A not-so-desirable byproduct of Dubai's melting pot status is the sometimes dangerous culinary exchanges between its inhabitant cultures.
At Café Blanc, however, diners are greeted with the promise of an authentic Lebanese dining experience. As our waiter, Tony, informed us, everything from the funky cutlery to the brightly coloured cushions has been shipped from Lebanon.
My companion was rather insistent upon knowing the contents of every sharab on the menu and Tony indulged us; he even told us the secret behind the legendary Café Blanc - the drink the café is named after.
Café Blanc is better at being a café than a restaurant. Their extensive menu of mezze, cocktails and desserts were far more satisfying than the flavourless and juiceless main course.
We began with refreshing concoctions of the Levant. Café Blanc's extensive collection of cocktails is impressive. My companion sipped on rabih - a lemon-and-mint drink vamped up with a dash of violet syrup, while I enjoyed jellab-flavoured sharab, a rose-flavoured light drink topped with mixed nuts.
We continued to what was the best part our meal - a delectable spread of hot and cold mezze: halloumi grilled to perfection; raheb salad, a magnificent blend of mashed grilled eggplant, tomato, cucumber and onions; and the star of the evening, fattet hummus, a warm liquid version of the regular hummus, served with garlic yoghurt and fried bread, topped with a sprinkling of pine nuts.
The meat dishes were, to be generous, unsatisfactory. The meat in the arayess kafta (grilled minced meat between bread) and the mixed platter lacked freshness and flavour.
Dessert was a hit and miss. While my companion's knefeh a l'orange, a classic cheese desert, was mouth-wateringly tender, my gelatinous megleh induced visions of Jabba the Hutt.
After a disappointing main course, we were eager to taste the popular Café Blanc, and we were not let down. This blend of orange blossom, rose and hot water truly delivers a perfect finish to the meal.
All in all, Café Blanc is perhaps an authentic Lebanese café that should be treated as just that - a café.
CAFÉ BLANC
Where: Dubai Mall, ground floor near the Lake Fountain. Phone: 042326677
Must-have: Fattet Hummus.
Décor: Splashes of cool blues, sunny yellows and lime greens- refreshingly charming.
Ambiance: Colourfully chilled.
