Lebanese Dishes

MENTION a Lebanese restaurant in Bali, and images of a small eatery run by women in comfortable shoes might be the mistaken assumption of some of the uninitiated. Typical delicacies of Lebanese food, or so its menu blurb reads.

There are cold mezza, or appetizers, ranging from the standard humus (chickpeas with sesame paste), moutable (eggplant dip with sesame paste, lemon juice and olive oil), stuffed vine leaves, marinated green beans, tabouleh and foul moudamess (sauteed broad beans with garlic).

There are also hot mezza include lahem bilajeen (fried pastry filled with ground beef), fried spinach and onion in pastry and grilled pita bread, soups including pink lentil soup blended with garlic and cumin, and chicken cream soup.

Main course items include charcoal grilled beef tenderloin kebabs with Lebanese spices, chicken kebabs, chicken shawarma and Lebanese style mixed grill. On the beverage front there are regular soft drinks, a full bar and a couple of Lebanese specialty drinks. The cold mezza, served with pita bread and vegetables, and the moutable had a cloying, bitter taste.

The special Lebanese drink made from dates reminded us of sugar water. The baklava, although a trifle too cold, was a delicious treat, with heaping portions of nuts and honey crammed between thin layers of pastry. And you will agree the generous portions of lamb kebab and chicken shawarma were hearty, tasty meals.