Located on the first floor of the Golden Tulip Hotel, Afandi is a restaurant that serves a wide selection of the tastiest Lebanese specialty dishes, which we often crave for when away from home. Would you believe it when I tell you that the food at Afandi Tunis is better than some of our local »more...
↧
Delicious Lebanese Creations in Tunis: Afandi Restaurant
↧
A Tasty Lebanese Mankoushe in the Heart of Paris
I landed in Paris at 2pm. My friend came to pick me up from the airport. He had a plan. He said he was not taking me home just yet… As we drove out of the airport to an unknown destination, he looked at me and asked: “Would you like to try the tastiest mankoushe »more...
↧
↧
Noura: Trying the Taste of a Lebanese Shawarma in Paris
I don’t think that anyone who lives in Paris is not familiar with Noura – a Lebanese restaurant and caterer. This renowned restaurant has been serving Lebanese specialties for the past 20 years or so. With more than 8 different locations distributed around the French capital, Noura has played a role as one of Lebanon’s ambassadors, providing quality everyone respects. Today, walking around the Val D’Europe mall, I came across one of their branches by pure coincidence and decided to check out what or how a Shawarma sandwich tastes-like in France, or at least how Noura prepares it.
The Shawarma, -called a Kebab sandwich in Europe- trend in Lebanon is developing at a phenomenal speed where dozens of new brands are seeing the light and promising to open hundreds of new shops or franchises locally, regionally and maybe internationally. Names like Shawarma Show, Shawarmanji, Joseph, Makhlouf, Jabbour, Barbar, Shawarma Republic and Boubouffe are a few at the top of my head. Today, with all these developments and popularity, the bar has been raised even higher and this one of a kind sandwich has minimal standards to abide with.
Noura Val D’Europe:
- Located in the heart of Val D’Europe mall
- The restaurant occupies the corner of the right side after entering the food court
- A fast food walk-in and a restaurant able to host up to 50 guests at once
- Red walls, green and pink leather chairs around square tables
- Dimmed lighting and a cozy ambiance
- The sandwich area hosts several fridges: Prepared salads, hummus, ice cream, baklava, cheese rolls and Lebanese bites, falafel in addition to two Shawarma rolls
- A staff of four, handles the restaurant helped by chefs (three of whom I have seen)
- Lebanese items like Caffe Najjar Arabic coffee, Kasatly Chtaura syrups, Lebanese bread, Baklava sweets, roasted nuts, maamoul, Cortas canned hummus and foul, pre-prepared desserts are here for sale
Four screens on each side, displaying the menu:
- Nos Duo Mezzes (Hummus, Tabboule, Loubieh, Mousakaa, Samke harra, Stuffed vine leaves, Loubie, Bemiye…) 6,9euros
- Nos Salades (8 choices) 6,9 euros
- Nos Menus (Vegetarien, fraicheur, detente, vital) 7,5-12,9 euros
- Nos Sandwiches (Labne, makanek, taouk, kafta, sojok, chawarma…) 5,9-6,5 euros
- Nos Pizzas (not the Italian ones, but our local baked ones on round bread: Manakeesh, Arayess, Kellage, Lahme Beajine) 5,9-6,9 euros
- Nos Accompagnements 5,9-6,9 euros
- Nos Desserts 1,75-5,9 euros
I had for lunch: two shawarma sandwiches – one chicken and one meat.
I normally have minuscule sandwiches in France that are expensive. When I saw the sandwich at Noura I was impressed. Visually appetizing, both shawarma sandwiches are rolled in two layers of bread and filled up generously. The bread is fresh and a bit thicker than the one in Lebanon. A good quantity of meat (non chewy nor greasy) and vegetables are added into each sandwich: At 5,9 euros each, it looks worth it.
Now let’s taste them:
Shawarma meat: The parsley sandwich, oh sorry, the meat sandwich is a failure. There is more parsley inside than meat making it so unpleasant to chew. Parsley gets stuck everywhere in your mouth and makes the taste of the meat obsolete. Even dryer than the chicken, the meat is not marinated. Unfortunately the slice of tomato didn’t help making the wrap juicier. Dry, over cooked and wrapped with two layers of bread, the final product is not pleasant to eat. More so, the hummus and tarator are too sour. A strong lemon taste is annoying. Three bites and I stopped. The meat sandwich was not edible.
