Italian Project Kitchen & Bar – Broumana

I have tasted Italian Project in its Mar Mikhael location a while ago and I remember I liked it. During the Summer, one looks for a cool breeze to accompany their good meal, so we went up to the eatery’s new location in Broumana. Let me start with the service; it was excellent. From the moment I reserved until the end of our dinner, the staff was the right amount of friendly and professional. The waiters also accommodated my temporary ‘pregnancy-peculiar’ requests with a great attitude, and they were always standing attentively nearby. I enjoyed the atmosphere, especially that since it was still early in the evening, it was not too crowded yet, and yes, toddlers are catered for with high chairs there. I tried two pasta dishes, which were both delicious. The tomato sauce that coated the gnocchi chunks was very well-seasoned that I found myself enjoying the last tasty spoonful even after the gnocchi was gone. As for the creamy sauce in the other pasta platter, it was rich and covered the succulent pieces of chicken with flavor. I will definitely be coming back to taste their other Italian savory and sweet treats!

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SUD Restobar – Naccache

(Special: Fondue & Stone Grilling)

Craving really good thin slices of meat sizzling right in front of your eyes? Do you want to dip your meat, fries, or bread into some bubbling cheesy goodness? At the risk of sounding like an advertisement, if the answer to both of the above is yes, then going to SUD Restobar in Naccache is a great idea. I’m serious. They have launched a new Fondue & Stone Grilling dinner experience that is worth breaking your diet for. It is really delicious. The meat is of great quality and the whole setup is perfect. For $35, they provide you with as many refills as you want. The creamy and tasty fondue is composed of three cheeses, namely raclette, mozzarella, and parmesan. Accompanying the meat and fondue are a basket of bread, a fresh salad, crispy fries, mushrooms, and three dipping sauces. The truffle mayo, barbecue, and aioli dips are all flavorful in their own way. My taste buds were having a blast as I enjoyed all the components of our meal. At the end of it all, we were pleasantly surprised with a soft and gooey marshmallow on a stick; I found that thoughtful gesture sweet, in the two senses of the word. As for the service, it was top-notch, and the waiters were friendly and professional. I left SUD having been extremely satisfied with their take on fondue and stone grilling. I will surely be returning and I strongly believe that every meat and cheese lover should try it out!

Marina Social – Dubai

Marina Social, a restaurant opened in Dubai by Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton, was our choice for dinner with a view. The service was very professional and our waiter was patient with my before and after picture taking (as well as videos in the making) of a couple of our appetizers. For starters, we had the Goat’s cheese “churros” truffle honey, the Italian beef tomato, the Hand chopped beef tartare, and the Reblochon cheese sourdough pizza. The truffle honey was subtle, yet it suited the goat cheese churros well. The Italian beef tomato was whimsical; it looked like a pristine peeled tomato on the outside, but when you slice it open it is stuffed with burrata. Also, the waiter shows you the bottle of a 25 year aged balsamic then proceeds to drizzle some onto the tomato —I enjoyed the flavors. Something else I really enjoyed was the beef tartare. The waiter mixes the egg yolk jam with the other ingredients at your table, and finishes it off with dollops of horseradish cream. Everything was well-balanced and the end result was delicious. As for the pizza with Reblochon cheese and Wagyu cecina, the components were great together but the highlight was the actual dough which made a tasty crispy crust. For our main dishes, we decided to taste their seafood. We had the Chargrilled tiger prawns and the fish with black quinoa. You could tell that the tiger prawns were grilled because that was evident in the taste, and the sauce of the fish was great. However, what was done amazingly was the cuisson of the fish; it was as perfect as it could get. It was excellently moist but still firm —if I were to imagine how fish should taste like, this is it. It was now time to satisfy my sweet tooth. For desserts, we had the White chocolate cheesecake and the Chocolate marquise; they were both good but I preferred the chocolate marquise. I did like how the cheesecake was presented though, again with a playful gesture. However, I felt that the Salted was better than the Caramel in general. We ended the night with some drinks overlooking the water and the surrounding lit buildings.

Charlotte – Beirut

I really wanted to try Charlotte, especially after I found out that it was related to Nonna Pizza. Actually, they shared a common space at this location, with a subtle separation so that each retained their own theme. I have tasted Nonna Pizza before on several occasions, and it was tempting to have one of its savory concoctions. However, I was determined to direct all of my attention to Charlotte, which was the real reason I was there. Yet, I did succumb to Nonna’s kid’s meal, which was great. It includes a choice of a pizzetta or pasta, of which I chose a pasta with rose sauce for my son. It was difficult to keep the whole dish intact for him, because although being simple, it was delicious. Seriously, the pink sauce was really good, and the pasta was al dente; just as it should be. The pasta comes with a side of fries, which are crispy and seasoned with the right amount of salt. Also included in the kid’s meal is their own dessert, which is a mini Rotolo di Nutella. I really loved how the dessert was still well-presented; it showed that kids were not underestimated and deserved the attention to detail as well. I have to add though that I wish they had high chairs, especially after catering to children wonderfully in their menu. I think it’s time to talk about my adult experience with the food. The starter we ordered was the star of the show. The Baby Potato & Truffled Hollandaise, served with a fried egg on top. The Baby Potato & Truffled Hollandaise, served with a fried egg on top. No, this is not an error in typing. I am repeating myself. It is that tasty and flavorful; when the knife touches the fried egg and it releases its goodness onto the ingredients beneath it—words fail to describe it. We then ordered the Thai Chopped Fresh Crab & Shrimp salad, which was good and I appreciated that it was fresh crab that was present on the greens, and not the imitation. Unfortunately, we had an unwanted component amidst the freshness of the salad. The manager was quick to apologize, and insisted on replacing the dish with a new one, and we were charged for the original dish. Here, I would like to point out that the waiters were extremely friendly, although their pace was a bit slow. We also ordered the Steak Frites and the Crevettes au Curry Rouge. The sauce covering the shrimps was delectable; the coconut cream was pronounced and it surely awakened my taste buds. Another highlight of the whole lunch experience was one of the desserts. We chose the Pain Perdu and the Moelleux au Chocolat. You guessed it, the one that I am talking about is the latter; the melted Valrhona Guanaja chocolate beneath the crust is to die for. If you are a chocoholic, this decadent dessert is all you need to ever have. Needless to say, the pain perdu was mediocre in comparison. Charlotte offers platters filled with diverse flavor profiles, and I would like to come back to have a taste of other items on their menu, as well as to enjoy a couple of items again.

Pierre Marcolini – Bruxelles

After two posts with no desserts, I have to satisfy my more caramel than salted cravings chez Pierre in my beloved Brussels. Pierre Marcolini is a high-end chocolaterie symbolized by the minimalistic elegance of a cocoa bean. The service is impeccable; the client is highly respected and warmly welcomed. The staff is knowledgeable about their product and you feel important as soon as you walk in to the boutique. The patisserie is showcased beautifully and the boxes are arranged neatly on shelves. Obviously, I am in love with Pierre Marcolini. Not just the pastries or chocolates, but the whole idea of it and how it makes me feel. For me, it is a must-have when I visit Brussels – a daily delicacy to enjoy as I stroll around the city. I would like to commend the ingenious ideas they have as well, from the creative limited editions to the whole store transformations sometimes. An example of a store transformation I witnessed was when I visited during the summer. The whole building on the Sablon had been intertwined with flowers. It was really beautiful. Even the inside kept the same theme with flowers climbing to the second floor and green grass spread beneath your feet. They had put up an ice-cream stand to cool you off and make you smile just because it is summer. Thank you Pierre Marcolini, for your delicious desserts and for making us keep coming back for more!