Wearing a traditional Lebanese red tarboosh, traditionally red costume with his name in gold thread written across his chest, he stands confidently behind his trolley on Rue Pasteur facing Bank Audi, preparing a round juicy kaak followed by another. He reminded me of the actual character of Aboul El Abed with the way he’s dressed… But surely he’s a man of distinct character.

• A long place with the kitchen door at its very end
• A spiral stair case adds a kind of majestic feel to an industrial space
• A vintage feel around – including the black stained mirrors, black steel, marble details…
• The restaurant glass facade is typically French displaying some of the best items served all written creatively on the glass
• Reach a one door shop and be welcomed by a black steel vitrine where homemade food items are on display
• The same iron vitrine hides an access to the wine cellar below
• The floor is kept in its natural state, grey concrete with white stones
• High ceiling with dimmed yellow lighting is filled with hundreds of items that makes it look like a piece of art. You can’t stop looking around. You will keep on discovering
• At the end, the restaurant hosts a bar where bottles act as a decoration, setup on the shelves pending from the ceiling
• The place is filled with square white marble tables covered by paper placemats and surrounded with black wooden chairs and brown leather cushions
• To the left, along the wall, black and white images decorate the space. Under it is a long light burgundy leather bench
• Four pending chandeliers pending above the tables add the required light to the tables

Afterwards, one of my dreams was coming true… Someone has found the real taste of french toast. Le Pain Retrouvé, a signature of Prune that is one of the best Pain Perdus I’ve had to date in Lebanon.

Many casual French bistros have mushroomed around town, but finding a high-end French dining spot is rare. You sometimes want to enjoy a high-end ambiance with a loved one in a cozy spot. Taking over what used to be the Lutecia in Saifi village, Alesia is now open for French food aficionados. Owned by the same group of Lutecia or the previous Le Marais in Rue du Liban, Mr. Georges Batal welcomes you every night into an interesting French setup where good French food is served in a fine dining set up.

• Salad Maison: Home salad with a fresh sucrine lettuce cut in slices with tomato, avocado, endives, iceberg with mustard, lemon, oil dressing

• Saumon fume D’ecosse: Thick salmon that’s unfortunately way too salty served with an enjoyably lemony juice and served with four soft and tender semi toasted brown bread

• Cote de Beau Blanc Grille: This is a very good piece of meat. It’s juicy, perfectly cooked and served with potato cubes and sautéed mushrooms

• Escalope de Beau Blanc: Soft and tender. Simply WOW. I like how the french fries are cut in cubes

• Risotto aux Cepes: Mushroom risotto: Aldente and enjoyable

• Filet Mighnon de beau Blanc Grille: Delicious

• Boeuf Strogonoff: This is a plate you have never tasted before. It’s the stroganoff preparation we all know, yet created in a fine dining way

• Tagliatelle a la Creme: Excellent and aldente

• Mille Feuille Chaud (pour deux persons): Doesn’t the picture speak for itself? Rich and tasty. Two thumbs up

• Sorbets masons: I enjoyed these homemade sorbet ice cream a lot

• Baba au Rum: Exactly like it should be. Filled with rum it’s juicy and fresh. Served with homemade whipped cream

• Pain Perdu, sauce caramel: Yummy! A fine dining version of the pain perdu covered with caramel and almonds

Summarizing the experience, the food at Alesia is as good as it was at Le Marais. A fine dining restaurant, serving premium culinary creations, prepared with finesse and delicacy. We do miss such places in Lebanon. The ambiance accompanies the food well as it relaxes your senses in this highend place.

But unfortunately, the main and only thing to improve is the staff’s attitude. Yes, the waiters are not up to the standards of this place. They lack finesse and know how. They look and act like the ones in Lebanese restaurants… I think that says it all.

I liked:

• Frette table napkins
• The ambiance of this place and its calmness
• The finesse of the food

I didn’t appreciate:

• I would have wished to see the waiter’s smiles. A more welcoming attitude would have been appreciated. This can make all the difference
• The ashtrays with their cigarette supports do not fit this fine setup

Alesia is one of Lebanon’s finest dining places, which I recommend you visit especially for its good food, pleasant ambiance and reasonable prices. A little improvement on the service can push this restaurant to become a reference.

• The restaurant is divided into three distinct rooms. The main hall in the middle, the bar on the right and a dining area to the left
• White marbles cover the floor
• Spacious rooms with high ceiling with pending design metal poles
• In the other rooms, old Lebanese tiles add a touch of color
• Violet is the color of all the walls
• Round and square tables, surrounded with leather relaxing chairs, fill the space
• Here and there large mirrors make the space look bigger
• Two long alleys of lights add a fine artistic touch to the side rooms

• Foie gras de canard des Landes grillé, accompagné de fruits d’automne, jus à la gentiane des Alpes
• Royale de cèpes escargot petit gris, espumas a l’ail des ours
• Raviole ouverte de canard confit, fine mousseline de butternut, noisettes torréfies, jus réduit façon civet
• Noix de pétoncles cuits au four, crémeux de panais et cerfeuil tubéreux rôti
• Comme un tiramisu à la truffe

I appreciated the general ambiance, the Frette fine tablecloths, the beautiful plates decoration and the polite waiters.

