A meal from the Middle East at Lebanon Restaurant
JAKARTA (JP): There was a time when Middle Eastern food was a rarity in these parts. Mention a Lebanese restaurant, and images of a small eatery run by women in comfortable shoes might be the mistaken assumption of some of the uninitiated. Now, Middle Eastern food is coming into its own, from the old stalwart of Sinbad on Jl. K.S. Tubun to swank Al Nafoura overlooking the pool at Le Meridien.
And the newest kid on the block is Lebanon Restaurant right in the very heart of the city.
Lebanon Restaurant: Djakarta Theater Building 1st Floor, Jl. MH Thamrin. Located at the top of a flight of stairs, to the right of the Pizza Hut.
Open: 10 a.m. to 3 a.m., so night owls and clubbers with the munchies will be happy.
What's it got: 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).
Hot mezza include lahem bilajeen (fried pastry filled with ground beef), fried spinach and onion in pastry and grilled pita bread. There are also soups including pink lentil soup blended with garlic and cumin, and chicken cream soup for those whose taste runs to Campbell's.
Main course items include charcoal grilled beef tenderloin kebabs with Lebanese spices, chicken kebabs, chicken shawarma (our waiter pronounced it the house specialty) and Lebanese style mixed grill. Different dishes of western and Asian food are also available.
On the beverage front there are regular soft drinks, a full bar and a couple of Lebanese specialty drinks.
Price points: Reasonable for its kind, with prices starting out at between Rp 6,500 - Rp 7,500 for the cold mezza and going up to Rp 35,000 for the entrees (Lebanese style mixed grill and fried rice with minced meat topping).
Looks: Stylish decor, with the kitchen area in clear sight at the front of the long, narrow restaurant. A couple of private dining rooms and a separate bar. But the noisy TV could probably go (and the security guard in the batik shirt watching it will either be a distraction or invite a sense of protection). A waiter apparently brings around the "water pipe" for guests to try but only on request.
Popular with: Has quickly gained a good reputation with the expatriate community; on the night we dined, it was mostly mixed expat-Indonesian couples, although there was one local family sampling the cuisine.
Taste Factor: Hit and miss on the night we dined. The cold mezza, served with pita bread and vegetables, were nothing special, 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 (one of the waitresses said it was brought over specially from the Middle East). And we also agreed the generous portions of lamb kebab and chicken shawarma were hearty, tasty meals.
Minus Points: Nothing notable.
Verdict: Our great expectations were not exactly fulfilled, but we came away with a favorable impression and a yen to try it again. (Melvin Hunt)