The Daily Star (Lebanon)
Saturday
Celebration of Lebanon's culinary landscape
by Clara Suchy
Beirut's foodies will have the opportunity this weekend to try the best dishes and drink offerings of 50 bars and restaurants in the city, all in one place.
BEIRUT: Beirut's foodies will have the opportunity this weekend to try the best dishes and drink offerings of 50 bars and restaurants in the city, all in one place. At the third annual Beirut Restaurants Festival, which opened Friday and closes Sunday evening, guests can choose from a myriad of dishes and wash it down with a cocktail as they walk through the iconic Trainstation event space in Mar Mikhael, all while learning about the vibrant culinary landscape of Lebanon.
"Guests can come in and spend the whole day and taste food from 50 restaurants, including Lebanese, Japanese, Chinese, French, American and Armenian food," one of the event's organizers, Maya Bekhaazi, told The Daily Star.
Last year, the festival attracted 15,000 visitors, though organizers are expecting that number to be even higher this weekend.
"The first year when we started this, the idea was to celebrate restaurants. We wanted to highlight the efforts of Lebanese restaurants not only serving Lebanese food but also international cuisine. The purpose of this festival is to celebrate the initiative, creation and success of Lebanese restaurant owners," said Bekhaazi, who is also a part of the festival's founding team.
This festival features food trucks, bars, a children's area, a musical stage and a number of lounges. Entertainment is provided for all ages, with a special program for the younger festival goers.
"There is a full entertainment program, morning to night. There is also a kids' area, where people can leave their children and pick them up once they have walked through the festival," Bekhaazi added.
Musical entertainment is being provided by a number of bands and singers throughout the weekend. Arnabeat, a local band, will entertain guests with its fusion melodies, while singers like Joy Fayad, Marc Hatem and Andrea Bou Nehme will serenade visitors with solo performances.
Bekhaazi also owns her own restaurant, which is offering its products at the festival. Curli-Q is a specialty cake shop that makes cakes baked layer by layer on spits. "We are going to have something very new this weekend. We will have Curli-Qs dipped in chocolate with toppings and ice cream," Bekhaazi said. Speaking from experience, she knows that people visiting food festivals expect decadent treats, which is why she developed this specialty.
Batchig, a Lebanese restaurant serving regional dishes with an Armenian twist, is another eatery sharing its culinary creations with visitors. Joining the festival for the second year in a row, they are serving a wide variety of Armenian specialties.
"Signature dishes such as manti, which are vegetarian or meat-filled dumplings, soujouk, an Armenian sausage taco, and a wild cherry kabab will be served," owner Aline Kamakian said.
Kamakian added that festival goers can "expect different kinds of cuisine, great ambiance and portions that are small enough to taste something from many stands."
In addition to having the chance to try dishes from over 50 Beirut restaurants, visitors can also learn how to prepare their own gourmet meals. Chef Sleiman Khawand, culinary instructor at the Institut de Gestion Hoteliere Dikwaneh, is preparing a range of dishes live, which people can later prepare at home.
"We are going to do special food with the avocado. We have six different kinds of avocados and are going to make 12 recipes live eight savory and four sweet," Khawand says.
Khawand is a part of the Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development Project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development with the aim of promoting different agricultural sectors in Lebanon. Having worked with farmers to improve avocado production, LIVCD is now working on the consumer side, informing people about the benefits of vegetables.
"It was important for us to educate the consumer," said Cynthia Daher, marketing specialist for LIVCD. "This is why we have asked to participate in the festival. Everyone knows that avocado has tremendous health benefits. It was important for us to have this product well presented to the public."
The events with Khawand, taking place throughout the three-day festival, may prove to be the highlight of any avocado-lover's weekend. Creative dishes, from avocado soup to Mediterranean chicken rolls, are just the tip of the iceberg. Besides learning to prepare some dishes, visitors have the chance to go on intriguing culinary journeys, tasting avocado cheesecake, truffle avocado chocolate or avocado profiteroles.
The third annual Beirut Restaurants Festivals continues Saturday, starting at 5 p.m. and ending at 1 a.m. The festival opens again Sunday from noon until 11 pm.