Kan Zaman: Hookas, Belly Dancers- what more could you want?
Written: Oct 12 '04
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Pros: A fun restaurant; good food at good prices.
Cons: It's dark and crowded; might have to wait.
The Bottom Line: I would put Kan Zaman on my list to go to in this city. It's a lot of fun, the food is good, the prices right and the location fantastic.
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| jo.com's Full Review: Kan Zaman |
On a Wednesday night in June 2004 my stepson suggested we eat at Kan Zaman. It was to be one of the most unusual experiences I have had and I think my husband and kids would agree.
General Information:
Kan Zaman is a Middle Eastern restaurant located at 1793 Haight Street, San Francisco, California. We did some sightseeing in this famous area and then ate at Kan Zaman, which topped off a fantastic day. Their phone number is 415-751-9656. Their hours are Sunday- Thursday 12:00PM-11:00PM; Friday and Saturday 11:30AM-12:00AM but the bar stays open until 2:00AM.
We found parking on the street but this was during the week at about 6:00PM. By the time we left around 9:30 there was a line and parking would have been difficult. My stepson told me that you could wait 1-2 hours on weekends to get into Kan Zaman. They will take reservations for 6 or more. (However if there are 4 or 5 of you I would call and see if they will let you make one if it is a weekend.)
They accept Visa and MasterCard.
I must digress a bit. This unusual restaurant which is super popular does not have to advertise. Their menus are large and plastic coated so sneaking one out was impossible. They have a small drink menu also encased, which I did sneak out, and a paper menu of their specials. As I left I asked if I could take a menu and was adamantly told no. I asked if I could take one of their paper special menus and they said no because they change frequently. They have no web site. I was so tired that night I didn’t take notes so much of this information (I was able to track down the information above) is from my memory.
Service and Décor:
Let me start by telling you that this is a crowded, dark restaurant. In fact it is so dark we had to hold the small votive candles that were on the table on the menu in order to see it! I read online while I was trying to track them down that during the day, one can see the dingy tablecloths and a restaurant that needs some repair. It was impossible to see this at night.
The décor is Middle Eastern. Though there isn’t much room for decorations, there were a few on the wall including a mural on the wall behind us. It is a small one-room restaurant with a bar to the right and a short divider on the left. We sat to the left of the divider where we found a long padded booth against the wall running the length of that area and tables in front of it with chairs facing the booth. You will be eating next to others so wear deodorant! The restaurant is so loud both from music and talking that you won’t get friendly with your neighbors so just enjoy this unique restaurant. The tables are so close together that getting in and out was a challenge.
We were greeted in a matter of fact way and were asked if we wanted to sit on the floor (much like a Japanese style restaurant). We passed on that. In retrospect it seemed a bit lighter in that area and certainly roomier so if your legs can handle it and you can make a reservation, you might want to choose the floor!
Our waitress squeezed by to get our order. She was pleasant but clearly busy. She never got to us during our meal. We started with drinks. I can do this very well because I have the menu in front of me. It says, "Welcome to Kan Zaman which means a long time ago in Arabic. We want to introduce as many of our traditional foods as well as our style of eating to you. First we have a Kahs (drink) and Maza (a nibble) before indulging in a main course. Arabic tea or Coffee and Argeeleh (Hooka – I’ll get to this) typically follow. So share in Middle Eastern Culture and consider this meal a daily ritual as we would."
They offer the traditional coffee, tea, sodas and juices, which will run you about $3.00. I had one of their special drinks – the Arabic Tea, which is black Egyptian tea with sugar and fresh mint for $2.50. My palette did not like this tea so the fact the waitress didn’t ask if I wanted more was fine with me. They serve beer and wines as well.
I had never seen a Hooka in a restaurant. For those of you who were not around in the 60s or don’t inhale, a Hooka is a water pipe- in this case a traditional Middle Eastern one. In the past some sort of drug – hashish for example, would be put in the Hooka and smoked. In Kan Zaman flavored tobacco is used. We were a bit concerned when we saw these because we don’t smoke and don’t like to eat where smoking is allowed. There was no sense, however, that there was tobacco in the air. I imagine it is because of the flavors. You can choose double apple; melon; or mixed fruit for $12.00 or strawberry, apple and apricot for $9.00. Honey flavor will cost you $10.00 and refills are $4.50-$6.00. These are served at the bar but will be served later at night at tables. Hookas are shared so don’t faint at the cost of trying one. The Hookas themselves are beautiful pieces and decorate the bar.
