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Culinary Bonanza: Beirut Lebanon Restaurant

The chicken is slightly overcooked, but the spices are great. Simply request for shorter cooking time for the chicken. (Photo courtesy of Ellyna Tjohnardi)

How about staying away from the shopping malls this weekend and making your way to this Lebanese and Arab restaurant for dinner?  
 
The Arabs were among the early settlers who made their living in Batavia, along with the Chinese, Indians and Europeans. Over the centuries, Batavia has transformed into what we dearly know today as the sprawling metropolis of Jakarta. Like mushrooms blooming in the rainy season, restaurants pop up on every corner of the city, with their niche offerings, from specialized ramen stalls to luxurious French fine-dining restaurants.But how many restaurants serving Middle Eastern food can you name? Not many, I suppose.  

A friend of mine first noticed Beirut Lebanon on Jalan H. Agus Salim (famously known as Jalan Sabang) during his visit to Jakarta back in 2007. He didn’t get the chance to try it until a few Sundays ago. Knowing all too well that restaurants offering Middle Eastern dishes aren’t that abundant in Jakarta, I tagged along to see what it had to offer.  
 
The restaurant is located on the second story. From the ground level, it is easily overlooked, unless you look up and spot the sign. At the time of our visit, there was nobody else there, despite being around dinner time. A bad sign? Hardly. We arranged to meet before sunset, so I could catch the sun’s setting behind the buildings along Jalan Sabang through the window right next to our table. It was not the prettiest sunset I have ever seen, but it was a nice change from monotonous dinners inside shopping malls that always become claustrophobic during busy hours like these. 

Browsing through the menu may require some concentration as these are not the familiar offerings of your usual Jakarta eatery.  You can find essential Middle Eastern dishes such as hummus and falafel for appetizers, shawarma for the main course and other treats. Surprisingly, you can also find Indonesian and seafood dishes. There are also simple pasta dishes listed on the last few pages of the menu. I suppose Beirut Lebanon is playing it safe, just in case your dining companion cannot stomach anything as adventurous as the highly recommended chicken shawarma.  

The shawarma is basically grilled marinated slices of chicken with tahine sauce, French fries and salad. The presence of French fries makes the dish less authentic, but it still does the trick for local palates. I wonder if the shopping malls are doing justice to places like these. 
 
In terms of taste and price, Beirut Lebanon is definitely much better than most restaurants found in shopping malls. It is rather unfortunate that shopping mall culture is so deeply ingrained here that establishments like Beirut Lebanon are in danger of disappearing into oblivion.  

Is it worth a try? Definitely yes, and rest assured that you won’t need to do more window-shopping, because you won’t be put on a waiting list. 
 
Beirut Lebanon Restaurant 
JL. H. Agus Salim No. 57 Central Jakarta 10350 
Tel. 021 31938147 
Open Hours: 10 a.m. - 2 a.m.
 
Ellyna Tjohnardi is a food blogger who finds much pleasure in capturing delicious moments in life and shares it with the world in Culinary Bonanza. For more delicious entries, check out http://culinarybonanza.blogspot.com/ 

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