• Foie Gras de Canard des Landes grillé: Yellow mouse, I presume butternut, a piece of pan-fried foie gras, decorated with two carrots and two green leaves. Yellow, orange, green, brown… A slight crunchy outer layer covered with salt and pepper revealing a soft tasty inner rich warm foie gras with a sightly caramelized aftertaste. Accompanying the foie gras is a crunchy carrot prepared like round fingers and the purée has a slight truffle aftertaste. The journey ends by the crunching salt covering the piece. All of this majestic creation was served on a glass plate which made a perfect first impression. We all looked at each other with a smile of joy knowing that what was coming afterwards was going to be unique.

• Royale de cèpes escargot petit gris: A light foam served warm and rich in garlic covers two snails laying at the bottom of the cup along a mushroom mousse. A very nice texture that’s chewy and soft, where every bite activate your taste buds. It’s bizarre, but I am not able to describe this unique glass verrine that’s unique despite it’s tiny size. A fine culinary creation which unfortunately ended in three small bites

• Raviole Ouverte de canard Confit: Orange color mousse of butternut decorated in a line shape with crunchy nuts covering it. Next to that are cooked carrot cubes where an ardent ravioli is majestically layered, covering a soft tender mix of duck meat that melts under your teeth like butter. A mix of sweetness, acidity and freshness all together mixing many different textures at once. I loved the crunchy nuts that ends every bite in style.

Cristal was first created in 1876 for Alexander II of Russia, and is viewed by many as the first prestige cuvée. As the political situation in Russia at the time of his rule was unstable, the Tsar feared assassination. He ordered that champagne bottles for hisThree Emperors Dinner be made clear, so that he could see the bubbles and also to prevent hiding a bomb within them, as could happen with a typical dark green bottle. Louis Roederer commissioned a Flemish glassmaker to create a clear lead glassChampagne bottle with a flat bottom. The Champagne has since become known as “Cristal”.

The wine was not commercially available until 1945. In the mid 1990s and early 2000s, the brand became increasingly associated with rap and hip-hop culture, with several artists referencing the drink in song lyrics and as part of their public image, notably New York rappers Raekwon, 50 Cent, Biggie Smalls, Puff Daddy, Big L, Hollywood Undead, and Jay-Z, and in this context is often referred to as “Crissy”. Tupac Shakur created a cocktail called “Thug Passion”, which is a blend of Alizé Gold Passion and Cristal. In 2006, the managing director of Louis Roederer, Frédéric Rouzaud, was quoted in an article in The Economist on the brand’s popularity with hip-hop artists. His comments were interpreted as negative, and Jay-Z launched a boycott of the brand.

• Noix de Pétoncles Cuits au Four: These are scallops like you have never tasted before. Accompanied by sweet potato, the plate looked like a passion fruit opened in its middle, orange in color and covered with small black pearls – a piece of art. Every bite is unique. Every crunch  bursts in flavors that caress your taste buds.

Dessert:

• Comme un Tiramisu à la Truffe: Many around didn’t understand the concept around this dessert, but I adored it. Two thumbs up chef! A long shaped meringue topped silver icing this unique creation is where the chef  has mastered mixing truffles in a dessert without the smell but a hint of aftertaste. Chocolate sparkles cover a fresh homemade style tiramisu in a cup with one layer cake and two thick layers of mascarpone; followed by a subtle truffle flavor. Extravagant!

• Selim, our waiter should be thanked for his professionalism, generosity and welcoming
• I love how all waiters were wearing white gloves
• For $150 each we had the best food Lebanon has ever witnessed, refills of champagne flowing all night long. I think we drank for more than $150 each

• Pisco, the national drink of Peru can be compared to Arak in Lebanon
• Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored grape brandy produced in wine-making regions of Peru
• The Pisco is imported directly from Peru and produced by “Bodega Santa Maria“
• The drink is strong with a 42% alcohol level, better not to be drunk alone
• It’s alcohol strength covers on the mixed ingredients, this is why some sweetness and sugar are needed to neutralize it

• Enter the place to be welcomed by a bar displaying cakes and bakery goods by Gustav
• Inside is a squarish place where a large bar occupies the middle
• Wood is everywhere
• A long wall to the left is decorated with greenery and warm lights adding freshness to the place
• A small balcony before going down to the terrace filled with tables from different sizes and shapes
• Colors is what this place is known for, with chairs, tables and decorative items decorating the place
• All tables are decorated with black leather placemats and a flower pot in the middle

The lunch menu:

• Appetizers
• Sandwiches
• Asian inspiration
• Soups
• Salads
• Mains
• Side dishes

• Tangy shrimps (shrimp tempura topped with black sesame seeds, chives, served with a spicy sauce) 23,000L.L : Served in a martini cup those shrimps are the place’s accustomed favorite. Mixed with mayonnaise, every shrimp is perfectly cooked and covered with a crunchy envelop. The spicy aftertaste is intense hot; You better be to prepared for it. This creation contains a bit too much mayonnaise for my taste but has an overall interesting flavor you’ll enjoy. Pay attention, these shrimps are not for the faint at heart: You have to adore spicy things. When you think the experience is done, sesame seeds come to add more flavors. They reminded me of Caramel Dubai shrimps.

