Saj and chicken ‘n cheese at Zaatar w Zeit

Submitted by Editor-at-large on February 21, 2009 – 8:20 pmComment

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zwz chicken w cheese - (c) dubaimoves.com

zwz chicken w cheese sandwich - (c) dubaimoves.com

Zaatar w Zeit is Arabic for Thyme (with other spices) and Olive Oil which are extremely popular in Arabic cooking.

This casual and popular Lebanese restaurant found in numerous locations throughout the city offers oven baked flat bread pizzas known as “saj” (also as manakeesh). They also offer a variety of sandwiches featuring zaatar, jebneh (cheese), and well as beef and chicken. The sandwiches come rolled up in the flat bread and oven baked like the one in the picture above. Remember though, that if you get the sandwich for take-out, it won’t come cut into pieces.

We’ve been fans of the “dejij w jebnej” (chicken and cheese) as well as the “chocolate w mooz” (chocolate syrup and banana) dessert for a long time. Lately, the chicken in the chicken w cheese has started to not taste as good as it used too, as if it’s being cooked differently. Anyone else noticed that? Maybe we’re just going bonkers.