Beirutista

Updated: March 26, 2023 For the Lebanese, remittances have always been a hard fact of life. With a vast diaspora often quoted to be upward of five times the population inside Lebanon, it is not uncommon for Lebanese expats to send money to family members living in the motherland. But now more than ever, that fact has become a deepening necessity. As the country battles a multi-faceted crisis promising no clear resolution, the Lebanese find themselves struggling to make ends meet, and their reliance on remittances from abroad grows unabashedly. The real question, however, is how to channel funds safely, cost-effectively and directly into the intended recipient’s hands. I finally found a surefire answer, and I could not recommend it more heartily. Now more than ever, the Lebanese are relying on cash remittances from abroad to survive ( Getty images ). What is Sendwave? Sendwave is an app born in 2014 out of a desire to slash the high fees and minimize the inconvenience of sending...

Do you remember as a child being prompted with the question, “Who do you most admire?” Apart from my parents, naturally, my role model was Sir Richard Branson, British billionaire, entrepreneur and business mogul who in the 1970s founded the Virgin Group. Today Virgin controls more than 400 companies in various fields. In some way or another, we’ve all been touched by Virgin. I’ll start. Every day I tune in to Virgin Radio here in Beirut, which launched a good decade ago and has easily led its peers in music and content programming. I have flown on Virgin Atlantic (and Virgin America) numerously. We often shop for our electronics needs at Virgin Megastore, which boasts a network of branches throughout Lebanon. Arguably, most people know of Sir Richard, perhaps through one of his many books. My friend once mailed me “Screw It, Let’s Do It” (2006), which he picked up at an airport, leafed through ravenously on his flight, and was convinced I’d appreciate. I did. And I have hung on to it ...

This article has been adapted from the original version, which is published on the  Al Wadi Al Akhdar website  under the  "Visit Lebanon" tab . The delectable Lebanese (and Levantine!) dessert konafa ( photo source ) Lebanese people naturally gravitate toward good food. This is no mere generalization or exaggeration. The reality is that we lay claim to an aesthetically- and tummy-pleasing cuisine that demands only the finest, freshest produce and meat. That kind of pickiness at the table forges a very discriminating palate, which is why wherever we wander in the world, you can immediately single us out. We happily lap up at the table of good and plenty, and we make it known. So how do you spot a fellow Lebanese gourmet? Here are five food-related behaviors that quickly betray our identities!   As sure as the sun rises, your day invariably begins with labneh and zaatar. Admittedly, a vast number of Lebanese are lactose-intolerant, but that’s never prevented us...

This article has been adapted from the original version, which is published on the  Al Wadi Al Akhdar website  under the  "Visit Lebanon" tab . Lebanese fwerigh , or stuffed intestines ( photo source ) Lebanese cuisine might strike the unsuspecting as dainty, delicate and delicious with its vegan tabbouleh, manakish za’atar and hummus. But beware: it’s got a gut-wrenching side to it. We’re talking liver; raw meat flanked by white cubes of pure fat; snails; frog legs; sheep brains; beef tongue; and the list goes on, and on, and on, for about the length of a sheep’s intestines (also a dish in the exotic roundup!). If you’re a diehard Lebanese, you undoubtedly dote on these delicacies and gloat about their dense nutrient and vitamin content to anyone who questions their merits. There’s not an ailment out there that can’t be cured with these antidotes. If you’re less adventurous with what you eat, you probably want to stop reading right about here. Go ahead, sign off. We’r...

This article has been adapted from the original version, which is published on the  Al Wadi Al Akhdar website  under the  "Visit Lebanon" tab . Some of the most memorable and adventurous meals are often come by in the street. In Beirut, that certainly rings true. No matter which narrow city alley, village souk , or seaside boardwalk you find yourself exploring, there’s bound to be a delicious bite within arm’s reach. While meaty shawarma wraps and lahm bi ajeen pies readily come to mind in Lebanon, there is in fact a myriad of vegan foods to appeal to every palate. These savory meatless munchies form an integral part of Lebanese cuisine. To be quite frank, going vegan in Lebanon may prove to be an effortless endeavor! Lebanese falafel inside pita bread ( photo source ) Manakish Za’atar Pizza is to the Italians as “manakish” is to the Lebanese. It’s all about fresh-baked, soft, round flatbread crafted before your very eyes. If you’re visiting a Lebanese furn , or bake...

If you’re a (miserable) account-holder at a Lebanese bank and you reside in Lebanon, you’re probably in possession of a debit card. After all, that’s the only God-forsaken method of siphoning some of your locked-up assets from the bank. And by siphoning, I mean extracting via trickle method. One miniscule drop at a time. The current predicament that cardholders face however is the rejection of their plastic wallet accessory by a vast number of retailers. Months ago, gas stations across Lebanon unanimously stopped accepting card payment. Then supermarkets and grocery stores, in a show of solidarity, enforced a 50/50 approach: they'd only accept 50% payment by card and 50% by cash. We’re talking about retailers like Spinney’s, Carrefour, Le Charcutier, Stop and Shop, O&C, and the likes. A range of epiceries, or upscale grocers like Aziz, haven’t accepted card payment for at least a year – understandably, they don’t want to deal with local banks, heinous capital controls and h...

Eight years ago, I stumbled across Furn Beaino while researching Lebanon’s acclaimed "lahm baajin" bakeries. At the time, I was freelancing as Food & Drink editor at Beirut.com, and “best of” roundups were my bread and butter. Furn Beaino kept surfacing again and again in the literature, so I had to go and see what the fuss was about. I still remember that first visit in late September 2014. Wissam Beaino, son of the furn’s founder and visionary Toni Beaino, greeted me and briefly recounted the history of his family’s enterprise. Established in 1975, the furn, Arabic for "bakery," had quickly risen to fame for its matchless lahm baajin, a fragrant blend of mince lamb, onions, and tomatoes spread richly on a thin round flatbread, baked swiftly at high temperatures, and finished with a drizzle of lemon and a dash of pepper. These meat pies were Furn Beaino’s signature item, but customers clustered at the small Jounieh stronghold for everything from manakish zaa...

I bear good news. The hospitality industry in Lebanon is still alive and well. Very well, in fact, namely at Beirut's premier five-star property Kempinski Summerland Hotel & Resort . Boasting its own private beach and marina on the Mediterranean, the estate is a little piece of paradise promising seclusion, seduction, and absolute sumptuousness. It definitely delivers on those promises, as our visit last week to its cozy Mediterranean eatery Rojo attested. Rojo restaurant at the Kempinski Beirut ( photo source: online gallery ) It was a tempestuous Friday evening and the winds were howling, but we were nestled safely inside at a table for two, eager to embrace the night’s “Wine and Dine by the Sea with Latourba” menu proposition. I knew very little about Latourba , a private Lebanese vineyard located in the West Bekaa in a town called Saghbine. Assuming that we were in for a typical wine and dinner pairing, I was pleasantly surprised to find the owners and founders – Christi...