What I think:
- Marinate the meat more and cook it less
- Check again the proportions of vegetables vs meat inside the sandwich
- I would definitely use one single layer of bread and not two
Shawarma chicken: The chicken is way too dry. A pity! Imagine dry bread- two layers of it – filled with dry chicken. What an unpleasant sandwich this is. The shredded lettuce, beetroot pickles, cucumber pickles and the garlic (in my case I substituted it with hummus) are not enough to make this sandwich juicy. Generous and fulfilling, some fine tuning is needed to make it as tasty as a real Shawarma, the way it should be served.
What I think:
- Marinate the chicken more and cook it less
- Use one single layer of bread. Two is really too much, especially since its thicker than the ones we are used to in Lebanon. You end up feeling the bread which covers all your taste buds. The sandwich becomes too chewy
In both cases: Toasted before serving, the idea is nice but the feeling of crunchiness would have been felt more if only they use less bread.
The Verdict: It’s a pity to see such a premium meat and chicken quality assembled in a bad sandwich. A perfect result can be obtained if fine tuned
The backlava piece offered with the sandwiches is good for a French product. It’s a bit far from our local creations but good enough for the foreigners who don’t really have something else to compare it with. I enjoyed it. The best part of it is the fact that it doesn’t cause a heartburn. I ate it and continued my day normally.
I am confident that Noura serves good Lebanese food, or to be more specific a revisited version of Lebanese food that French people appreciate. As for us Lebanese, we are more exigent about the taste of our country dishes. With some minor fine-tuning, Noura can be just great. I hope they consider them.
↧
Abou Jihad: Serving Premium Lebanese Meat & Mezze Since 1962
For half a century Abou Jihad still stands strong in Jaledib. Just saying half a century alone makes you realize how authentically professional Abou Jihad is…otherwise it would have collapsed decades ago… Since 1962, Nabil Abou Jaoude, aka Abou Jihad started as a Kabab specialist and grew to become a popular place for many.
On Mar Takla street in Jal el Dib, this 200sqm eatery with 45 seats has been serving guests the best of oriental dishes all made from premium ingredients – traditional recipes that have been impressing customers for three generations. Through the open kitchen, guests can see their orders being prepared freshly on the spot – famous grills are prepared as early as 11am for lunch, serving all kinds of barbecue dishes and sandwiches. That’s not all… A wide array of breakfast is available including mousabbaha, foul, hummus, balila and much more… cold appetisers, hot appetisers. You can dine in or order to takeaway, call for a delivery and they even offer catering services.
Abou Jihad is well know for its first quality raw meat. Their raw ‘baladi’ lamb cuts will make any meat lover rejoice with pleasure given to their taste buds.
My friends and I decided to have lunch on a saturday after the recommendation of my father in law: “You have to try Abou Jihad and Abou Joseph in Jal el Dib, those are authentic restaurants that remind me of my childhood and still serving the exact same quality.”
We arrived to an individual house built on Jal El Dib internal road just next to where Les Jardins de Chine restaurant was located. A Lebanese construction, the Beiteddine palace style known for its arcades with white and yellow stone lines. Just open the door to be mesmerised by pleasant food aromas dissipating from the open kitchen in front of you. To the left the dining area followed by another one with curtain glass where smoking is allowed.
The place described:
- The restaurant is constituted of three distinctive rooms
- The grill behind the fridge face the entrance
- The non smoking dining area, nested at the end where a premium arguile can be enjoyed
- A restaurant looking authentic but built in 2011 following the Beiteddine style of yellow and white stone walls
- White marble tiles inside and a dark concrete floor outside
- A bar, in the middle room prepares the drinks
- Inside are nice pie chairs and outside another simple design used in almost all villages of Lebanon
- Beige square wood tables
- The main architectural piece is the long grey stone wall facing the curtain glass that shows the stret ahead
Looking at the menu, you’ll understand that Abou Jihad is not like any other Lebanese restaurant where hummos and grilled meat is offered. Here, you can indulge in almost each and every piece of the “sheep”. Each organ is treated and seasoned differently and served grilled or raw. Lunch started with Termos and pumpkin seeds while the order is prepared.
