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This Issue 10/26/2006

Also in this issue

• Everybody must get stoned
• Whacking Bush
• Fun for the Sleep Deprived
• Wine of the Week

The lure of the East: it's mystified Westerners for ages. For Europeans, it was the Mediterranean and the Black sea that divided east from west; for modern Penn-ites, it's the Schuylkill. Fortunately, thanks to the energies of Penn grads Yis Tigay (SAS '99) and Georgia Vass (SAS '01), Middle-East and Philly-West synthesize in Philly's Shouk.

Tigay used personal experience (childhood stints in Israel, Arabic major, study abroad in Egypt, extensive travel) to shape his laidback, European-meets-Marrakesh smoking lounge. A blend of authenticity and accessibility enables the lounge to provide shades of home and a comfortable, available "exotic" to a largely international clientele, as Israeli pop, Indian Bhangra, and French hip-hop provide a soundtrack for casual drinking, dining, and smoking.

When I arrive for a late dinner, the sensually warm cinnabar interior is a welcome contrast to the October chill. Cut-out candle lanterns bedeck mosaic tables, silhouette sconces softly illuminate banquettes, and multi-colored tea lights glow from unexpected places. Thanks to a recent whirlwind renovation project, the air is tinged by sawdust and fresh paint - an unlikely counterpart to the heady, sweet smoke of the sheesa pipes and the spices wafting from the kitchen.

Fancying myself a blue-eyed Princess Jasmine, I recline in the crimson lounge chairs and turn first to the signature cocktails. Using the low lighting as an excuse for lowered inhibitions, I sample the Moroccan Martini ($7), a, er, rockin', fresh blend of Stolichnaya, lime, and fresh mint (think mojito meets martini); the Red Turk ($7), perhaps better suited as an "Angry Ottoman," a blend of Jack Daniels, amaretto, and grenadine robust enough to rile anyone up; and the Pomatini ($7), a positively seductive, deep ruby concoction complemented by a sugared rim.

Soon, one of the many attentive, informed servers brings Arabic tumblers filled with piping hot mint tea, and I half-expect to be fanned by palm fronds. In ordering, I abstain from the soups (potato and leek, chicken and vegetable) and salads (beet and citrus), and choose instead the homemade hummus with saut‚ed mushrooms and truffle oil ($6) - a recipe which Tigay himself spent two years perfecting. The rich, creamy take on a beloved staple is studded with pine nuts, topped with tender mushrooms in a subtle truffle dressing and accompanied by toasty pita triangles.