Your Destination for Dining & Unwinding in Harissa
To be completely frank, I’ve never been enticed by the numerous
snack shops and restaurant cafes dotting the Harissa highway. Maybe it’s
because the high-speed straightaway doesn’t lend itself to safely pulling over
and parking curbside to pop in for a bite. Or maybe it’s the cheap aura these
feeding joints exude, fostered by plastic tables and chairs, vinyl drapes, and an
uncanny air of desolation. Yeah, it’s likely Maybe #2.
So I was a little quizzical as I listened to my good friends
at Zomato wax poetic about a restaurant called Amar situated on one of the
bends before reaching Harissa. Stunning views and delicious food formed the crux
of their raves, and a quick glance at diners’ feedback online seemed to
corroborate this. I was curious, and last week I had the chance to put matters
to rest.
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| The sunset view from the terrace of Restaurant Amar |
For starters, the views—I believe the proper word is panorama—aren’t just stunning, they’re
tremendous. The restaurant terrace offers an unobstructed vista from Nahr el
Kalb up the coastline to Tabarja. It is from this vantage point that you
realize how lush Lebanon is, with whole mountains carpeted in unbroken flora
and arboreal growth.
Food almost seems like an afterthought, but there’s
something about the sight of the placid sea in the distance that stirs the
appetite. We sampled a generous array of dishes proposed by the menu, which in
fact was heavily influenced by the sprightly restaurant owner Karl Atallah. Like
a faithful father tending to his young child, Atallah circulates energetically
around the space, making sure customers are not merely satisfied but dazzled.
And dazzled we were.
In the cold mezza category, the batenjen raheb is exceptional. Visually it resembles a giant vegetarian
sheikh el me7shi busting at the seams. Roasted aubergine
flesh in its entirety cradles a blend of eggplant pulp, tomatoes and onions dusted
lightly with sumac. It is delectable.
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| Batenjen raheb in a unique format |
The “Capreze 3al Lebnene,” also sourcing eggplant and
tomato, stars fresh halloumi drizzled liberally with pesto. It is another mouth
pleaser.
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| "Capreze Al Lebnene" layers tomato, eggplant, halloumi and pesto |
The fetish for pesto is unmistakable, as it makes a cameo in
the hummus. And surprisingly it works, bowing to the nuttiness of the chickpea to
retain a pleasant subtlety.
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| "Hommos Amar" incorporates pesto |
The “3asfouriyet 7aba2” are tender cubes of beef (or ras asfour) cooked in pesto and resting
on a bed of creamy hummus. My favorite of the basil-based numbers, it strikes
the perfect contrast between textures and flavors.
Feast your eyes on these:
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| Goat labneh blended with olives and garnished with mint leaves and cherry tomatoes |
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| Labneh with garlic and shredded mint leaves |
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| Impeccably crispy kibbeh teardrops |
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| "Laflouflet Soujouk," the Lebanese take on "pigs in blankets" |
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| Arayes Kafta |
Special praise is due unto the taouk samak, heretofore unbeknownst to me (I can picture all the
Lebanese food gurus writing me off as blasphemous). Donning the
seasoning and appearance of its beloved chicken counterpart, the hammour filet
is melt-in-your-mouth delicate. Trust me, it needs no dipping sauce or aioli.
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| Taouk samak made of hammour filet |
Perhaps it’s the heat of the spices from the grilled meats,
or perhaps it’s the summer season that had me craving cool, refreshing ice cream. The "Ghazal
Amar" hit the spot: a creamy hockey puck of bouzet
2ashta is sandwiched between the stringy Lebanese cotton candy ghazl el banet and topped with crushed pistachio and candied rose petals. This is a classic treat that has my undying affection.
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| "Ghazal Amar" |
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| "Outhmaliyet Amar" is a sandwich of sauteed vermicelli and clotted cream |
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| "Layali Amar," a plain donut weighed down by a pillar of ashta ice cream |
I like to see Lebanese food revisited in a manner that doesn’t
tarnish its original luster, and on the whole Restaurant Amar makes the mark.
Sure, there were a few bites I wasn’t particularly wild about, like the
cinnamon-infused dolma--some things are better left unaltered.
No biggie—I washed it down with the pesto hummus.
Drooling...
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