by JIMMY J. PACK JR.

Describing food is no easy task, after all, you’re taking one sense, taste, and trying to translate it into verbal. When someone describes a chocolate mousse as rich, what exactly does that mean?

The food at Chestnut Hill’s Al’Dana is no easier to explain — your tongue twists and tingles as the taste buds are over-stimulated by the juices of lemons, the earthy punch of pine nuts, the hearty, delicate crunch of broccoli sautéed in tahini. And this sensual explosion of flavors is yours for the taking every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday for $8 during their lunchtime-buffet from 11 am. to 2 p.m.

Al’Dana’s owner and head chef, Math Meri, is proud of his food that has customers returning from other cities, such as New York, Detroit and Washington, D.C.

“My food is about time and love. When I cook I make sure to cook everything knowing I am going to eat it too. I‘ve tried to teach others how I cook but it just can’t be done — everything you have here is fresh daily and always cooked by me.”

When you dine at Al’Dana it’s clear that these words are not the playful boasting of someone out to sell you something — he means it. His pita breads and Jerusalem breads are imported from Canada. His spices are obtained either locally or from spice importers from New York or Chicago.

“No other Middle Eastern restaurant comes close to our quality, “ says Meri. “Everything you order is cooked to order. There’s nothing sitting on the burner or waiting for you in a pan — it’s all fresh and healthy.”

Health researchers agree with Meri. The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest (if not the healthiest) in the world. Foods lightly cooked in olive oil, heavy on luscious vegetables like zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, onions and garlic all make for strong disease fighters; some ingredients even protect the heart.

What gives Al’Dana the edge over other Middle Eastern restaurants is Meri’s knowledge and use of spices.  The Middle East has so many native herbs that Americans and chefs all over the world have yet to master. The use of sumac, a perfectly safe herb that shocks your taste center with a zingy lemon zap, makes the broccoli with tahini dish as addictive as coffee — have it once and you have to keep having it.

“I know I crave different things at different times, depending on the weather and my mood, that’s why when I cook for my customers, I am always accommodating. I buy my produce fresh every day and nothing is pre-made. You order it, I’ll make it for you.  If you want low salt, something with less olive oil or something spicier, I can do it for you.”

The items at the buffet change daily. One day there will be kofta balls (ground beef or lamb with spices) and sautéed eggplant, other days there will be chicken with onions and cardamon with a side of zucchini - and there’s always hummus and pita.

And don’t confuse Middle Eastern food with Indian food. “A lot of people do this,” says Meri. Indian food relies on hot spices, beans and yogurt as the staple ingredients. Middle Eastern food relies on more earthy tastes like ground chickpeas with tahini (sesame seed paste), shawirma (shredded rotisserie lamb with hummus, tahini, parsley, onions, tomato and sumac), fish,  ground beef and simple pita bread. Combine these tastes and your senses will never be let down. The smells make your mouth water, the presentation is so sumptuous you don’t want to ruin the look on the plate. And what they are famous for is their lamb. “People who say they don’t like lamb try ours and they return for more,” says Meri.

These amazing flavors are also available for you own catered affairs as well — Bar/Bat Mitzvah, birthday party, luncheon, Al’Dana can do it.

“And for your price as well. When people call they ask me how much and I tell them, ‘you tell me?’  If someone has a budget and they want to feed say, 40 people at $20 a person, I’ll create different menus and they can choose what the prefer.”

That is customer service. So when you are free for lunch on the Hill, stop into Al’Dana and taste authentic, homemade Middle Eastern cuisine. Al’Dana is not open on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays.  For more information, call 215-247-3336, or, even better, visit Al’Dana at 8630 Germantown Ave.