• Crunchy Salmon Avocado Maki Roll (a delicious wrap filled with fresh salmon, avocado, rice, dried komku, carrots) 25,000L.L : Beautifully presented on a long plate with sushi pieces setup in a straight line. Each piece is created out of adequately cooked rice topped with mayonnaise. It has a lemony aftertaste. For a non-Japanese place, these rolls are very good and better than many Asian restaurants around the city. They use generous pieces of salmon in the middle. Nice and tasty.

• Mango Chicken Sandwich (curry, chicken, mango, rocket, with creamy curry sauce) 13,000L.L : The bread, provided by Prunelle is excellent. Inside a tender premium sandwich, is a generous filling of tender chicken and mango slices that make all the difference. Unfortunately, the mayonnaise problem follows you all around. Due to the excess use of mayonnaise, your taste buds will not have the time to appreciate the content of the sandwich.

• Seafood Risotto (perfect ardent arborio rice, with shrimp, calamari and mussels tossed in a pink sauce, topped with Parmesan shavings) 26,000L.L: The risotto was served overcooked, lacking sauce. I asked the waiter to change the plate as I showed him on the menu notes stating that the Arborio rice used is cooked “aldente”. 15 minutes afterwards it was changed and presented as it should have been the first time round. In the second plate, the crunchiness and freshness of the seafood was clearly felt in the bath of sauce.

• Beefy Affair (Grilled beef, rocca, tomatoes & pickles with pesto sauce) 22,000L.L: Inside a soft and tender tasty bread thin slices of non chewy meat, soft and tender, melting under your teeth like butter, are mixed with premium ingredients and fresh vegetables. A lovely and tasty creation I fully recommend specially for its unique mushroom sauce, but unfortunately mayonnaise is still prominent like all the other dishes around

• Apple Shakedown 10,000L.L : A beautiful mouthwatering piece of cake. Pastry dough filled with apple crumbles, apple bites, covered with sugar powder. Very crunchy! A dessert hosting interesting textures. I love Gustav’s creations…
• Red Velvet Cake 6,000L.L : Yumm! Mouthwatering! Soft and moist red cake covered in white chocolate. I love how the white chocolate has a long lasting aftertaste.

I would change:

• Have some uniforms for the staff
• Use less mayonnaise in all the dishes

In a pleasant atmosphere, in the heart of Beirut, you can pass by for lunch or dinner and discover a place like no other in Beirut, combining tasty food with an experience of a bar and restaurant. You’ll surely enjoy your time in here like I did.

• Black and white square tiles cover the floor
• Six bar stools are made of light wood and blue fabrics
• A long mirror surrounded by a wood structure makes the place look twice its size
• White walls, making things clear and neat
• Three light wood tables with blue metallic benches facing them is all what’s available for seating
• Two glass chandeliers pend from the high ceiling
• A long bar where a coffee machine, and a display of candies jars, tea pots and alcohol bottles sat as decorative items
• On the tables, Peugeot salt and pepper, brown sugar, straws and napkins are always setup perfectly

Frosty’s Burger Portrait:

A delightful piece of art. In every bite you’ll feel a mix of soft bun, a crunchy layer of bacon, a cocktail of Swiss and cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and that taste of BBQ’ed meat (burnt effect of the meat) with delicious palatal sensations. A light thin leaf of lettuce, American sweet pickles, very thin and enjoyable tomato slice… all with a final light crunch of the lower toasted bread. Just imagine! A dream-like sensation.

• Homemade tomato relish
• Homemade mayonnaise (yes, you heard right)
• Homemade ice creams
• Homemade dessert
• Homemade fries (coming soon)

• I loved the fact that the pieces are perfectly created. Attending to the tiniest detail, each is mastered to perfection making every piece a little jewel.  The chocolate and its content are are sculpted to perfection. You feel that they were created just for you…
• The sizes and corners of the pieces are just perfect. I was amazed by their borders and their content – mastered to perfection
• All pieces are engraved with the Patchi’s logo in different sizes depending on the design
• I’ve eaten more than fifteen pieces and didn’t feel any heartburn or over sweetness
• Just close your eyes, and you’ll feel each of the ingredients used inside as the chocolate melts over your tongue
• My favorite is the Chocolate Parfait, which combines the finesse of a dark chocolate and softness of a strong caramel filling

One of the things that really struck me about Patchi, besides the fact I could become addicted to the feuillitine, is how each chocolate is precisely wrapped with a large sticker sealing each chocolate shut. There is no chance that your chocolate has been touched, smelled or in any way tampered with by anyone else. Once it has been expertly made and flawlessly sealed within the foil wrapper, it is safe from germs and stray hands.

