The Limited Edition Raclette Burger from Crepaway

Georges seated us at a table along the glass railing, overlooking the hustle and bustle of the mall, and proceeded to hand us the large Crepaway menus.

“We’re here for the Raclette burgers,” I announced, gently declining the menu and requesting a Perrier.

“Ok, I’ll be right back with your order,” replied Georges, peering at me intently before inquiring whether we were bloggers.

“Uh, yes,” I conceded. “I’m Beirutista.”

“Ooh, so does that mean I’ll be featured on your blog?”

The burgers, dear boy!

Within a scant few minutes, and I do mean minutes, two runners arrived with salvers balancing open-faced burgers. Supple, poppy-seed bun slathered with a lick of special sauce. Grilled Angus beef patty. Pan-fried hash brown. Crisp lettuce. Juicy tomato. And the pièce de résistance: a thick sheet of molten Raclette cheese slowly sliding off a metal tray and onto the beef.


The Thrilling Raclette Burger from Crepaway


Crown the tower with the top bun and go at it cautiously. It’s a high-rise, subject to toppling if you don’t clutch it properly. I cut mine in half to clarify the starting point.

The advantage of Raclette, as with mozzarella, is that it oozes when warmed and its flavors are ever so subtle. Chargrilled beef still pierces through prominently with every chew. The soft, brioche-like bun could be slightly less voluminous, but perhaps that’s a good thing, to foster a firm grasp and to soak up all those juices.


Bunned beauty


Don’t expect fries with this bunned beauty, because you’ve already got the carb fix in hash brown form. I pulled mine out to relish on its own and to give my jaws a break from all the unhinging action going on.

The folks at Crepaway nix the typical mayo-drenched coleslaw for pickled cabbage with a hint of cloves. It’s an interesting substitute, to be certain, reminiscent of sauerkraut with a sweet aftertaste. So many foreign influences in one platter – Swiss Raclette, American hash brown, German sauerkraut – which reinforces Crepaway’s image as the eatery that delivers taste inspiration from around the world.

Catch the thrills while they last, for the Raclette burger isn’t a permanent addition.

But rest assured, Georges. This article is, and your name will forever reside in the blogging annals of Beirutista. So you’re practically famous now ;)


The Thrilling Raclette burger sells for 20,750 LBP ($13.67) and is available for dine-in only.


Crepaway
Multiple locations


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Crowning Iftar Experience at the Crowne Plaza Beirut

Image
It had been decidedly too long since my first visit to the Crowne Plaza Beirut, tucked in the heart of Hamra along the main drag. Standing tall – a formidable 21 floors to be exact – with sweeping panoramic views of the Lebanese capital city, the Crowne Plaza, an IHG (Intercontinental Hotels Group) property, has so much going for it. To begin, the underground self-parking facility cannot be overlooked, as parking is typically nightmare-inducing elsewhere in Beirut. At just 200,000 LBP (USD 2.20) for up to four hours, this is a bargain. Alight the elevator at the ground floor, where a few steps westward will land you at the threshold of the Crowne Plaza. The hotel boasts 190 rooms, and I’m told that you can nab a room with complimentary breakfast buffet including VAT for about $100. You really can’t beat that in or outside of the city! Last Friday, we forayed into Hamra with the aim of trying the Iftar, a traditional Ramadan feast enjoyed at sunset, at Crowne Plaza’s Vivaldi restaurant...
Read more

6 Types of Patrons You’ll Encounter at a Coffee Shop in Lebanon

Image
You haven’t really adult-ed if you haven’t flocked to a coffee shop at least once in the past week, am I right? Admittedly, I was a little late to the game. I started sipping on caffeinated brew when my eldest was born, about six years ago. I’d place him in his stroller and lap around the mall for an hour or two, and when he drifted off to sleep, I’d slide into an armchair at Dunkin’ and order a donut, croissant-wich and coffee combo (yep, that was the ultimate trifecta.).  Fresh-brewed dark roast coffee, served piping hot with the steam blanketing my visage to deliver facial-like effects. Those few moments of uninterrupted peace formed my golden hour. I’d sit back, sip on my cup of joe, and quietly take in the scenes surrounding me. To this day, I love hanging out aimlessly at a coffee shop, merely to study the behavior of other patrons and try to deduce their craft. Here are the most common profiles I’ve encountered. My favorite indulgence at a coffee shop: donut and a cup of ...
Read more

7 Types of Lebanese Parents You’ll Encounter at School Pickup

Image
For the past three years, I’ve been shuttling my kids to and from school. It’s always a treat to greet them as their scholastic day draws to a close and they melt into your arms, eager to head home.  Right up there after that gratifying reunion is the entertainment value you derive from your encounters with other parents milling around the school building threshold in the minutes leading up to end of day. So amusing is the range of characters you’ll meet – whether they be grandparents filling in for parents tied up at work, or parents able to carve out time to pluck up their offspring – that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to blog about it. Here they are in no specific order. Can you relate?   1. The Haughty Mama : her favorite hand accessory is her smartphone, which she’s either holding to her lips transmitting nonstop nonsense voice notes, or scrolling furiously through her Instagram feed. Her hair is perfectly coiffed, with the essential extensions. She’s got those...
Read more