The food:
The menu is not extensive. I told you it was large and it is physically large but the writing is big and it is just a two sided sheet.
The food was very good. We started with appetizers and had options of hot or cold ones. We ordered the Hummas (I had help here from my husband whose memory in general isn’t great but he tends to remember our trips better than I.) for about $4.00 which came with pita bread. I thought it was good. I eat Hummus regularly and don’t like spicy food. That was one concern about the food here but we asked the waitress before ordering if something was spicy. The Hummus wasn’t which was good for us. If you like the kind with seasonings you might find it bland.
We ordered spinach pies for around $4.00 as well. I worked with a woman who made spinach pie and should have been a chef so I am a bit tainted when it comes to these pies. They were good but didn’t have enough in them to be delicious. I like them full of feta cheese and these were lacking but they were in general enjoyed. We also got falafel. If you have never had falafel please have them somewhere. I don’t get a chance to eat them since they are not normally on a restaurant’s menu unless you go to a Middle Eastern or Israeli restaurant. We got about 5 balls (That’s how they come.) which I thought were quite tasty. They had a bit of spice but just the right amount. They are fried so if you stay away from fried food don’t order these. I found them to be fried just right – not greasy at all but not dry either.
Other appetizers all in the $4.00 range include Baba ghanoush (an eggplant dish) and fattoush (a salad type appetizer).
Four of us got an eggplant casserole dish. It was a layered dish with cheese and vegetables for about $8.00. We all thought it quite good. There was a layer of breadcrumbs on top of the casserole and lots of eggplant, which I love. I found the dish to be tender; it arrived hot and though not a huge portion it was quite enough to fill us up after the appetizers. My stepson (Who is somewhat of a regular.) got a beef stew. It had couscous in it, potatoes and vegetables (I literally called him to ask what he ate!) This was in the $8.00 range as well. He likes this dish. He said that it is his favorite here. He finds it really tasty because he likes the tomato sauce it is in and he can’t beat the price.
We usually don’t get dessert but there were three on the menu and we got them all. The portions were large enough that all 5 of us could dig in and enjoy. If you have never had halvah you should. You can buy it in any grocery store. It is often sold by the deli case. Zan Kanan serves chocolate covered halvah, which is like a candy bar made of sesame seeds mixed with honey. It is really delicious. I’ve never met a halvah I didn’t like and this was no exception. The chocolate cover tasted like good chocolate and the inside was just the right texture for me.
One of the others was a desert similar to flan- a custard – and also was good. This was something I never had so didn’t have anything to compare it to. It was sweet and creamy. I thought it very good as did the rest of my family.
The third desert was baklava which I don’t think can be bad it’s so good! It was sweet which it should be and the filo dough was nice and flaky. It was filled with nuts.
The Finale
At 9:00 out came the belly dancer. She was very good and dances every night. I didn’t time her performance but we left shortly after she was done so I’ll guess she was out for about 20 minutes during that "performance." She somehow managed to squeeze her way through the tables so people could put money in some part of her outfit. I have seen belly dancers before and comparing her to others I would say she was quite good.
Jo’s Final Thoughts:
Kan Zaman is a wonderful little restaurant in what I consider to be an historic part of San Francisco. It’s worth going if only for dessert and the belly dancer (and Hookas if you smoke). I enjoyed the food and the ambiance. The restaurant might look a bit worn during the day but the fun is at night anyway so that’s when I would recommend going. The prices are excellent and though the portions aren’t huge you’ll want to try the appetizers so you won't leave hungry. I would go back again for sure – remember to go early or make reservations and be prepared for a lot of noise and a crowded atmosphere.
There are few vegetarian choices but there are a couple and you can make a few appetizers, where you’ll find more vegetarian choices, into a meal. I wouldn’t consider this a family restaurant. They do not have a child’s menu. I think a child would be miserable here so save it for an adult night out if you can.
Please feel free to leave me a question or comment.
I am keeping track of the reviews I am writing chronicling our 3-month cross country trip:
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Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Best Suited For: Trendy Crowd
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