I would improve:

• I suggest there should be some kind of color and size coding. Things are really not clear and when buying an assortment for home, you won’t know which is what. New and clear coloring are a must especially to when you want to differentiate between milk and dark chocolate.
• The wafer was my least favorite and needs a makeover

Today I rediscovered Patchi. I had always believed that it was a brand that was over priced for its packaging; I was wrong. Quality, perfection, taste, flavors and know how are put into every piece available at Patchi, a brand that has reached international heights. We should be proud…

I was happily astonished with the staff’s knowhow. We were served by Greg who seems to know the brand, the details of the menu and story behind the concept as if he’s been working with them a decade. And they say that we don’t have professional waiters in Lebanon? P.F Chang’s experience will prove you the contrary.

While sauces made their entry to the table, we were ready to order from the rich and varied menu. (White vinegar, soy sauce, chili oil, chili paste, pot stickers sauce, and hot mustard)

PS: You can create the pot stickers signature sauce at home (¼ cup water, ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 teaspoon chili paste, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, ground)

The menu sections:

• Starters
• Soup & Salads
• Sides
• Chicken
• Duck
• Beef & lamb
• Seafood
• Noodles & Rice
• Drinks

We ordered, loved and enjoyed:

• Salt and Pepper Calamari 21,000L.L: (Delicious soft calamari strips, battered and tossed in the wok with our salt and pepper mix and scallions. Served with our special chili bean sauce) These calamari have an enjoyable light color, non oily and covered in salt and pepper. Each is crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle making them unique on all fronts specially with the salty aftertaste that erupts. Nobody does them this way in the country. The side sauce is very good and the rice sticks combination beneath adds to a slight sweet aftertaste that makes all the difference.

  The pluses:

• The service is excellent
• The food is exquisite
• The place is beautiful
• The drinks are tasty

The minuses:

• All drinks should be served with coasters
• With such a large and complicated menu, photos are a must. An iPad displaying photos can be a good idea

It was the second day after the opening and I was truly amazed at how good the service and food were. The staff is well trained, they are knowledgeable and are ready to answer any question you have about the concept of the restaurant, the details of decorative items, the menu and more. They look happy and proud to be working at P.F Chang’s.

We spent three full great hours. I truly recommend you all try it before the year ends.

• Open the door to access this large welcoming square
• Inside is a wide area with high ceiling. It is relaxing
• The floor is covered with beige stamped concrete that blends well with the general decor
• Brown wood panels cover the ceiling to add more warmth
• The restaurant has a general yellowish ambiance provided by the painted walls
• Light blue wood and glass facades allow the needed amount of daylight to enter, as well as put guests into the community environment
• All the tables are setup with a yellow table cloth, covered with a protective glass panel
• On each table, two glasses, one for wine and another for water, a Libby’s ketchup bottle and a basket of bread welcome you as you sit
• A preset cutlery ambulances a plate over a paper placemat
• Filling the space, to the left is the famous grill and its two shawarma rollers behind the long bar and its high stools
• More upfront is a bar filled with bottles
• Nine lamps pend down from the ceiling adding the right amount of light
• A cozier space at the end of the restaurant between the restrooms and the terrace door
• Outside is the covered smoking area with no arguile
• Paintings by Lebanese artists decorate  the walls
• The restaurant has one single round table occupying the right corner with a vintage chandelier pending over it
• Two LCD TV screens, one on each side add some entertainment

• les plats du jour
• les entrees
• les soupes
• les sandwiches
• les burgers
• les salades
• les pates
• les pizza
• les poissons
• les grillades
• les desserts
• les glaces

• Hummus is over saturated with garlic covering any real taste of chickpeas. It’s more of a garlic paste with hummus
• Makanek are good, soft and crunchy, filled with premium content. The lemony sauce adds the needed enjoyable flavor
• Halloumi slices are too thick, too salty and served cold. Nothing special about this plate

• I thought I was eating kafta until I felt the spices in this Soujok plate. Soujok often look like makanek, same shape and crunch, yet with another filling. These look more like kaftan in “kaftan w batata”. Their spices are way too strong

• The stuffed vine leaves are too soggy and their presentation is not appetizing

• The vegetable plate doesn’t look fresh and it’s clear that it has traveled from a table to the other
• Shawarma is good but not superb as many describe it, or at least as one would expect it to be. Large pieces of meat are stuffed in an oily piece of bread
• The mussels are fresh and good

• The best of the best were the homemade style authentic French fries. Yummy! Delicious.

• Achta ice-cream is fine but the portion is too small

• Banana Split would have been better with more ice cream and less cream

• Meringue is an interesting idea but again, more ice cream is definitely needed

• The yellow vanilla ice cream is too sweet and has an unpleasant commercial taste

• The place’s ambiance is really nice
• The positive vibes around will make me come back for sure
• I liked the french fries

• Although the staff is polite, they need a lot of additional training
• I expected better food from Boubouffe

Here I am, finally visiting Boubouffe, a popular Lebanese brasseries around, among people living in and out of Achrafieh. A concept more than 30 years old which no one could copy to date. This is one of the reasons I expected a lot more from Boubouffe’s dining experience. But nevertheless, the place is nice and worth visiting…

• The restaurant has an overall black finish
• The logo is printed on a long black wall behind a row of red sofas and individual square tables
• The menu is displayed over the counter
• The open kitchen is clean allowing you to see what’s cooking inside
• A coke draft dispenser stands behind the cashier

So we approached the cashier to learn more about the concept; I asked: “Good evening Miss, why is it named FatBurger? Is it because it wwill make me gain weight?”

