Hidden Gem: Dama Rose Middle Eastern Cuisine Opens in West Haven

It’s often the “off the culinary grid” spots that are true hidden gems. We have found one for you.  

Let me introduce you to Dama Rose, which opened just about a year and a half ago in a small strip of shops right on the Post Road in West Haven. It might not have the fanciest address but it doesn’t (and shouldn’t) matter, as most gourmands and critics will concur.

Chef Malaz Hayak opened Dama Rose in September 2024. The restaurant industry runs deep in veins – His father owned and ran a successful restaurant in Damascus which remains in the family today. Nearly 20 years ago Hayak left Syria for the States where he joined his brother who then owned Rabia’s, a popular restaurant in Boston’s historic North End. Chef is a formally trained Cordon Bleu Chef and received his training in Cambridge, Massachusetts. There he was exposed to many award-winning restaurants, and landed an externship at the notable Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel where he trained directly under Executive Chef David Daniel. 

Fast forward to just about a year and a half ago, Hayek relocated his family to Connecticut where almost immediately he learned of an available restaurant space. A former falafel house had shuttered its doors. A month after moving here, he opened his own restaurant. The Dama Rose has been incredibly well received in the New Haven and surrounding communities. Not long after opening, the restaurant had the privilege of catering a special 1,500 person dinner at Yale’s Beineke Library.

Middle Eastern cuisine seems to have gotten increasingly popular over the past few years. Like all cuisines, there are similarities and subtle nuances that differ from region to region. Syrian cuisine is characterized by the incorporation of complex spices, mixing sweet, sour and savory. One of the key ingredients in Syrian cuisine is Aleppo pepper a fruity chili known for its slightly smoky flavor. Other prominent flavors include lemon, pomegranate and molasses, along with cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Syrian dishes, often have regional styles, and Dama Rose does focuses primarily on the Damascus region. Hayak describes it as Syrian cuisine as 75% similar to Lebanese and 75% similar to Turkish.

We started with a Mezze, or appetizer, the Dama Mix is a beautiful and delicious assortment of traditional spreads including hummus, mutabal, a creamy, smoky dip, muhammara a tangy and slightly spicy red pepper and walnut dip that originates from the Aleppo region in Syria, and baba ghanoush, the traditional eggplant as well as a beet variety. Our Mezze was a fun way to sample a variety of customary dips that are vibrant in flavor and color. We enjoyed noshing on these with their warm, house-made, freshly out of the oven pita. Their breads are also really something special. 

Arayes is a popular Middle Eastern street food. Crispy pita pockets are filled with ground beef and melted cheese and flavored with assorted herbs and spices. These can be grilled or fried until the dough is crispy, the well-seasoned meat thoroughly cooked and the cheese becomes gooey. Think quesadilla, but a Middle Eastern version served in pita. (Great for a cheese-pull photo op!)

Next, we were treated to an assortment of Fatayer, traditional pies that are sometimes stuffed with assorted meats, veggies and cheeses (think calzone or meat pie) and sometimes served open-faced like a traditional pizza. The Cheese Fatayer is straightforward made with savory egg parsley, and a mixture of Syrian and mozzarella cheese. This traditional hand pie is simple and flavorful.

The Zaytoon another stuffed pie is filled with Syrian cheese mozzarella mixture and positively brimming with sliced green olives. 

The spinach pie is straightforward… The same wonderful dough stuffed with an aromatic spinach filling.

We were also introduced to Sharha’t and Lahmeh, individual open faced pies, like pizza yet very different. Our selections included one made with seasoned steak, another topped with minced lamb, onions, peppers, and mint, and one with lamb and tomatoes and a savory mixture of yogurt, pomegranate and molasses, a very traditional Syrian combination. It was hard to choose a favorite!

The Dama Combo – a sizeable dish features grilled Kofta, a spiced minced meat that’s marinated with traditional Middle Eastern spices served on a kebab. There were chicken and lamb shish kebabs as well. Each kabob was more delightful than the next, all so flavorsome and tender.

No Middle Eastern meal should ever be complete without Chicken Shawarma. We were introduced to the Dama Rose’s Chicken Shawarma rolls. The chicken – marinated in a mixture of  cumin, turmeric, paprika, and garlic—was wrapped up in a “roll” and grilled to crusty perfection. The and chicken couldn’t have been more flavorful and tender. Try these with their garlic mayo. These may have been my favorite Shwarma experience to date.

If you have room for, and are craving something sweet, I might suggest you try a Knafeh, a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made from shredded phyllo dough, filled with a sweet cheese and topped with alight simple syrup. For something a little more (a lot more) decadent you might want to order the Dama Chocolate. Dig deep into the three layers of knafeh with a pistachio sauce, vanilla cream and a Nutella ganache. 

This was a wonderful introduction to Syrian cuisine and we thoroughly enjoyed learning about how it differs from those in other regions. If you live nearby we highly recommend you check these guys out. If you live a little further away, it will be worth your time to hop in your car, or call an Uber. Don’t want to drive? Don’t want to call an Uber? Don’t want to leave the house? Dama Rose delivers!

Dama Rose Dama Rose 702 Boston Post Road, West Haven, CT

@damarose