Multicultural Experience Paper
Caspian Restaurant is located 14100 Culver Dr. in Irvine, California. This restaurant serves fine Persian food or in a more broad term, Middle Eastern Cuisine. Caspian Restaurant has been voted as one of the best restaurants in all of Orange County and has a variety of delicious delicacies. Most Middle Eastern dishes consist of meats such as chicken, lamb, and beef. However, there are also great dishes such as Falafel for vegetarians. Falafels are small fried round patties that are made from beans. They are usually a light-brown color, but may also be a greenish color from adding green vegetables such as cilantro or parsley. Served with these dishes is usually a side plate of their bread known as Pita bread (Heller, 2006). In ancient times of Egypt, people were served bread that was made by grounding the wheat and then cooked over a fire and with this bread they were also served beans. The variety of beans served included fava, lentils, and chickpeas. This is where the idea of Hummus, a favorite appetizer among Middle Eastern people, came about. Hummus is a chickpeas puree that is served with green olives and a small amount of olive oil. Hummus is usually eaten with the Pita bread as a healthy appetizer dish. For many Middle Eastern families, it is important that guests are served some of the homes favorite dishes. This includes various dips, cheeses, salads, and sometimes even fried meats and vegetables (Heller, 2006).
As I entered the Caspian Restaurant I noticed the beautiful decorations behind the loud piercing music in the background. Anywhere my eyes would turn there were statues and pictures of ancient times. The tall white pillars in the restaurant and the pure white walls made the restaurant seem as if it was a palace. I had never seen a restaurant as beautiful as this one. As I waited for the host to seat my family and me at a table, I noticed a group of young adults who were smoking what looked like large bongs. My curiosity led to me walking in the little room and asking the group what exactly they were smoking. As we got to talking, I learned more and more about the Middle Eastern culture. It turned out that the bong was not actually a bong, it is called a hookah. Hookah is flavored tobacco placed in a bowl and covered with foil paper. This bowl is then placed on the hookah that is pre-attached to a hose. Once those steps are completed, coals are placed on top of the foil paper wrapped around the bowl. This will cause the tobacco to burn as you inhale and exhale out of the hose. The group was very generous to explain what it was and they also allowed my family and me to try what it tastes like.
As minutes past, our table was now ready for my family to be seated. As we all walked down the hall to enter the seating area, the music was getting louder and louder. The door was opening and all I can see at the moment was gold. In front of my eyes, before even sitting at the table, I saw two gorgeous belly dancers that were going from table to table dancing for families and friends. The restaurant had a huge stage and dance floor in the center of all the seating. On this stage was a famous Middle Eastern male singer, as I was told. As the waiter was taking our order for drinks, I saw many of the families and other groups getting up to do their traditional dance. I did notice that there was a pattern to their dance and it was done in a circle where everyone is supposed to join hands. My sister and I decided that we would join them on the dance floor. As we joined the circle, the families politely greeted us and said “don’t worry, we will teach you how to Dabke.” My sister looked at me with a confused look and I looked at her the same way. We had no idea how to do this particular traditional dance. Finally after about 20 minutes of practice we were able to catch onto the pattern.
We finished the dance and sat down at our table. We had ordered our main course before we went on the dance floor so the food had already arrived. My sister and I decided to share a plate of the lamb chops. The plate had the meat, white rice with saffron, small amount of hummus and salad, and a basket full of pita bread. As we finished our dinner, the waiter brought out the dessert menu. As a family, we decided we would order two different items so that we can have a taste of both. We ordered Baklava and Makhloot. Baklava is made from flour, honey, rose water, pistachios, and almonds. Makhloot is the restaurants house ice cream that is mixed with rice noodles, rosewater, and syrup (Kowalski, 2002). Ending our night with these delicious desserts was definitely the best experience I have had at a restaurant. For the first time, I ate Middle Eastern food and I was in love with it.
Before going to a Middle Eastern Restaurant, I would have never thought to even try lamb. I had many preconceived notions about Middle Eastern Restaurants. I always thought that Middle Eastern restaurants only served beef. I had no idea that they had vegetarian dishes. Another preconceived notion I had was that Middle Eastern food was not healthy. However, this was not the case. In fact, most of the dishes are cooked with olive oil and the meats are skewered rather than fried. Also, I believed that if I went to a Middle Eastern Restaurant I would not like the food because everything would be very bland. I was completely wrong for this notion. Rather, the food was full of flavor and even the rice had saffron over it. As for the group influence, everyone at the restaurant had all of the families very engaged in the dancing and singing. It was all positive influence and all the employees at the restaurant were very open to the diversity of cultures.
One of my biggest fears of going to a restaurant that serves food other than from my own ethnic background is that people would look at me and wonder what I was doing there. When I walked into the Caspian restaurant there were some Middle Eastern families nearby our table who, more than likely figured out that we were not Middle Eastern, and starred at us when we were asking the waiter questions about what we should order. However, majority of the people that were there were too busy enjoying their time there to pay attention to who was walking in or out of the restaurant. Most of the people there had neutral reactions to my family and me, regardless of what ethnicity we were. In the beginning, the families who looked as if they were uncomfortable with our presence there, made my family and me uncomfortable as well. Once those families started talking amongst themselves and went up to the dance floor, it was easier to feel a bit more comfortable. Although I was uncomfortable, I did not let this affect my behavior in any way. I made sure that my family was comfortable during our night out and that we enjoyed ourselves. That was my main goal for the night. I did not want to make a big deal about the few people who made us uncomfortable when there were more families making us feel like we were a part of them.
In conclusion, the Middle Eastern food experience was great. I had much to learn and experience and this was definitely the perfect dinner to do just that. Although, at the restaurant my family was a little uncomfortable, my motivation and curiosity can explain why I did not overreact to the situation. All of my preconceptions of Middle Eastern food had vanished and now it has become one of my favorite cuisines to dine at. I had learned about the traditional dance known as Dabke, the smoking of Hookah, and the variety of food served at a Middle Eastern restaurant. All of these learning experiences from one night out at dinner with my family. I got to say, it was an unforgettable night.

References
Heller, C. B. (2006). Eat Like An Egyptian. Faces (07491387), 23(1), 30. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Kowalski, K. M. (2002). MORE AND MORE 'MAINSTREAM'. Cobblestone, 23(5), 33. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.