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Ivy Reviews: SUD
Beirut’s been buzzing about two new hot spots conveniently situated on Mar Mikhael’s main road, BarTartine and SUD. They’re actually separate entities but share the same hidden gem of a terrace in an open court-style alley complete with small trees and beautiful stone walls. Sud also boasts a rooftop cocktail lounge.
Although it’s been open for a few months Sud’s reputation precedes it, hosting a full house during peak hours and an almost always packed guest list.
The menu is namely Mediterranean with a varied list of French, Italian and Catalan cuisine. We booked a table for four and headed down on a Saturday for lunch. I was drawn by the beautiful modern décor ,stainless steel lamps, open-style kitchen layout, bar and loved the entire look and feel of the place.
However, the staff still looked like they were adjusting to keep up with the constant traffic. An empty beer bottle seemed to have found its way right under my friend’s chair as we were seated on a table. We handed it to an apologetic waiter and then asked him to point us to the Catalan items on the menu. He sported a blank face and we knew we’d have to explore our own way.
We started things off with two Antipastos which I recommend, whole mushrooms marinated in a sweet balsamic sauce with toasted baguettes, and eggplant and black olive molasses also served on miniature toasted baguette.
We also had the Crevette Ter Mer tapa , shrimps and some fantastic little pieces of chorizo (sausage) with fresh herbs.
Next, the grilled calamari salad with artichoke hearts, porcini mushrooms, chick peas spring onions and cherry tomatoes and black olives drizzled with a lemon dressing. Although I’m a fan of grilled calamari I didn’t particularly enjoy the mix of ingredients in this dish nor did I like that the calamari tasted more boiled than grilled, as it was on the softer side of things and sported no grill marks or taste. It was missing a kick to it that just didn’t come.
My friend went for the burger that came in a fresh bun and medium-sized patty. The meat seemed freshly ground as the soft patty fell apart with every bite however I didn’t particularly enjoy the spice mix used and the very thin cheese that seemed processed as it sat unmoved and un-melted. It was good but didn’t move me the way a gourmet burger should.
My other friend went for the Risotto-style saffron paella which was absolutely delicious both visually and sensory with its scrumptious shrimp and fresh mussels. This dish is a definitive must-have for anyone who’s a fan of this traditional Valencian dish.
My man went for the Salt Baked Sea Bass, which came in its full fish form in a hard crust cover that exposed a soft white flesh when cracked. It came with a side of sautéed potatoes. It was good but bland and slightly over-cooked for my taste.
I had the Linguine Aux Crevette , a pasta dish of sautéed shrimps, shredded courgettes, green beans, cherry tomatoes, pepercino in a tomato sauce. And again it was good, it hit the spot, but it was missing something more, a flavor that would set this place apart from the rest and mark it’s gastronomic stamp on the scene, but again it failed to deliver.
However, whatever flavors Sud lacked in the savory department, it made up in its dessert menu. The delectable glazed Pain Perdu left me in a trance topped with a heavenly scoop of vanilla ice cream from the ice cream connoisseurs over at Oslo.
The soft Profiteroles drizzled with warm milk-chocolate sauce were mouth-watering and the ice cream really impressed.
We washed the meal down with some a foamy rich cappuccino.
I found that Sud’s prices are very reasonable compared to the other restaurants in town with appetizers ranging from $5 to $15 and main dishes ranging from $18-$30 so a meal for four with soft drinks without dessert would total to around $120.
I will definitely be back for to Sud’s rooftop soon for some of those promising cocktails. Have you been?
More Reviews:
Frosty Palace: Ivy’s Search For The Best Burger In Beirut Returns
Burgers make me happy. As many of you know I’ve been searching for Lebanon’s best burger since 2010 long before the burger craze swept Lebanon.
And yes, for a while I realized that this little pastime of mine wasn’t doing justice to my waistline. So I gave it a rest. But old habits die hard and now I’m back to my fiendish ways.
I’m not the first to discover or write a raving good review about Frosty Palace. It’s been rated as one of Lebanon’s best burgers. I’m here to confirm that truth. I was there and I saw it too. The rumors don’t lie. That is one brave burger. Its warm fresh buttered bun grabs the little beast inside it with all its gloriousness and almost voluntarily takes the plunge into your mouth.
But before we all climax together let me tell you about this little treasure nestled away in Mar Mikhael’s inner streets. It’s named after the malt shop in the hit musical Grease, except instead of running into Sandy and Danny, the place looks like Audrey Hepburn would be seated at the bar. The décor is delightfully chic and simple. The huge crystal chandelier brings that paradoxical touch of glamour to the setting. Brilliant.
The place is teeny tiny, in a very intimate way. The menu is minimal. My man and I didn’t think twice before ordering the burger on the menu, fine freshly ground Australian beef. Jackpot. Our waiter announced that the mayonnaise and tomato relish (ketchup) were homemade. That got our attention.
We both prefer our burgers the classic way nothing too complicated, so we added some cheddar cheese and ordered them with a side of fries.
As soon as the waiter brought the little beauty out we knew. It sat alone on the plate, but it commanded the table. The patty was at that perfect level of thickness, more on the chunky side of things, just the way I like it. It rest on a bed of lettuce, tomato and some pickles and topped with some of that golden cheddar.