Not knowing much about the company’s history, she replied by saying that they have the biggest meat, this is why they are called fat.

“Fine,” I replied, “what’s the meat weight?”

“I don’t know,” she answered.

Anyway, we continued browsing the menu to understand what’s it all about. The menu is divided into a couple of simple sections displayed in a complicated way. A double cheese burger is prices at 14,000L.L without any fries or coke.

The menu:

• Single, double, triple or quad
• Chicken sandwich
• Turkey burger
• Veggie Burger
• Add-ons
• Sides and more
• Speciality burgers
• Make it a meal
• Kid’s meal
• Milkshakes and drinks

The burgers, even though are pictured with two thick and juicy pieces of cheese, actually come without the cheese. You can add egg, cheese, “beef” bacon or chili for 1,500L.L each

We ordered, tasted and couldn’t eat:

• Double Fatburger (Double meat, bun, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, relish, mustard). Inside a stale bun is a dry non juicy piece of meat with an unpleasant commercial aftertaste. The overall dryness of the burger makes it hard to swallow. Imagine a dry sponge fitted with a super dry meat and decorated with crunchy vegetables. The sauce is not even felt to add taste to the mix. Inedible!

• Western BBQ Fatburger (Meat, bun, mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion ring, BBQ sauce, relish, mustard). This one is even worse. The same dry and stale bun that’s at least 3 days old.  The dry meat with barbecue sauce leaves an unpleasant taste and aftertaste that sticks to your palate for more than 20 minutes. This is all you feel and taste – BBQ Sauce! To make things even worse, is the sticky, chewy beef bacon that is disgusting. I don’t even want to remember the feeling if this cheap condiment

• Mushroom Cheddar Fatburger (mushroom and cheddar sauce)  – a joke. I would love to propose a game: Buy one of these, close your eyes and eat it. You won’t know what you’re really chewing. A neutral piece of a dry mix of something supposed to be food. Again, dry meat, dry bun and tasteless filling. It doesn’t even look appetizing

• Fatfries: Nothing to write home about.

• Skinny fries: Some pieces are cold, others are warm. Some are overcooked and others are undercooked. Unacceptable

We left the tray as is, looking for something to eat elsewhere…

I liked:

• Free Coke refill

The bad:

• The staff doesn’t seem to know much about the brand
• The pictures are wrong
• The menu displayed on the international website has nothing to do with what our local franchise is offering. On the website, burgers are S,M,L,XL,XXL and the BBQ and Mushroom don’t exist
• The food is unacceptable and tasteless

After today’s experience, I realized how proud I am of our local diners. This is an opportunity for me to congratulate our local diners and other burger joints for giving Lebanon some of the best burgers the world can offer. 

PS: I wonder if the mother company of Fat Burger knows about the quality their branch is serving in our country. I’ve been to FatBurger in Las Vegas four years ago and the experience was way different…

• A long bar to the left can host up to 12 guests with stools surrounding it
• Behind the bar is an isle richly filled with alcohol bottles
• Lemons are everywhere. Displayed in paintings, placemats and serving cloths
• In the middle is a lounge covered with lemony fabrics
• Look up for the big chandelier which decorates the place
• You get the feeling that you’re dining in a mountainous lodge with the wooden roof, you’ll feel dining in a log house up the mountains
• Over the bar, a village theme (three windows) are painted over a yellow wall
• The place can host couples, groups of four on round or square tables as well as large groups on their big dining tables

• Zuppe del Giorno
• Anti pasti
• Insalata
• Risotti
• Primi Piatti
• Pizze al Forno de Legno
• Secondi Piatti

• Melanzane alla Parmigiana 22,500L.L: In a ceramic dish, layers of eggplant and cheese bathing in a rich tomato sauce. Ideal dish for sharing. Unfortunately the plate was served warm, the cheese inside and outside was not melted and the inner core was cold. Such a plate should be super hot not warm. The ingredients are there and know how also seems there, but the delivery was not right. Make sure it’s hot with its ingredients melting like butter.