The Menu:
Cold Appetisers:
- Hommos 6,000L.L
- Moutabbal batinjan 6,000L.L
- Labneh 6,000L.L
- Stuffed Grape Leaves 8,000L.L
- Season Salad 5,000L.L
- Fattouche 5,500L.L
- Tabbouleh 5,500L.L
- Seasoned Potatoes 5,500L.L
Hot Appetisers:
- Hommos, Meat & Pine Nuts 9,000L.L
- Foul 6,000L.L
- Balila 6,000L.L
- Mousabbaha 6,000L.L
- French Fries 5,500L.L
- Cheese Rolls (6pcs) 8,000L.L
- Kebbe (6pcs) 8,000L.L
- Samboussik (6pcs) 8,000L.L
- Makanek (12pcs) 9,000L.L
- Chicken liver 9,000L.L
- Lamb liver 12,000L.L
- Daran 8,000L.L
- Kalawi 8,000L.L
- Amourette d’agneau 8,000L.L
- Nkhaa 6,500L.L
- Chicken wings 11,000L.L
- Thal 8,000L.L
Raw Meats:
- Kafta 11,000L.L
- Lebanese Kebbeh 10,000L.L
- Kebbé Orfalieh 11,000L.L
- Raw Lamb Liver 12,000L.L
- Habra 10,000L.L
- Lamb Fillet 14,000L.L
Charcoal Grill:
- Grilled skewers 11,000L.L
- Chich Taouk 9,000L.L
- Cotelettes 12,000L.L
- Poussin grille 20,000L.L
- Arayess 9,000L.L
Kabab:
- Kabab halabi 10,000L.L
- Khachkhach 11,000L.L
- Kabab eggplant 11,000L.L
- Kabab Ourfali 11,000L.L
We ordered:
- Stuffed vine leaves: Thick and generous. Juicy with a strong lemon flavor and a premium filling. Very yummy
- Hummus: A beautiful texture, generous plate and covered with olive oil. A soft lemony after taste is so pleasant. I enjoyed it and didn’t feel the tiny little bit of garlic inside. Today I discovered one of my favourite hummus in town.
- Teble: That’s raw meat without borghol. A nice hard meat with a beautiful colour and consistency. I really enjoyed it even though I am not a raw meat fan.
- Hummus with meat: very rich and super generous. I loved it even thought the meat is a bit chewy. It is fresh meat: understandable. Each and every bite is filled with rich flavours. Meat, oil, pine nuts, fat and hummus. A must try
- Sambousik, Kebbe, Chese rolls: Those are my least favourite. Sambousik is too crunchy and oily, kebbe is richly filled but can be much better and the cheese rolls proportionality between cheese and puff pastry is inadequate. It contains way too much oily cheese. This plate didn’t impress me much
- Labneh: Deceiving! It is good but not great. In an authentic Lebanese restaurant, I would have expected to eat something “Baladi” with a harder consistency and less lemon aftertaste.
- Kabab Halabi: All the kebab plates are unique. Really out of this world. Delicious, soft and tender, feeling light and perfectly seasoned. The kabab halabi is served in a plate containing 5 skewers, covered with a toasted bread and a grilled tomato on the side. Delicious!
- Kabab khechkhach: Like the others, 200g are distributed into five skewers are served lying onto a tomato sauce. Cut a piece, dip it in the tomato and enjoy. Waw! That’s good…
- Kabab Orfali: The presentation in here differs. Two skewers with five cubes of kabab each separated by pieces of tomato. Every bite containing a kabab and a tomato is a piece of heaven. Soft, juicy and tender, I enjoyed it without bread to feel each and every ingredient
- Eggplant Kabab: Kabab cubes charcoal grilled with eggplant. A complete mix of tenderness melt like butter under your teeth
- Arak abou jihad: Thats a very good one. A must try. After three glasses, the rest of the day and the next morning were very positive.
- Mouhalabiah… a speciality: My favourite dessert which my wife’s aunt does perfectly is something I look to at home or at Fouad Hrajel specially after Al Halabi stopped producing it. Abou Jihad’s is good but would be great if less sugar is used. The quantity of rose water is perfect and the consistency as well. That’s a good mouhallabiyah discovered close to home
- Meghle: A very good taste, consistency and equilibrium of ingredients. A tasty dessert it is
Daran: Halaywet: My latest awesome discovery!
My Latest Discovery: Daran or Hlaywet is a part of the oesophagus covering the (Me3la2). Looking like a cluster of grapes. Balls of fat embracing a white tender meat. Just imagine! (excuse the amateur description but this is what I could gather of the owner).Simply Waw. Forget about your medical problems, erase the possibility of cholesterol and plunge into this unique piece of Heaven. I grabbed one, put in my mouth to feel the hot juicy piece of meat. A slight pleasant crunch of fat covering a white meat. The fat burns on the sides creating charcoal crunchy corners full of oil and juicy fat. Mmmmm… Simply awesome. Fat, crunchy, toasted, burned, soft, tender, juicy… many consistencies and flavours at once. Nothing, nothing compares to that. You have to close your eyes and go taste it. Simply awesome. The experience continues when you lick your lips afterwards and feel the salty fat around.
