Eastern Mediterranean small-plate restaurant Moona opens Monday in Cambridge
, the newest venture of restaurateurs Mohamed El Zein and Radouan Ouassaidi, will officially open its doors on October 24 in Cambridge’s Inman Square, the restaurant announced in a statement.
A selection of dips featured on Moona’s menu.
Located at 243 Hampshire Ave., the 30-seat restaurant inspired by Arabic and Eastern Mediterranean culture specializes in warm and cold small plates, as well as blends “house-made aromatic spices, dried herbs, and jams” with local ingredients.
The restaurant is inspired by the slang word for the Arabic word meaning “pantry.”
“My favorite thing about the kitchen in my house is the moona … better known as our pantry. My home pantry is full of spices, pickles, jams, dried herbs, etc., from my home country of Lebanon,” El Zein said in a statement. “It’s these pantry ingredients that differentiate our flavor and elevate our home cooking … That’s why Radouan and I created this concept. We want people to experience the history and impact that the pantry has on food.”
These flavors can be found in Moona’s warm and cold “mezza” section, which offers small plates like Istanbul vine leaves with currants, pine nuts, and dill; octopus with fennel yogurt; scallops with pumpkin, leeks, and sumac; and lamb chops with pistachio butter and muhammara.
One of Moona’s warm mezza, octopus with fennel yogurt.
“Our goal is to bring these bold and unique flavors to the forefront, while embracing modern Arabic and Eastern Mediterranean culture,” Ouassaidi said in a statement.
Patrons can also enjoy a small selection of larger entrees such as couscous tfaya with chickpeas, raisins, and caramelized onions, and slow-cooked lamb shank with seasonal root vegetables, though these are not the menu’s focus.
Moona’s menu fuses local ingredients with Eastern Mediterranean flavors. Here, scallops with pumpkin, leeks, and sumac.
“It’s really important to understand that all this food is meant to be shared and enjoyed together in small bites. I’ve always been a big fan of getting a bunch of small plates everywhere I go, and this concept is sort of built around that idea,” executive chef Mark McMann said in a statement.
Patrons will also be able to purchase homemade spice blends, pickles, jams, and preserves, as well as participate in monthly cooking classes, according to Moona.
Moona will be open seven days a week, from 5-10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, and 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. You can try out the restaurant before its grand opening from October 17 to October 23 by making a reservation.
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