• Risotto Al Limone con Gamberetti 33,000L.L: I was expecting it to be different. The lemon flavor is not prominent enough and the crunchy things around are too many. It should be less cooked, more aldente and more pure. The greenery mixed with it makes it look like a Lebanese stew (Yakhne). It can be done much better

• Villaggio Salad 26,500L.L: A generous mountain of lettuce mixed with cranberries, endives, goat cheese cubes, dried raisins, fresh mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. The mix of different types of lettuce and rich balsamic vinegar is interesting. I enjoyed its presentation and the sweetness that is added by the fresh apples. A nice, innovative and tasty salad

• Mezzelune con Spinach 25,000L.L: Yum! This is a good one. Half circle well aldente ravioli filled with a thin layer of moist spinach and basil, bathing all together in a tasty tomato sauce that stays around your palate for long. I loved this plate. Having in mind only to taste, I couldn’t but entirely finish the plate. On the other hand, the presentation of this dish should be reconsidered. It doesn’t look appetizing at all

• Pizza Diavola 29,000L.L: Thin dough generously covered with mozzarella cheese decorated with pepperoni slices. An interesting spicy aftertaste that just right for everyone to enjoy. The sides are small and a bit crunchy. I enjoyed it, but would personally make the sides bigger to crunch more

• Apple Tart 12,500L.L: A mistake spoiled the recipe. This apple tart has been reheated and has lost its crunchiness. Slightly crunchy on the sides and spongy in the middle, the premium quality of ingredients and taste of this dessert is ruined by reheating it before serving. This is not a hard point to fix.  It might have been my luck on that day…

The food in general is not bad but not great. I felt their strong know-how and definitely premium ingredients used in all the plates ordered. They just need some fine tuning back in the kitchen. Heating, seasoning, mixing as well as presenting. I would advice more importantly more simplicity.

• The staff is smiling, professional and attentive to details
• The architecture and decoration of the place are soothing and relaxing
• The wide choice of items on the menu satisfies all needs
• Giving my opinion about the plates, the waiter offered to change them automatically without giving any excuses. Well appreciated

• Add fabrics table napkins that are definitely more pleasant than the paper ones proposed
• The main “food” issue is the fact that they reheat. It doesn’t work. Their precooked Melanzane was not reheated properly. The same goes for the apple tart. Maybe a new oven should be installed
• The plates are not very appetizing and their presentation is not as clean as it should be. I think the pictures speak for themselves
• The Pizza would be perfect if done the same way shown on the Facebook page. Look at the thick crunchy sides. Since you’re convinced it should be done this way, just do it.
• Ham was introduced lately to the choice of items but not printed on the menu. Maybe new menus should be printed highlighting ham and pepperoni, two major and important items in Italian cuisine

Before publishing my TOP10 Italian restaurants of 2013, I wanted to give Villaggio a try. It may not be on this year’s list, but I’m confident that it will be part of my 2014 TOP10. Keep it up guys.

It was in 2002 shortly after the launch of London’s now world famous Zuma restaurant that Arjun Waney conceived of opening a La Petite Maison in London. The man who started Zuma because he found it difficult to get reservations at his then favourite London restaurant Nobu, was inspired to create La Petite Maison in London so he could enjoy its food all year round instead of just when he was at his summer villa in St Jean Cap Ferrat.

• La Petite Maison is not a fine dining restaurant, it is accessible to all
• The plates portions are generous and can be shared in the middle for two persons; Sharing is caring. Portions are big enough to accommodate everybody
• Ordering one main course per person is a bit too much especially that the starters are not to be missed
• Menu is the same for lunch and dinner
• I don’t believe that the prices are expensive. You’ll pay an average of 50-70$ per person, and that’s cheaper than all “Bistros” in town and half the Fine Dinning spots that do not provide better quality nor tastier plates
• There is no butter and no cream in any of the plates expect the Gratin Dauphinois

• Warm Prawns with Olive Oil 35,500L.L: On a beautiful round plate, presented with a metallic serving spoon are some prawns cut in half and majestically lying on a bed of olive oil and lemon. Thick salt and pepper from the mill, season the ingredients offered with thin slices of basil. Warm, fresh, crunchy and enjoyable, those prawns have an inviting light color and melt under your teeth like butter. They are so tasty that you can’t but lick your lips after each bite

• Burrata with Tomatoes and basil 38,000L.L: The look of it alone is superb, so enchanting and so inviting. Beautiful exotic colors that make your mouth water. A big burrata, decorated with basil leaves and cherry tomatoes cut in half… here is where the secret lies. The tomatoes are marinated in a secret sauce giving them a sweetness and a pleasant crunch that will burst into flavors in your mouth. Yum! A bit too sweet for my taste, but believe me its unique

• Marinated Salmon with pink peppercorns 38,000L.L: Last time I was here, this plate had a strong and unpleasant odor and bitter aftertaste. This plate has improved and revisited the Lebanese way, using unique ingredients. Do not expect to eat a simple boring plate of smoked salmon but a preparation that will put a smile on your face. In an oval plate covered with thin slices of salmon is hidden below a mashed mix of turnip and crunchy cubes of the same ingredient in its pickled form on top. The salmon is cured with dill and turnip before being ready to eat. Yum! A cocktail of amazement awaits

• Salad of Endives, caramelized walnut with blue cheese dressing 28,500L.L: Just imagine how simple this plate is and how uniquely it can be . A big piece of endive cut in half, presented on a table then covered in a sauce of Fourme D’Ambert cheese that has the same feel of blue cheese but less strength and a subtle pleasant taste. The endives are thick, fresh, crunchy and full of water like a fresh apple that just came down from the tree. Caramelized onions, red apples and olive oil add the needed fines to make of this simple starter a plate worth ordering