The things I liked:
- The plates are beautifully decorated, generous and appetising
- Portions richer and bigger than other Lebanese restaurants (6 pieces of sambousik when others serve 4 in a more expensive plate)
- The prices are up to 30% cheaper than Halabi and Mhanna
- A food quality that equals the high end Lebanese restaurants around
I would improve minor things:
- Lebanese bread only is not enough. I would have expected some Markouk bread or freshly made dough. Kaak is a possibility as well.
- I think offering hard goat labneh is better than the one proposed
Sometimes, you go searching for good places to eat far away from home when next door nests a unique restaurant that serves unique preparations. Abou Jihad, located in the heart of the Metn area is a place where you can have a superb Lebanese bite at an affordable price all in a simple non sophisticated setup. I won’t wait for long, I am going back next week.
↧
Hajj Nasr: A Must Experience Before It Closes Down
Many of you may know Hajj Nasr, one of the smallest sandwhicherias in Lebanon. You must have come across it, even if you haven’t actually tried it. Nestled in the heart of Achrafieh’s busy streets, Hajj Nasr, known for his abrupt character, welcomes people who wait in line for their turn to grab a hold of whatever is remaining in the kitchen to make. I reach there, stopped and felt mesmerized to walk into this small set up that has been serving sandwiches for over 32 years. I was happy to have experienced this place before it closes down in a couple of months. I suggest you go try it out for yourself…
Facing AiZone at ABC Achrafieh’s Mall, Hajj Nasr, the famous Hajj Nasr has been rolling meat and poultry sandwiches since 1975 in this small shop. At the very end is a counter where Mr. Hajj Nasr makes his famous sandwiches at the speed of light, starting at four in the morning onwards until nothing is left to be sold.
I arrived to a place, where dozens of accustomed customers were already waiting in line, just craving for a sandwich. Anything that is available is fine as long as it’s made by Hajj Nasr. I stood, amazed, astonished, not knowing what to think or what to do. I was trying to grasp the meaning and importance of this place to many. In a moment of trance, people passed me one after the other, until I snapped out of it, ready to discover what’s going on inside. I pushed myself in with confidence.
“Hello sir,” I said to the man standing inside, “Can I ask you couple of questions?”Al Hajj, opening the grill and without looking at me said “NO”Everybody laughed and a customer looked at me smiling said: “Hay2tak jdid houn” (You seem to be new around here).
It seems like it’s a known fact here that taking pictures is not allowed. Then, Al Hajj continuing to roll those sandwiches for the hungry clientele looked at me and said: “At this time, especially when I’m close to closing down, I start seeing all customers as enemies. Don’t waste my time,” he said sarcastically. Everybody laughed again, but knowing me, I grabbed the opportunity to ask more questions.
- Are you closing down soon? Yes, he said, the building has been sold and I don’t feel like working anymore. I’m going to Los Angeles to spend time with my kids. They have a hooka lounge I’m going to help them manage it.
- Which year did you open? I’ve been here since 1975. 32 long years at your service
- What is your name? Hajj, and the person inside is Hanna. We are both “H”s
- Why don’t you move to another location? You are doing lots of money. I don’t care about money anymore, I’ve done enough of it.
- What time do you open? 4am, you know there are people who work and want to eat early, not like you fine people who wake up at 11am and come asking questions to busy men like me.
This time making fun of me he looked at the customers and said: “Would you let me serve (Mr. Internet) first so he leaves and stops asking questions?”
The shop has nothing extraordinary to highlight. The walls are covered in stainless steel, promotional stickers fill the doors and at the end the famous counter, to the right, is the list of sandwiches:
- Chicken liver, lamb liver, Thal, Sanasel, Eggs and makanek, Eggs and soujok, Eggs and ham, Eggs and cream, Roast beef, chicken, stuffed vine leaves, soujok, makanek, kafta, basterma, tongue, labneh, chocolate… and more
The menu, handwritten and posted on the right wall is hard to be reached. When it was my turn to order, El Hajj looked at me and said, what can I give you? I answered with a shy smile: ”You tell me sir. This is my first time here, what should I order?”
He smiled sarcastically and said: “You don’t have much of a choice – there’s kafta and chicken liver so don’t think too much.”
While waiting, I enjoyed listening to Hanna – if this is his name- welcoming his guests with a unique vocabulary:
- Isteze, keef fine se3dak?
- Bi2amrak Ana!
- Hadde m3allemna!
