Nadia Khalifeh tries out savoury Lebanese cuisine at Cafe Blanc.
It was another hot summer night and Burj Dubai was engulfed in a thick layer of sand. People, however, didn't seem too bothered by the weather and still chose to sit out on Café Blanc's terrace, where my partner and I were dining.
Lebanese cuisine is renowned worldwide for its refined taste and wide variety. At Café Blanc, the delicious Arabic flavour is accompanied by a stylish and classy atmosphere, thanks to its location close to the Dubai Fountain.
My partner and I glanced through the menu and quickly decided to order hummus and tabbouleh for the starters. For his main course, my partner chose the Kebbeh bil Sanieh and I decided on the Kafta platter. I also ordered fresh carrot juice to accompany my meal.
As we waited for our order, the lights came on in preparation for the fountain show. An Arabic song blared through the speakers and I quickly stood up to watch the spectacle. Despite having watched the show many times, it still doesn't cease to amaze me.
A few minutes later, our starters arrived. The tabbouleh was placed in the traditional terracotta bowl and next to the hummus was the bowl of greens and pickles that always accompanies Lebanese cuisine. The waiter delighted us with freshly baked Arabic bread.
Starters are one of the pleasures of Lebanese cuisine. I took a piece of the hot bread and dipped it in the hummus. It was soft and delectable. Even the tabbouleh, which is not a favourite of mine, tasted so much better at Café Blanc! It wasn't long before the Kebbeh bil Sanieh which literally means "kebbeh on a tray" arrived.
The kebbeh was accompanied by a bowl of yoghurt mixed with chopped cucumbers and sprinkled with mint. I asked my partner for a bite of the kebbeh and was glad that it wasn't my main course, since I thought the meat tasted too strong. However, my partner said it was divine and it was the creamiest yoghurt he has ever tasted. The waiter brought my main dish, the kafta platter. The kafta skewers were accompanied by potato wedges, a dip of hummus and pickles. What a treat! More hummus! The kafta skewers were rolled in Arabic bread and were very tasty. A bite of kafta dipped in hummus: perfect!
It wasn't long after I put down my fork that a friendly and attentive waiter came to ask how our meal was. Everything was wonderful of course! The waiter suggested we try the white coffee. "It's a digestive and there's no caffeine in it," he said.
I later learnt that the white coffee (which is hot water mixed with anise) is an old Lebanese tradition and it's this tradition that has lent its name to this fine restaurant. I added some sugar and savoured my café blanc.
If you'd like to visit Café Blanc during Ramadan, the restaurant offers a delicious set menu served at Iftar time. Bon appétit!
Pick of the week: Cafe Blanc
- What Lebanese cuisine
- where Dubai Mall, 04 434 0828. It's also located at Dubai
Festival City and Dubai Marina Mall - Why Delicious cuisine, great atmosphere and excellent service
- Cost Dh120 per person including drinks