• French Beans with Foie Gras 30,300L.L: This signature plate at La Petite Maison, known all over the world, is famous for a reason. Foie Gras, green beans, shallots and tomatoes in a balsamic vinegar reduction. Fresh crunchy green beans with a nice salty after taste provided by the Maldon salt and a sweetness that caresses your palate in style. It’s simply awesome. The terrine is baked in-house

• Sea Bass Carpaccio: Isn’t the photo enough to describe how majestic this plate is? On a simple glass plate, raw slices of fresh fish are layered and marinated in a green sauce of basil, coriander, mint and parsley. To make things even better, small cubes of pickled cucumbers decorate the plate adding the needed sweetness and texture. Here I would say in Arabic: “7aram yalle ma bi dou2 heik chi”.

• Pan Fried Dover Sole with a grainy mustard dressing 97,000L.L: Moving to more serious stuff, the main dishes started to make an appearance. The sole was shown to us before being prepared on the side. A simple piece of fish is panfried then covered with yellow mustard sauce and green capers. What’s unique is that the fish is smoked then marinated with olive oil and mustard on strong fire. I loved the crunchy sides, the middle moist part and the overall feel of non-oiliness. This fish is like no other. I recommend it. Remember to add some of the green salt that comes with it

• Green Beans 12,000L.L:  Olive oil, lemon, crunchy and fresh. I love it!

• Grilled Ribeye Steak 80,200L.L: Here we are with the ‘piece de resistance’. Believe me when I say that this is one of the best pieces of meat I’ve tasted in Lebanon. The meat is soft, tender, pinkish, soft and tender with crunchy fat on the sides that worth eating. The meat seasoning is really unique. Wow!

• Sorbet Selection: Beautifully presented, we received four scoops. Coconut sorbet over a crunchy crumble: So fresh, so natural and not too sweat. Passion fruits sorbet over chocolate biscuits crumble: Exquisite. Pineapple and mint sorbet over grilled almonds: Unbelievable. Raspberry sorbet over lemony sugar: Out of this world! The mix was served with three tiny chocolate cookie bites that act as a transitional stop between flavors

• Apple Tart: Mmmmm… On a crunchy puff pasty dough, thin caramelized apples lay majestically just waiting to be devoured. The aromas and flavors combined are heavenly.

• Pain Perdu: My last experience here was not the best. Taking all my comments into consideration, I repeated the tasting repeated. Yum. A hundred times better. Bread carefully crafted covered with a layer if thick crunchy caramel hiding the soft and tender inside. Lovely!

• Taking over the corner street, the restaurant’s glass facades offer a great interactive feel with the neighborhood
• A general brown ambiance refreshed with dimmed yellow lights
• Inside is a rolling bar, fresh fish display and a few brown wood tables surrounded by burgundy chairs
• The walls are covered with small stone blocks on one side and wood stripes on the other
• A bar covered with stone
• You will be dining under a low what ceiling lit with seven colored lanterns

• Appetizers (Cold, Hot)
• Salads
• Bento Lunch Platters
• Main
• Maki Zushi
• Temaki Zushi
• Sashimi
• Traditional Zushi
• Signature Zushi
• Sets
• Boats
• Kona Desserts
• Special Martinis

• Salmon Martini 16,000L.L: (Thinly sliced fresh salmon served with tobiko and homemade wasabi dressing). That’s a yummy plate. The salmon is fresh and non oily and the best part is the middle dip. Crunchy and strong in flavor, it’s something new for me. I loved it

• Shrimp Tempura 21,000L.L: (Tempura battered deep fried to perfection jumbo shrimps served with ponzu sauce). Non oily, crunchy, fresh and tasty. That’s all what you expect from a dish. I do recommend them

• Tempura Philadelphia 14,000L.L: (Inside is cream cheese, avocado and salmon. Outside is tempura and eel sauce) Eight pieces served on a long plate, with the famous homemade wall sauce on top. This preparation is served warm. I like the flavors and the taste of Philadelphia cheese inside mixed with the small fingers of cucumbers that crunch under your teeth. Simply and interesting

• Soft Shell Crab Temaki 17,000L.L: (Soft shell crab, avocado and eel sauce) Wow! Awesome. One of the best temaki rolls I’ve ever had. It’s a mix of rich and sophisticated ingredients in a bite. A roll larger than the normal ones and served hot on a black stone plate. I enjoyed the crunchiness of the crab and their inner softness

• Salmon Skin Temaki 7,000L.L: (Baked salmon skin, avocado and eel sauce) The salmon skin used at Kona is the rigid fried one with no sauce or marination. It is chewy and unpleasant to eat. Not my favorite for sure. This piece is a mix of avocado and those crunchy skins mixing super softness with extreme crunchiness where the avocado flavor takes over on all the rest.  To top it all, the rice is like inexistent in this roll.

