaca Commons | $10-20

Article By: Jyothsna Bolleddula
Photography By: Yue Jin

Lev Kitchen is a bit unsuspecting when you pass by it. Located on the side of Ithaca Commons that is farther from the Seneca Street bus stop, the pale blue storefront stands out in the greys that are typically found in the Commons. The first thing I noticed was a sign boasting “the best fries in Ithaca, guaranteed.” Skeptical but intrigued by this claim, we walked in.

We were there a little early, around 11am, before the lunch rush set in. As we walked in, I saw a woman with a young child, the child eating french fries out of a plastic cup. As we went up to order, the woman rushed to the counter, the child in one hand.

I later learned that this woman was in fact Yen Wu, one of the founders of the restaurant.

The weather was beautiful (one of the last good weather days of the semester) so we decided to sit outside. Half of the restaurant is “indoors” while the other half is an open seating area. While waiting for our food to come, I got the chance to talk to Wu, who happened to graduate from Cornell with her husband a few years ago. According to Wu, after a couple years in Los Angeles, the couple (now with a family of three) moved back to Ithaca to start their new adventure, Lev Kitchen.

It was at this point in the story that Wu had to rush back to the register to attend to the ever growing line of customers. By then, our food had arrived as well.

Among the three of us, we ordered three malawach wraps, the Kennebec Fries, a fatoush salad, and dessert. The star of the show were surprisingly the Kennebec French Fries (maybe the sign was right after all). Topped with chevré cheese, fresno chillies, aioli, sweet date syrup, and herbs, it was an explosion of flavor that you would never expect from an order of fries. The spiciness from the chillies combined with the sweet creaminess from the syrup and cheese was magical, and worth the $10 that I initially begrudgingly paid. The portion was generous as well; we had plently left over to take home!

Another surprising win was the fatoush salad. Tossed in a bright, refreshing, and citrusy vinaigrette, it helped cut through some of the heavier items like the malawach wraps and the french fries. The malawach croutons added a nice crunch and paired with the fresh veggies, made for everything I could ever want in a summer salad.

Next, we move on to the malawach wraps. These were a bit of a mixed bag. The malawach bread itself was the definite star of the show—the restaurant describes it as what would result “if a pita bread and croissant had a baby.” Paratha, an Indian flatbread I grew up eating, is the most similar comparison I can think of. It was flaky, buttery, and had a surprisingly earthy aftertaste. The flatbreads are made to order, which you could tell from how warm the malawach wraps were when they arrived at our table.

My first thought was how the wraps were smaller than I expected them to be. They are about the width of your hand, for comparison. The three malawach wraps we got were the Haloumi Malawach, the Truffled Mushroom Malawach, and the Sweet and Spicy Chicken. The Haloumi itself had a nice crust on it, though overall the malawach was just a little plain, with the combination of jam and walnuts making for an underwhelming wrap. I was wishing for a bit more flavor, as all the flavors and textures were a bit one note after the first few bites. Next was the Truffled Mushroom Malawach, which came with sauteed mushrooms, hummus, truffle oil, and herbs. I enjoyed this one much more than the Haloumi but be warned, if you’re not a fan of truffle, steer clear; the truffle flavor can get a bit overpowering. My editor, Effat Rahman, tried the Sweet and Spicy Chicken. This one was filled with aromatic Za'atar chicken and a spicy red schug sauce. Much like the Kennebec Fries, this wrap had a lovely balance of flavors that seems to be the key to Lev Kitchen’s appeal.

The single letdown of the afternoon was the dessert, the Pistachio Halva with Cardamom Whipped Cream. The menu describes halva as a “tahini based cake” so we were a bit unsure of what to expect. The resulting dessert were three squares of the “cake” topped with powdered sugar and a thick, sour whipped cream that tasted more like butter than anything else. The halva itself has a chalky texture, which was not offset by the whipped cream.. Though I appreciated that it wasn’t too sweet, among the three of us, we couldn’t finish the dessert.

My biggest advice if you come here? Definitely order a side (the malawach wraps are unlikely to fill you up on their own), skip the dessert, and if the weather is nice, eat outside!

After all things considered, here are my final ratings:

Service: 8.5/10

It took a while for our food to come, but that is to be expected when you are making everything to order. The ambiance was nice enough that I didn’t mind the wait.

Taste: 8/10

I was going to give this a 7.5 but those fries alone pushed me over the edge.

Atmosphere: 10/10

The vibes were immaculate. The pale blue walls, the friendly owners, the decor, all worth it.

Overall Value: 8/10

Overall, if you’re on our way to the commons, we recommend you check Lev Kitchen out! It brings some much needed diversity to the Ithaca food scene. Even just getting the fries to share as an afternoon snack would be well worth the trek, and an amazing way to support your fellow Cornell alumni.

TOTAL RATING: 34.5 / 40