52 | NOVEMBER 7 • 2019 

I

f you’
ve lived in Metro 
Detroit as long as I have, 
you’
re probably a fan 
of Middle Eastern cuisine. 
Whether this is because of 
your Israeli family who lives 
in town, your favorite local 
restaurant or a taste for for-
eign fare, you need to take 
your taste buds on a journey 
to La Marsa. 
While the West Bloomfield 
location of this local eatery 
has been my family’
s go-to 
takeout place for years now, 
I was recently able to experi-
ence their Farmington Hills 
location for the first time. 
Though I had an idea of what 
to expect food-wise, my typ-
ical dining experience was 
made more worthwhile by the 
chance to see this restaurant 
from a completely different 
perspective. 
To get the best sense for the 
variety that La Marsa has to 
offer, we tried to diversify our 
typical order. Rather than a 
salad, we opted for the lentil 
soup, hummus and vegetarian 
grape leaves. As expected, the 
lentil soup was everything 
you’
d want a lentil soup to 
be — light while being filling, 
and flavorful without being 
overpowering. Along with its 
paprika-dusted hummus, the 
lentil soup tastes especially 
magnificent when eaten with 
its world-class pita. I recom-
mend getting a dozen pitas 
to take home, along with a 
side of unusually delightful 
hummus. Make sure to throw 
some olive oil on 
top of La Marsa’
s 
hummus for that 
quintessential 
pita-indulging 
experience. 
For the main 
course, we chose 
a half order of 
chicken breasts with almond 
rice. Although simple, its 
chicken breasts make excellent 
usage of a blend of Middle 
Eastern spices in addition to 
a natural grilling flavor that, 
when combined, is difficult to 
mimic. The chicken provides a 

perfect vessel for gathering up 
La Marsa’
s almond rice, which 
I could probably eat buckets 
of. Pair the chicken and rice 
with its pure garlic paste and 
hummus, and you’
ll have a fla-
vor festival in your mouth that 
will leave you craving more. 
Though I didn’
t get a side 
salad on this particular trip 
to La Marsa, I have full faith 
in it. Whenever we order 
La Marsa from the West 
Bloomfield location, I always 
ask for extra dressing with our 
side salad so I can use it over 
the following weeks. It’
s that 
good. 
Even if Mediterranean food 
isn’
t your favorite, La Marsa 
has a wide enough offering 
so everyone can enjoy a meal 
there. This includes specialty 
beverages and desserts. Not 
only does it have a variety of 
raw juices and smoothies to 
enjoy during your meal, but it 
also has rice pudding and bak-
lava if you’
re in the mood for 
something a little sweeter. 
While you could do what 
my family usually does 
and order L 
a Marsa to go, 
you should make plans to 
go to the actual restau-
rant in Farmington Hills. 
Alongside quick service and 
friendly staff, the soothing 
Mediterranean-inspired music 
in the background provides 
an ideal setting for a relaxing 
meal. 
The relaxing environment 
and interior decorations 
at the Farmington Hills 
location make 
your average 
Middle Eastern 
restaurant look 
like any other 
fast food joint. 
With multiple 
chandeliers 
cascading from 
the ceiling, wooden detailing 
and stunning tile work 
coupled with the background 
music and scrumptious 
cuisine, you’
ll really feel like 
you’
ve stepped from a strip 
mall in Metro Detroit to a 
seaside Mediterranean cafe. 

Mediterranean-
Inspired

Head to La Marsa for exceptional 
Middle Eastern fare. 

STEFANI CHUDNOW SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

PHOTOS BY STEFANI CHUDNOW

La Marsa

24273 Middlebelt Road, 

Farmington Hills

(248) 473-9900

lamarsacuisine.com

eats | drinks | sweets
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