Kan Zaman

by Steve D.

The only thing that kept this restaurant from 5 stars was the female hostess yesterday.Awesome location. Waitstaff friendly, but not too friendly. (You know, not silly or giggly.) The food was exquisite and decently priced. We even sat in the booths, where you take your shoes off and sit at the table on beautifully embroidered cushions.Note: There's no wine or beer at this restaurant. A slight let-down on my day off, but a Coke held me over. :)

by Richie D.

Ah, I went here today after the Gay Marriage Anti-H8 Rally.  It was perfect timing!  We were starving, freezing and with tired feet.  My friend whipped out her Peach Schnapps to warm us up.  Thanks to the BYOB warm eating environment, delicious home-mixed chai/mint tea and comfortable floor cushion seating...we almost fell asleep after a filling meal.  While the rice was a bit blah, the falafels and hummus were yummy.  The service was friendly and laid back.  I'd probably go back for their lunch special when I'm in the area.

by Heather K.

Delicious food, reasonably priced, BYOB - along with interesting decor and a cool vibe. We sat in a booth that was filled with cushions and held a giant silver platter as our "table." It was really neat but I wasn't sartorially prepared - note to the ladies: don't wear a skirt if you plan on sitting in the cushion seat area! I loved the lentil soup and my entree - chicken shawarma on a bed of hummus. The chicken was fantastic and such a huge portion. It would have been enough for a dinner + lunch the next day. The falafel dinner was also gigantic - I want to say the plate had about 10 falafel balls! Hummus was very creamy and I loved the freshly-baked pita bread. I normally don't go crazy over very thin pita bread but this was quite delicious. The baklava was a nice treat for dessert - just a few bites but that's all you really need.I'll definitely be back and I thought that BYOB was a nice touch. I didn't even know there were BYOB restaurants in this part of the city!

by Jonathan R.

Great food, service, and entertainment! I never had Lebanese food  before my visit to Kan Zaman, but now I'll try it anytime. Kan Zaman is also a BYOB. Just in case, you forgot your booze, about one block south and a 1/2 block west from the restaurant is a Binny's. Also, Kan Zaman accommodates large parties. I was there for a birthday gathering with a total of 20 people. The restaurant was able to accommodate us quite nicely with reservations. I strongly recommend Kan Zaman for anyone.

by Phil P.Krsna V.Amanda C.Edward M.Adam M.

