Enjoy a Mediterranean feast at East Lansing’s new Chtoura Grill

East Lansing’s Hannah Plaza is home to a world of cuisines: Indian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese and now Middle Eastern, with the opening of Chtoura Mediterranean Grill in the space formerly occupied by Sultan’s. Specializing in Lebanese dishes, Chtoura offers the usual suspects expected of a Middle Eastern restaurant menu, as well as some less familiar choices.

I love to try new things, so I opted for the maklouba plate without knowing exactly what that was. As it turns out, maklouba is a traditional dish where meat, rice and fried vegetables are placed in a pot in layers. When it’s served, the pot is turned upside down — the Arabic word for which is where the dish gets its name. Because of the layering, when it’s inverted, it resembles a cake. The dish is served at large gatherings and celebrations.

Because I received a single serving, I missed out on this effect, but I was nonetheless impressed. Chtoura’s maklouba comes with yellow rice, fried eggplant and chicken, as well as a side of garlic sauce and a choice of soup or salad. I opted for the Greek salad, which, along with feta and black olives, contained ribbons of carrot that were pickled in the dressing. These bright, acidic flavors paired beautifully with the earthy, savory, cinnamon- and clove-spiced rice; the luscious fried eggplant; and the tender, shawarma-like chicken. There were also toasted slivers of almond, which were a tasty surprise every time they ended up in a bite.

All this and I haven’t even mentioned the bread! Small rounds of pillow-soft pita were perfect for stuffing with a layer of garlic sauce, a healthy portion of salad and a bit of everything else, then dipping in the silky-smooth hummus, which I added to the order. Bread is a welcome accompaniment to most meals, but Chtoura’s bread and maklouba were a match made in heaven.

When ordering takeout from Chtoura, the first thing you’ll notice is the heft of the bags. You could easily get another meal, if not two, out of the huge portion sizes, which is lucky because you’ll immediately want to go back for more.