• Shaky Roll 10,500L.L: (Inside shrimp tempura and avocado. Outisde, crabsticks and siracha) Served warm and wrapped with crab, this roll’s spiciness mixed with the avocado and crunchy shrimps makes it a tasty one.

• Salmon skin roll 6,500L.L: (Inside baked salmon skin and avocado. Outisde tempura fried with eel sauce) Salmon skin roll is better than the temaki salmon skin but again the avocado taste is too strong and the salmon skin too chewy

• Ribeye Maki 15,500L.L: (Avocado, green onion and asparagus, wrapped in thinly-sliced rib-eye steak grilled and served with teriyaki sauce) For those who enjoy meat, this is an awesome dish! A premium quality meat with no rice. Very interesting

• Dynamite roll 26,500L.L: (Inside are chopped scalops and crab mix. Outside is a special homemade crunchy mix) One of my favorite creations tonight, this roll looks very nice and tastes even better indeed. Looking like a Chinese dragon covered generously with crispy and colorful lines of sauce. The special crab mix is unique and the scallops so fresh served cold. The textures are unique and the crispiness extraordinary. I loved it

• Chicken Maki roll 15,500L.L: (Inside is a guacamole and grilled chicken. Outside is a spicy mayo topping) Yum! If you’re not a fish lover, just order the chicken and meat rolls and enjoy a premium dinner

• Alaska Roll 14,000L.L: (Inside smoked salmon and crab mix. Outside avocado and smoked salmon) Not something I’ll be ordering again. The fish is too raw, too big and too crunchy while the avocado is again covering on all the other ingredients)

• Philadelphia roll: Nothing to write home about

• Don Roll 23,000L.L: (Inside is a tuna fresh salmon, white fish and massage. Outside are basil leaves, spicy mayo and red tobacco) Too much tobiko! The pieces explode under your teeth while the orange balls get stuck between your teeth. That’s too much of the same ingredient that’s supposed to be more of a decoration.

• Rock & Roll 21,000L.L: (Inside is a crab mix, cream cheese and shrimp tempura. Outside is guacamole and eel sauce) Every piece is warm from the outside and cold from the inside. Yum! The pieces are generous served on a special plate. With every bite, expect to enjoy a strong aftertaste, nice texture, avocado purée and a crunchy feel. That’s my favorite. I loved it so much that I finished all the eight pieces on my own

• I liked the fact that the pieces do not contain too much rice but more fish
• The rice is chewy and sticky and doesn’t fall in pieces

• Tables need placemats for a cleaner and safer feel
• No San Pelligrino… we had to drink Perrier

I have been looking for a place like this – a place that offers fine Japanese rolls – generous in fish with little rice that doesn’t fall in pieces when eating; rich in natural flavor with little use of mayonnaise. Bravo! Even though small, Kona is a must try. You’ll be discovering a new kind of creations that don’t have anything to do with “average sushi”.

• La Cigale: This place comes highly recommended by my friends who suggest that they sell the best king cakes in town.
• Pate a Choux: This is one of my favorite pastry shops in Lebanon
• Paul: I entered this place by chance today and discovered their king cakes – why not compare the local ones to a French one.

A king cake is a type of cake associated with the festival of Epiphany in the Christmas season in a number of countries, and in other places with the pre-Lenten celebrations of Mardi Gras / Carnival. It is a popular food item during the Christmas season (Christmas Eve to Epiphany) in Lebanon, France, Belgium, Quebec and Switzerland (galette or gâteau des Rois or galette des rois). The cake has a small plastic baby, said to represent Baby Jesus) inside (or sometimes placed underneath), and the person who gets the piece of cake with the trinket has various privileges and obligations.

• Paul

• La Cigale

La Cigale’s cake is sold for 33,000L.L and served on a carton and put in a carton box. The taste is a bit commercial but the inner filling is rich and creamy. I liked the crust; it’s crunchy and enjoyable. A bit too sweet for my taste but I would order it again next year. The box is nice and the price very reasonable.

• Pate a Choux

• Salads
• Sandwiches
• Waffles
• Drinks
• Potato world
• Baked potatoes
• Friitz poutine
• Appetizers

• Bulgarian: These fries are reddish in color since they are seasoned with paprika, coriander and lemon zest. A local favorite, these fries have an interesting and rich flavor which tickles your tongue

• Zesty: Covered with coriander, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese and lemon zest, these fries are gold in color. A bit too dry with a prominent garlic flavor, these were my least favorite

• Traditional: I’ll let you in on a secret. These were my favorite. As simple as they are, the rich thick fries perfect cooked and non oily

• Cheddar Cheese: These are way too heavy. The layer of cheddar makes it hard for each to be grabbed with your hand and is somehow messy. I would suggest you order the cheese on the side and use as a dip at your convenience

• Cajun: I enjoyed the salt and pepper seasoning. But these fires are better served with some dip. I think a Thousand Island is the best choice here

• Magritte Waffle: A superb quality of fresh crunchy waffle covered with premium ingredients was enjoyed with a smile. A big piece covered with bananas, chocolate, cream and nuts for $5 only; this is a meal on its own.