Looking for good Lebanese food and BYOB - this is your place.I have been here multiple times and each time its been the same - great food and excellent service.  The food is your traditional Lebanese - humus, shawarma, etc.  They always have a daily special which typically run each only a few times a year.Large parties is not an issue.  They have always made it work.  They are extremely accommodating and their prices are reasonable.  If you can make reservations when the belly dancers are there, it makes it a whole different experience.  Either way the service and food is reliable.  Thats all that matters when you want a nice relaxing, low cost dinner.Yo, dawg! Do the downward dog before you get here. You will need some stretching before sitting on the floor style seating. Rainy evening, dinner time, looking for something different from standard fare. We walk into Kan Zaman. The host offered us the floor style seating. I was immediately hooked. This is like eating at your Lebanese aunt's house. Or, in my case, my Moroccan, Algerian, and Libyan peeps' homes. Sitting around a big circular plate and sharing a meal with family members (I was the only non-family member at such dinners). Ah, the joy of growing up in North Africa. Took me back to the good old times.The husband struggled a little with the seating. His waspy ass is not accustomed to sitting cross legged during dinner. I, on the other hand, have incredibly flexible legs due to my whorish past (and present). My legs automatically assumed the lotus pose upon sitting.Started with the vegetarian combo for an appetizer:  a sampling of hummus, tabouleh, baba ghannouj, falafel, dolma, feta cheese and olives. The portion size was big enough to be a dinner entree.  Everything was well prepared - silky hummus, salty feta, tangy tabbouleh, and crunchy falafel. We were full from just eating the appetizer. A 5 star item.I got the lamb special, the husband ordered chicken shawarma. My lamb was absolutely perfect - shank of lamb slow cooked to perfection. I didn't have to use my knife to get the meat off the bone. It fell off as soon as I put my fork on it, and melted in my mouth. Definitely a 5 star dish. The husband's shawarma was good.Did not get dessert because all they have is baklava. Not a fan of sweets.I hear they have hookah, but I am a non-smoker, so I wouldn't know anything about it. Do it, get the floor style seating, be transported into the middle east.Ladies, if you are on a first date, you can tell how good this man can be in bed if he can sit through the length of the meal without being uncomfortable. A flexible man is a good man to find... just like a hard man :)And, gentlemen, same rule applies for your lady date. You know she is a keeper when you see her stretch and maneuver her legs.And now, fellow 'mos, if you see your guy/ girl assume various "poses" through dinner, you know you are definitely getting laid after dinner. I know from experience! Hey-yo!A tip for all the ladies out there: Do not opt to sit on the pillowed "floor" seats if you have chosen to wear a dress or boots with funky socks.  You end up sitting funny, for starters and also, everyone can see your stupid socks (cuz you have to take your shoes off.)Helpful hints aside, this place was our savior on date night.  Our initial plan to drop into Club Lago for its opening was thwarted due to everyone and their mother being there that Saturday night.  That left us in River North with no din-din.BYO in River North?  You've got it!  $5 corkage, but the sweetest server ever, and a friendly manager that kindly opened the windows when it was stuffy on the inside.  A belly dancer shaking her thang set further set the mood for a very "Arabian Nights" style date.Oh yeah, we ate too.  The hummus was lovely and full of olive oil goodness, served alongside a variation of a pita.  Lentil soup was spiced (but needed a nip of salt).  I stuck with my usual kafta kabob cuz I love my salty meats.  This one did not disappoint.  Tender, flavorful, and just wonderful.  I enjoyed wheat bulger on the side (the rice was good too) along with grilled tomato, onion, and green pepper.We sampled the baklava for dessert (what else goes with the final bits of a bottle of wine than sweet stuff, right?) and it was perfect.  Light, crispy, and perfectly sweet, it ended up being a lovely ending to our meal.Great for a large group or for a date, bring your wine or beer, your favorite people, and wear matching socks.Been here a couple times now. Both for dinner with big groups. Both during belly dancing!Just to cover, the food is pretty good; the standard genuine Mediterranean done very well. Kabobs, shwarma, kafta, rice, hummus, etc. So if anything, don't worry about getting something you won't like to eat. You'll like it.The biggest aspect of Kan Zaman is the atmosphere, I feel. This place is great for groups, family-style dinner; the space and the service was made for it. The service is a quick and efficient, if not a little curt. And it can get a little rowdy, depending on how many/big groups there are (especially during the belly dancing). but then the same rowdiness/energy coming from all these groups can be a little distracting/intimidating as well, as every group continually checks each other out and it becomes a big BYOB/cheers/bday singing competition. the belly dancing portion of the night probably lasts a bit too long; a straight hour of one dancer and blasting music. the first 30 min is probably long enough to enjoy the novelty, the last 30 min is probably unnecessary and a little awkward... especially after seeing the dancer get out as quick as possible after she's done, like a belly dancer version walk of shamealso, i guess there's a "per-bottle" BYOB corkage fee. this means bring a couple huge bottles of alcohol/wine instead of a lot of regular ones.anyhow, a solid choice for Mediterranean food and large groups. just get ready to get rowdyI understand that the location is River North, and the rent is high - but I wasn't expecting to pay 2x-5x as much for the same food as I get up on Kedzie, in smaller portions no less.  The food, as far as middle eastern fare is concerned, is not bad.  Hummous is nothing special, sharwarma is pretty decent, falafel o.k.  The shawarma pita sandwich is woefully small, however.  The fries that accompanied the sandwich were mediocre at best.This would all seem like 3-star review material; alas, it is not.  I came in for lunch with a friend, when there was one other party in the restaurant.  We ordered, and other tables started filling up.  As the 25 minutes elapsed between our order and getting our food, we watched as every table but ours received theirs before us.  Our waitress seemed to forget our existence; we had to yell to another waitress to ask why our food was taking so long.  "There was a problem in the kitchen."  Yeah - a problem that affected us and no other table?  Please.Anyway, I will not be returning to this place.  Overpriced, small portions, average food, and crap service.  Oh- and I almost forgot - the bus boy decided to try to take away our hummous while I was eating it.  Shameful.  Best of luck to everyone else!

by Brooke E.

