Mediterranean food and Japanese cheesecake? New metro-east cafe offers both

A new restaurant offering Mediterranean flavors – and Japanese cheesecake – opened in Edwardsville Monday.

I visited AJ’s Mediterranean Café and Tanuki Cakes and spoke with owner Michael Jaber about his new restaurant.

AJ’s is the latest endeavor by Jaber and his wife, Emma, of Glen Carbon. The couple also owns Taste of Lebanon, 331 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, which offers a variety of Lebanese fare.

The number of vegetarian and vegan options stood out to me. (I admit it’s a big reason why I wanted to visit the restaurant in person.) Jaber said that these are common with Lebanese cuisine.

Awesome! We don’t have too many Lebanese options this side of the Mississippi.

Part of the reason why Jaber decided to open the restaurant in Edwardsville is that many of his customers at Taste of Lebanon come from Illinois and wanted something on that side of the river. He said opening a place here was a way to fulfill that request. Plus, Jaber said they live in Glen Carbon, so Edwardsville made sense and is convenient.

Getting a taste

AJ’s shares some of the menu from Taste of Lebanon including appetizers, soups and salads, sandwiches, entrées and desserts.

Choose from:

Appetizers – Hummus, Baba Ghanoush, Feta and Olives, Lehneh, Grape Leaves, Falafel, Kibbeh (vegan version available);

Soups, Salads & Sides – Lentil Soup, Tabouli Salad, Fatoush Salad, Batata Harra, Loaded Fries, French Fries, Spicy Fries;

Sandwiches – Chicken Shawarma, Beef Shawarma, Combo Chicken & Beef Shawarma, Saujok (vegan version available), Falafel, Tabouli and Fries, Gyro;

Entrées – Chicken Shawarma, Beef Shawarma, Falafel, Gyro, Kofta Kabob. (All come with a choice of two sides: rice, spicy potatoes, tabouli, hummus or fatoush and sauce.)

Several customers were there for lunch and commented on how good their food is. Folks enjoyed shawarma and gyros and baklava.

Jaber’s favorite menu item is the chicken shawarma. He also enjoys the Combo, which includes beef and chicken shawarma on a bed of rice, with one kibbeh, one falafel, tabouli, hummus and Baba Ghanoush, served with garlic sauce, tahini sauce, yogurt sauce and pita.

I also grabbed some lunch while I was there and can confidently recommend the falafel and the vegan Saujok. (The plate was so pretty that I had to take a picture.) And the Turkish coffee was absolute heaven.

Other beverages include smoothies, hot teas, brewed coffee and espresso, and cold beverages from Excel Bottling Company.

When asked about the SKI-branded cooler behind the counter, Jaber said he wanted to carry a local product. He called the Breese-based company, which was happy to accommodate him.

And for dessert … What are tanuki cakes?

If after indulging in the excellent food offerings you actually have room for dessert, choose from the baklava (almonds, pistachios, cashews, walnuts), choclava (filo pastry filled with peanut butter, chocolate, walnuts, coconut flakes), Namoura (semolina cake drizzled with syrup), pita chips and Tanuki Cakes, a Japanese-style cheesecake.

With all of the great Lebanese fare on offer, why does AJ’s also have a Japanese dessert?

It turns out that Jaber’s silent partner is a fan of the fluffy cheesecakes. Upon learning more about it, Jaber said he acquired the recipe but needed to rebrand it.

His silent partner elected to call the dessert Tanuki Cakes.

So you might be wondering, what’s a tanuki?

A tanuki is a Japanese raccoon dog. If you ever played Super Mario Bros. 3 on Nintendo, you may recall the tanooki suit, which gave Mario (and Luigi) ears and a striped tail, like a raccoon, and allowed him to become a stone statue to avoid enemies.

But I digress.

AJ’s sells the Tanuki Cakes with optional toppings that include raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, chocolate, caramel and Nutella.

And if you didn’t leave room for dessert, take some to go and enjoy it later.

About AJ’s Mediterranean Café and Tanuki Cakes

AJ’s Mediterranean Café and Tanuki Cakes is located at 1025 Century Drive in Edwardsville.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday and 11 a.m .to 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. For more info or to place an order, call 618-307-5284. You can find updates on the restaurant’s Facebook page.