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• Kabob Korner

Manto, $6.48, at Kabob Korner. Manto are stuffed dumplings with ground beef and onion topped with a special sauce. (Steve Sanchez for The Star)

Chicken kabob $6.48 at Kabob Korner located at 6066 E. 82nd Street in Castleton. The kabob is served with rice and salad. (Steve Sanchez for The Star)

Baklava, $1, at Kabob Korner located at 6066 E. 82nd Street in Castleton. (Steve Sanchez for The Star)

Aren't friends great? A mutual pal of "friend Jen" and me recommended Kabob Korner in the Castleton area.

My skepticism of such a generic-sounding place was dashed quickly. It's pleasant, mainly thanks the gracious and welcoming host.

The mood

The decor of this tiny space was unexpected. Nothing fancy, but certainly not what my mind's eye was picturing for a strip-mall kabob location.

Vibrant orange and purple coat the walls, decorated with framed art. A small counter stands in a corner of this one-room restaurant, which also boasts stainless tables and modern chairs.

The music could be cranked up a little. It was awkwardly quiet and hard to carry on a conversation.

The main mood setter was our host/owner/server, Nasir Ayoubi. He has been in the restaurant business for years, and he assured us the ingredients were fresh and that "no fried food" makes it to the plates on his watch.

A steady flow of patrons ordered their lunch during our visit, but Ayoubi knew most of them.

The food

The menu matches the restaurant -- in size at least. Few options, but it's better to do a few things well, than a lot of things not so well.

First, the big "duh": kabobs start the list off right with a choice of sirloin, lamb, chicken breast or ground beef. Jen opted for the chicken kabob, served sans skewers ($6.48).

The manto dish caught my eye. Ground-beef-and-onion stuffed dumplings topped with yogurt and a garlic red sauce hit the spot ($6.48).

Our entrees arrived quickly. A chopped salad came first, with a standard Italian-type dressing, then our main dishes, which were both served with basmati rice and pita bread.

The vegetarian special offers the same rice, tossed with veggies and also served with a salad and bread.

The final frontier on the entree front is kurma chalow -- rice, layered with your choice of chicken or lamb, topped with a tomato and onion sauce.

More moolah would have allowed us to sample the two main side dishes, ordered separately. Aush is a veggie, bean, beef and noodle soup with yogurt sauce. It sounds tummy-warming. Sambosa, a pastry filled with beef and onions, also seems appetizing.

Finally, we couldn't exit without giving the baklava a try ($2 for two pieces). We were kindly warned by the owner not to eat too much. It was delicious. More honey and less spice than I'm used to, but it's impossible not to enjoy the flaky, sweet treat.

The drinks

Two 20-ounce sodas.

The damage: $19.07

A quick skip across the Castleton Square Mall parking lot and you could be planted in one of Kabob's seats. And why not? The meals are prepared with care, the service is personable, and you won't have to deal with the mall crowd... or the prices.