NOSH
DINING IN THE D
I
woke up today with a
craving for fava beans.
Now that’s a sentence I
never thought I’d write. It’s
just that the seasoned beans
(Fooul) I had the day before
at KAL’S Lunch Bowl in Royal
Oak were uncommonly tasty.
The large beans were sautéed
with strips of caramelized
red onion and topped with a
lemon juice and olive oil driz-
zle. Contented sigh.
KAL’S describes its deli-
cious cuisine as “Fresh
Mediterranean Fusion.” The
restaurant’s “Bowls” meals, the
centerpiece of the menu, offer
myriad possibilities. The din-
er’s choice of eight main items,
including Fooul, is placed in
a large bowl with a base of
saffron rice, roasted vegeta-
bles or hummus. The bowl
continues building by adding
Fattoush, Greek, Tabbouleh or
house salad; pickles or pickled
turnips; and finally, a sauce:
garlic, Amba (pureed pickled
mango), hot Sriracha or mild
ranch dressing.
Starting at $11, the bowls
top out at $15 for beef ten-
derloin kabob chunks. The
other centerpieces are chicken
breast, grilled or deep-fried
and breaded as a chicken
cream chop; chicken or beef
shawarma (the most popular
choices); Sujiq (also “Sujuk”
or “Sucuk” — spicy beef and
lamb sausage, sautéed with
leeks), and Falafel (chickpea
and veggie deep-fried frit-
ters). The same items can fill
a wrap sandwich. Adding two
eggs for $2 more creates “The
Ultimate” Breakfast Bowl
or Breakfast Wrap.
The acronym “KAL
” reflects
the partners’ names. They
are “K” for Kal Al-Amara,
the restaurant’s Iraqi-born
executive chef; “
A
” for his
Chaldean-American wife, Chef
Anna Al-Amara, an Oakland
Community College culinary
program graduate; “L
” for their
daughter, Lorelai Al-Amara,
5, and adorable; and “S” for
Seymour Schwartz, a self-em-
ployed defense attorney for 43
years.
Schwartz, a longtime fan of
Kal’s cooking at another restau-
rant, encouraged him to go into
business together. The restau-
rant’s opening day was June 11,
2021, on Anna’s birthday.
“It’s been a wonderful col-
laboration,” said Schwartz,
ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
KAL’S
Lunch Bowl
Anna Al-Amara, Lorelei Al-Amara,
Kal Al-Amara and Seymour Schwartz
ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER