An Exclusive Review of Cup & Roll's Exclusive Seasonal Savors

My fascination with Cup & Roll, the brainchild of young friends Wassim Haddad and Khajag Apelian, is no secret. Originally launched as Pizza Cups and operating from the home kitchen of Apelian’s mother Salpi, the startup was rebirthed into “Cup & Roll” and features a delicious array of savory and sweet bites in the form of—you guessed it—cups and rolls.

Last week my interview with Haddad was published on Beirut.com and quickly climbed to top post on lebaneseblogs.com. If you’re interested in the evolution of the concept and the entrepreneurial vision that has closely guided this startup’s growth, be sure you check out my feature. If you happen to be a foodie and are more enraptured by the edible aspects of the company, read on.

I had the privilege of sampling a varied selection of cups and rolls, including the season’s exclusive flavors: Salmon Supreme, Shrimp Extraordinaire and Prosciutto Primo. Let me start by saying that the marketing photos displayed on the Cup & Roll site translate 100% in authenticity to the real deal delivered to your doorsteps. Yup. This company’s all about premium ingredients, delicious flavors, and beautiful aesthetics, and the pictures don't lie.


Some members of the Cup & Roll savory family
The Salmon Supreme is unrivaled. Generously filled with baked salmon filet, Emmental, cream cheese, and smoked salmon, and garnished with fresh dill and red peppercorn, this bundle is—in a word—delectable. The dough—choose between regular or whole-grain—is thin and crispy at the lip yet firm enough at the base and sides to hold all contents in unfailingly.


Salmon Supreme


If you’re a fan of Thai spices, you’re going to fall in love with the Shrimp number. A springy whole shrimp ornamented with black and white sesame seeds is the crown on top of an oozing spicy Thai filling. The contrast of textures and explosion of tastes in that one dainty cup is out of this world.


Shrimp Extraordinaire
Prosciutto Primo has noble intentions, but they don’t quite execute well. Prosciutto, or almost any salty cured meat for that matter, becomes even saltier when exposed to heat. The crumbled chèvre chaud and caramelized onions do little to redeem it.

Prosciutto Primo
Moving on to the classic toppings, Spinach & Caramelized Onion is imbued with creamed spinach, mozzarella and béchamel sauce. It is my favorite of the lot.
Mexican Chicken is an ode to Tex-Mex flavors, with a festive combination of roasted bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, jalapeno, and Mexican seasoning to elevate the grilled marinated chicken. There’s even a small capsule of guacamole to garnish the cup, but you’ll be too busy devouring to notice it. No biggie—the cup does beautifully on its own.


Mexican Chicken 
Four-Cheese is a hybrid between margherita and quattro-formaggi pizzas, but I found the gorgonzola to be overpowering, totally masking the flavors of the more subtle mozzarella, brie, and Parmesan.


Chicken Pesto & Cheese could employ a roasted cherry tomato or more mushrooms to overcome its dry texture, but otherwise there’s no doubting the premium quality of ingredients used.
Chicken Pesto & Cheese


The rolls are essentially wraps cut in inch-thick cross-sections. Imagine the spiral profile of a buche or Swiss roll, and that’s what these rolls resemble. I found Grilled Veggies & Halloumi to be a juicy Mediterranean tribute lush with color from eggplant, zucchini, red and green bell peppers, and tomatoes. The Taco Mix incorporates seasoned minced meat blanketed in melted cheddar.


Grilled Veggies & Halloumi


Be sure you top your meal off with freshly squeezed fruit juice—I love the apple with its cloudy residue and sweet and sour notes.

Cup & Roll is well-suited for office deliveries, gatherings at home, and even event catering. Individually-sized portions make them convenient to consume free of cutlery and utensils. Just be sure you ready the napkins!



Order online at www.cupandroll.com or call 01-888792/3. 
Delivery assured between Ras Beirut and Dbayeh.
Note that the season's savors will be available through January 6. 

Comments

  1. UnknownDecember 24, 2014 at 1:08 PM

    WOW! These are such yummy treats. I hope they did some vegan ones

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

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

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