Le Meridien offers a lip-smacking menu at their Lebanese food festival

One thing that unites all the people in Lebanon is their love for eating. The Lebanese fare is the cuisine of the Mother Nature and the cuisine of the heart. The colours of the rich ingredients reflect the beautiful Lebanese landscapes, while the abundant variety talks about the Lebanese generosity and hospitality. And this very warm piece of Lebanon experience awaits you at Le Meridein Hotel with a Lebanese food festival at their La Brasserrie restaurant. This 24-hour coffee shop is now adorned with beautiful bright coloured drapes and lamps, giving the ambience a mystic feel. 

And while this ambience will transform you to the country in western Asia, the flavoured food will make your taste-buds travel to gastronomical heaven of the Mediterranean cuisine. Situated on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, this country's food is laid out at the restaurant for you to discover. At the live counter, the chefs await your presence in order to whip up some mouth-watering Sambousik Jibne (feta cheese pastry), Kibbeh (lamb kebab with pine nuts), Fattayer (spinach pastry), Manakeesh zatari bread, Chicken liver mikli, Ouzi (roasted lamb leg on top of kabsa rice) along with a wide range of kebabs on skewers. Sous chef Mathew John recommends the Haloumi Grilled Cheese. There's also the shawarma machine from which the chefs slice out your Chicken Shawarma to present it to you along with pita bread and traditional toppings. 

A typical Lebanese meal is high on vegetables, low on meat and huge on flavour. 

For the main course, there's plenty to explore as set up at the buffet counter is a delicious vegetarian delicacies like Bamic Mikli (okra), Maudaas (rice and lentils), Badhinjas Bil Kuzbara (eggplant), Quoosa Bil Laban (Zuccini), Malfouf Bi Bandura (cabbage) et al. 

The meat eaters don't have to frown as for them a treasure of treat is in store with Lahame Bi Al Fahma (beef), Kouzi Mazgouf (lamb), Madrouba (chicken), Shorbet Hares (lamb) and Lubya Bi Laham (lamb). But how can anyone walk away from the food fest without taking a trip down to the dessert counter. For here, waits a piece of history in the form of a long-established dessert. The Bakhlava is a rich sweet pastry that has featured in many cuisines of the former Ottoman, Arab and Iranian countries. Apart from the phyllo sheets pastry, one can also dive into the Basbousa, Kunafe (vermicelli) and Umali. Lebanese food indeed effortlessly merges the sophistication of European cuisine with the richness of eastern history and tradition.

Preeti Devnani/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication