Meal #37 - Lebanon

Lebanon, where the Arabian Peninsula meets the Mediterranean Sea, is famous for the mighty cedar tree, which adorns the country’s flag; and this flag, in turn, adorns Almazett Lebanese Restaurant – leaving you in no doubt as to what cuisine you will be served.

Almazett
Lebanese Restaurant
208 Balaclava Rd. North Caulfield
BYO & Licenced
Open 7 days

The first thing you notice when you approach Almazzet, besides the huge Lebanese flag, is the Arab-style painting design on the wall near the entrance. This focus on Arabic decoration is continued inside with many (fading) tapestries depicting Arabian scenes hanging on the walls. The dinning area itself is spilt into two adjoined areas, a smaller, intimate one near the door (where we were seated), and second larger space filled with long tables, catering for group bookings. As the night progressed, these tables started to fill up with massive crowds of Lebanese diners (one table could easily seat 30-40 people!).

This week’s litany of Lebanese lackeys were Nick, Sai, Caroline and Rami.


Entrée:

Fattoush – Lebanese green salad with special dressing
Meat Cigars – Light filo pastry filled with minced lamb fillet and pinenuts

Mains:

Al Masha Weh (Lebanese Grills)
Shish Kafta – Barbequed skewers of minced lamb fillets with onion, parsley and spices

Al Bahr (From the Sea)
Samakeh Harrah – Whole fish grilled, served with tahina, walnuts, coriander, chillies, garlic and pinenuts

Sides:

Loubia Bi Zeit – Green baby beans in tomato and olive oil
Riz Djaj – Rice, chicken, minced lamb and pinenuts

Entrées:

The entrées (or Almezzat) were light, but very tasty. The meat cigars (which despite our attempts were not smoke-able) had the familiar Arab tastes well-cooked lamb, wrapped in fluffy puff-pastry. The Lebanese salad stood out from the similar Israeli salad due to the liberal, and welcome, usage of sumac – which not only brought colour to the palate, but also to the plate!

Mains:

The Shish Kafta, which was served wrapped in aluminium foil, was a delicious mix of meat and spices, but the dish was truly enhanced by the onions that were specially cooked with sumac (which appears to be a favourite spice at this restaurant


By far the most exciting dish we’ve had on this journey for a long time was the Samakeh Harrah – a whole Snapper that appeared to have been drowned in tahina dip; it was definitely a sight, and a taste, to behold.


The two side dishes, the rice and the green beans, both complimented the main dishes well, resulting in a full and satisfying meal.

Overall:

Due to popularity of this restaurant, by Lebanese and non-Lebanese diners alike, we were forced to make our booking for early in the evening. As such we missed the belly-dancer that famously entertains the diners at Almazett on Saturday nights. It is not hard to understand why this restaurant is so popular – the ambiance, service and food are all top-notch. The mains are a bit pricey, but the quality of the dishes is worth every cent.

Next Stop: Lebanon

Although the food varies little from country to country throughout the Middle East, it is when the Arab world meets the Mediterranean that it becomes really interesting.

Lebanese food combines the sophistication of European cuisine with the excitement of eastern spices, and it is Lebanon's culinary contributions that have been the greatest influence on modern Arabic cuisine. Dishes from the Lebanon provide the framework for the exotic cuisine recognized internationally as Arabic.

Many traditional Lebanese dishes are simple preparations based on grains, pulses, vegetables and fruit. Often the same ingredients are used over and over, in different ways, in each dish. Yoghurt, cheese, cucumber, aubergines, chick peas, nuts, tomatoes, burghul and sesame (seeds, paste and oil) are harmoniously blended into numerous assorted medleys. Parsley and mint are used in vast quantities as are lemons, onions and garlic.

Pastries are stuffed with vegetables and vegetables are stuffed with meats. Meat may be made into nuggets then cooked over charcoal. Presentation is always artistic: even the most basic dish is beautifully garnished -- a sprig of parsley here and a dab of yoghurt there.

A typical Lebanese meal starts with mezze - this can be an elaborate spread of forty or fifty hors d'oeuvres or simply a salad and a bowl of nuts. But it is always a social occasion when friends and family gather to enjoy appetizers and conversation before dinner. A meat, (lamb is the favourite meat) chicken or fish dish follows with salad and rice.

Information:

http://www.arab.net/lebanon/ln_food.htm