And though I like a generous portion of cheese on my burger which didn’t seem evident, it didn’t matter at that point. Because there was something in the beef that put an end to all those doubts as soon as I locked my fangs into it. It was like finding a long lost love after years of abstinence. I looked over at my man, who had already fallen under its spell and into a coma. Nothing could take him out of it, not even my giant glare signaling him to take it down a notch. Everyone could hear his moans and I was worried they wouldn’t believe this was really about the burger. We wolfed them down in less than ten. We contemplated seconds, but quickly dismissed the urge.
At that point we had completely forgotten about the wide chunky fries. They had just the right amount of crisp in the bite and softness in the core. We dipped them in the homemade ketchup and mayo until we scrapped our plates clean.
For dessert I went for the brownie with pecan nuts and caramel topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The brownie was nothing special, but the ice cream was delectable. I plan on going especially for a shake next time I’m in the neighborhood.
So go ahead, treat yourself to a gourmet burger this weekend, but prepare to splurge, a meal for two (burger fries and a soft drink will cost you around 25-30$ per person. It may not be a filet but trust me, this is not your average burger.
What’s your favorite burger in Beirut?
Check out more Burger Reviews in Beirut below
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Mes Obsessions Du Jour
Mes Obsessions Du Jour
Ivy Reviews La Petite Maison Dubai
Apparently anybody who’s a somebody in Dubai has been to the ultra-chic ‘tous célèbres ici’ French/Mediterranean gourmet restaurant La Petite Maison – at least that’s what I was told before I arrived. “You have to try La Petite Maison” “It’s a Dubai-Must” and well luck had it that I ended up there for one of my recent work trips.
For those of you who are not familiar, this top-notch spot started off at Old Nice in France and has a very popular branch in London. The place embodies the gastronomic spirit of the Côte d’Azur and neighboring Liguria.
Before I take you on my little culinary orgasm journey let me tell you about my delightful encounter with the as-French-cliché -as-they-come waiter who greeted me at the bar. I asked him for a glass of wine and a vodka 7up for my friend. He looked like I just swore at him.
Waiter(with the heaviest French accent I’ve heard in Dubai): “Darling, come on, wine? Really? Our specialty are cocktails, let me do something special for you, filled with love, with wine I just open z bottle and poooor z wine where is the fun there huh?”
Moi: (Giggle)“No really I’d like some wine”
We went back and forth around 3 times. He finally handed me the wine to his obvious dismay.
Waiter (with most disgusted look I’ve seen in Dubai): “ Fine, you have wine. But there is not that 7up in zis place okii? Really, no 7up”
Moi:“Just give me the closest thing to 7up”
He hands me Vodka- something and goes on to ignore me for the rest of the evening. The experience wouldn’t have been complete had he not done so. Almost as though he had been planted my management to do exactly that.
The place was jam-packed and it was only a Tuesday. We were seated on a roundtable with a couple of tomatoes, a lemon and a bottle of olive oil in the center.
We started things off with a fresh and crisp dish salad called Taboulet de Quinoa Salad which I thoroughly enjoyed; it had a very light barely-there dressing that allowed the quinoa to stand out.
The Carpacio de Boeuf was one of the best I’ve had in a long time, it’s basically cured sirloin with this magnificent pickle dressing.
But the appetizer that stole my heart was the Burrata et Tomates a marvelous fresh Italian cheese, somewhere between a mozzarella and one of the richest creams you will encounter. It fell apart as soon as it came into contact with my spoon and felt like velvet in my mouth. I wanted to hold onto it just a little while longer before the moment was over.
We also tried the Salad of Green Lentils and Calamars Frits which were quite spicy, both were was nothing out of the ordinary but added that Mediterranean touch the place promised.
And now for the fun part, the main course, I sunk my fangs into a the succulent dish of Côte de Veau Grillée (grilled veal chops) which were astoundingly tender with a no-fuss marination or sauce- not even a side dish- just right to the point. And with veal like that, that’s really all you need.
I also got to try the Coquelet au Citron Confit, a slow roasted baby chicken with lemon and it was as succulent as promised. I’m not a big fan of chicken but this was not your average bird.
And finally the Ziti with black truffles in a very light creamy sauce, and although I usually like my pastas drowned in juices, there was something about the subtle yet thick cream that made this dish just as good for me. I recommend you go for this one as a side dish but never as a main course, you’d miss out on so much more.
And of course no French meal is complete without Pain Perdu and Crème Brulée. I lost myself in the warm Pain Perdu that came with spice cinnamon-like ice cream. It was fulfilling in ways I just can’t describe. Really, I can’t. We also washed it all down with some Coconut, Pineapple-Mint, Raspberry, Passion Fruit ice cream.
Aside from the one arrogant French man, I most definitely recommend you experience La Petite Maison on your next visit to Dubai, just don’t order 7up and be prepared to splurge. Rumor has it that it may even open it’s doors in Beirut soon.
UPDATE: La Petite Maison is opening soon at Le Vendôme Beirut, I wonder if it’ll be as good?
Craving French cuisine in Beirut? Try my favorite dishes at Couqley