- 3tine 5000L.L
- Kafta men 3aineyye
- Be3tezer 3a te2khir m3allme
- Thank you m3alme
- Merci beaucoup
- Khod hay sandwiche 3tiya la yalle warak
Helping Hanna is “the hand”. I’m assuming his name is Nassif. You don’t see a face, but just five fingers appearing through a window and quickly disappearing. Hanna calls out for some things and he delivers in a second…
I received two sandwiches:
- Kafta: The kafta is produced in a special way. A large container of kafta is always handy where Hanna grabs a chunk to spread it in the double layer of bread. It then enters a toaster, as is, to be cooked and toasted. Few minutes later, mayonnaise, tomato and pickles are added before rolling the sandwich and delivering it to the customer. This sandwich’s taste is unique reflecting what real street food is but for me its too fatty, too oily and too spicy.
- Chicken liver: Inside a soft and tender bread, chicken liver are combined with some tomatoes, pickles and coupled with a spread of garlic flavored mayonnaise.
Nothing impressive or extraordinary about the sandwiches. They are fatty, oily, too spicy and unevenly wrapped, but it’s the simplicity that is worth trying for only 3,000L.L/piece. Don’t expect super cleanliness, the place is a mess, and honestly nobody cares. Hundreds of thousands of people have eaten and enjoyed this place and its sandwiches for decades.
Trying to take more pictures for you to understand this place, I approached to shoot the sandwiches being rolled. Here Hanna stopped what he was doing and said: “Do you all think I’m like an animal behind bars at the zoo? Hundreds come taking my pictures as if I was some miracle. I don’t understand you people…”
El Hajj looks at me and tells me that almost all politicians you see on TV today have passed by this small place. “I know them and have met them. This little place is a legendary location.”I asked him, “So, now that I ate from your sandwiches, would I be a politician?” I continued, making him smile as I take more pictures and ask more questions.“Yes my dear, it’s a package. Now you started with two sandwiches, while leaving make sure you steal something and you’re almost there to reaching your goal to become a politician.”We all laughed out loud, and after paying my dues, I stood up on the sidewalk to eat like everybody else.
A friend if mine, whom I met over there, followed me out with another sandwich – the dessert this time: Cream, bananas and chocolate he says is exquisite.You still have two months left to meet Hajj Nasr. You’ll surely meet a special character, in a unique setting and most importantly be sharing a part of Beirut’s history to talk about with your kids.
↧
↧
3al Barakeh: Markouk Sandwiches Made With Love
While searching for more unique hidden yummy gems in our country, I remembered Mr. Toufic Faddoul, aka, Al Khal. A humble, positive man who has been offering homemade delicious sandwiches for over twenty years. Trust me this is not a place to miss… There’s a big center in Mazraat Yachouh, called Au Carrefour. On the lower »more...
↧
Hajj Nasr Sandwiches… Doesn’t Seem to be Closing Down Anytime Soon
Many of you may know Hajj Nasr, one of the smallest sandwhicherias in Lebanon. You must have come across it, even if you haven’t actually tried it. Nestled in the heart of Achrafieh’s busy streets, Hajj Nasr, known for his abrupt character, welcomes people who wait in line for their turn to grab whatever is »more...
↧
Grill to Perfection this Summer…
Grill your mouth watering kebabs to perfection without letting the ingredients fall off from the stick on this Non-Stick Single Kabob Baskets. These are non stick coated, heavy gauge steel that acts as a powerful helmet for your kebab ingredients and keeps them stuck together to create that awesome meal afterwards. The baskets are extremely »more...
↧
BioLand, From Farm to Fork; Sunday Lunch with the Family
I recently heard about Bioland, a project up on the hills of Batroun, nestled in a small village called Sghar. I believe in fate and honestly believe that this place was attracting me to come visit it… First came across it on Facebook, then taken some photos of their stand during Horeca and, at a dinner »more...
↧
↧
A Visit to Tanmia’s Chicken Factory
I love visiting factories, something I used to organize on a monthly basis for my scouts. I used to love introducing them to how things were produced, showing them how hard and sophisticated the process can be when it comes to innovative products, products that we eat or consume in seconds. The story started when »more...
↧
Furn Beaino: Indeed, A Unique Lahme Beajine
Located in the heart of Sarba, I arrived at Furn Beaino at 7am. Yes this early. I have been aiming to come to this bakery for a while now especially that everyone around keeps recommending their Lahme Beajine – I had to try it for myself… In Sarba, a few meters from Habana, is Furn »more...
↧
Liza: A Guaranteed Sense of Amazement As You Walk In
I was not sure what to expect… As I walked into Liza. Do they serve Lebanese food? Lebanese with a twist? Lebanese the way French people see it? I was not sure… Some people I know like it, others less so, so accompanied with two of my friends, I decided to give this place a »more...
↧