Kan Zaman's paper-thin pita bread tastes like stale communion wafers.  If you have to order their unoriginal tasteless hummus paste, I'd just eat it by the spoonful.  The beef kabob, however, was fantastic.  I usually do not expect much from a kabob, quantity wise.  But this one; this one was generously festooned with perfectly cooked meat.  It might be the most satisfying kabob there is to be had in Chicago.  Maybe I am qualified enough to make that kind of statement. Hey Kel!  If you're reading this, you should know that "belly dancer" is not synonymous with "stripper."  Under no circumstances should you ever stick a one-dollar bill into a belly dancer's (bejeweled) underpants. I

by Samantha H.

This place was pretty awesome.  My man took me here for a surprise dinner date last night, and I was thrilled.  It's so hard to find good mediterranean food in Chicago!  We ordered two appetizers (hummus and grape leaves), and two entrees.  All of the entrees are also served with your choice of lentil soup or salad, and they are quite generous - if we hadn't been going to the theater from there, I would have had at least half of my entree to take home for another meal.  The decor is great, the service is attentive but not intrusive, and the food is fantastic - highly recommended!

by Krsna V.

Yo, dawg! Do the downward dog before you get here. You will need some stretching before sitting on the floor style seating. Rainy evening, dinner time, looking for something different from standard fare. We walk into Kan Zaman. The host offered us the floor style seating. I was immediately hooked. This is like eating at your Lebanese aunt's house. Or, in my case, my Moroccan, Algerian, and Libyan peeps' homes. Sitting around a big circular plate and sharing a meal with family members (I was the only non-family member at such dinners). Ah, the joy of growing up in North Africa. Took me back to the good old times.The husband struggled a little with the seating. His waspy ass is not accustomed to sitting cross legged during dinner. I, on the other hand, have incredibly flexible legs due to my whorish past (and present). My legs automatically assumed the lotus pose upon sitting.Started with the vegetarian combo for an appetizer:  a sampling of hummus, tabouleh, baba ghannouj, falafel, dolma, feta cheese and olives. The portion size was big enough to be a dinner entree.  Everything was well prepared - silky hummus, salty feta, tangy tabbouleh, and crunchy falafel. We were full from just eating the appetizer. A 5 star item.I got the lamb special, the husband ordered chicken shawarma. My lamb was absolutely perfect - shank of lamb slow cooked to perfection. I didn't have to use my knife to get the meat off the bone. It fell off as soon as I put my fork on it, and melted in my mouth. Definitely a 5 star dish. The husband's shawarma was good.Did not get dessert because all they have is baklava. Not a fan of sweets.I hear they have hookah, but I am a non-smoker, so I wouldn't know anything about it. Do it, get the floor style seating, be transported into the middle east.Ladies, if you are on a first date, you can tell how good this man can be in bed if he can sit through the length of the meal without being uncomfortable. A flexible man is a good man to find... just like a hard man :)And, gentlemen, same rule applies for your lady date. You know she is a keeper when you see her stretch and maneuver her legs.And now, fellow 'mos, if you see your guy/ girl assume various "poses" through dinner, you know you are definitely getting laid after dinner. I know from experience! Hey-yo!

by Nicoletta R.

I've been putting this off for two years and I can be silent no longer: KZ has the best fattoush, the silkiest hummos and the most consistently delicious lentil soup I've found in Chicago. The pita is always the perfect texture and temperature, and the zaalouk and lubia are delicious.I'm moving in.

by H H H.

-Cozy, quiet atmosphere - relaxing with the doors open in summertime-Authentic seating and food-Chicken Schwarma is a great dish-Excellent Hummus