Lula Kebab House

Lula are grilled Kazakh kebab made from minced, seasoned lamb, customarily served over a bed of thinly sliced onions dusted with sumac. That's just how they're done at Lula Kebab House in Sunny Isles, and they're delectable. A piquant pepper dip of chutney consistency comes alongside the lula, as does a choice of basmati rice, tabbouleh, or mashed or roasted potatoes. Lula skewers its specialty with beef and chicken as well. The same meats come whole as shish kebabs, as do sturgeon and salmon, the last lathered in a tart/sweet pomegranate molasses. But this kebab house serves much more than kebabs. There are soups such as borscht, and pelmeni dumplings in chicken broth, plus beef Stroganoff, Georgian lamb stew, pickled herring, tomato stuffed with beef tongue salad, and sweet blini sumptuously stuffed with farmers and cream cheeses swirled with cherries. Portions are hefty, prices fair -- soups $5 to $7, appetizers $5 to $15, kebabs other than sturgeon $9 to $16. Do as the Russian émigré clientele do and have one of the amiable waiters slap a frozen bottle of vodka and some shot glasses on the table. It's like being back in the U.S.S.R., even for those who've never been.