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| Spice it up a bit with Chicken Kali Miri — kebabs with a hint of black pepper, served with pita bread. |
LEBNEH
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| Most Lebanese stops only serve a shawarma salad but here you also get a vegetarian Fattoush Salad, made with toasted pieces of pita bread mixed with greens. |
Run by four friends (all women!), this Lebanese stop at 65 SP Mukherjee Road (at the Manoharpukur-Hazra Road crossing) has a comfortable space to seat around 16. Its main loyalists are college- and office-goers around Hazra. What’s cool at Lebneh is a mini version of the shawarma, which is easier to finish! The Grilled Chicken, Chicken Kali Miri, hummus and pita bread, and falafel are some of the pop picks. However, there’s no mutton or fish yet. “We were apprehensive when we started out, since we weren’t sure if people would like Lebanese food. But in the three months since our launch, not just college students but even the elderly looking for something healthy have appreciated our food,” said Swati Das, one of the partners.
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| For vegetarians wanting to try Lebanese, there’s Falafel — fried chickpea patties served with pita bread and assorted bell peppers. |
GO LEBANESE
There’s no formal seating at this 200 Sarat Bose Road (opposite the post office) address, so it’s best for takeaway. But if you want to grab a bite there itself, make yourself comfortable on red plastic chairs on the pavement, or in the comfort of your car. In 2011, Go Lebanese opened with an all-Lebanese menu that featured Hummus Nashib served with pita bread, Grilled Chicken, Mutton Kebab Wrap and Lebanese Kebabs, introducing Mughlai-eating Calcuttans to eastern Mediterranean cuisine.
“When we began, most people would ask for shawarma. But soon other dishes like Shish Taouk, Grilled Chicken and Baba Ganoush, Lebanese kebabs, salads and rice became popular. Apart from the taste, it’s the health aspect that has drawn people to Lebanese food,” says owner Debasish Dey.
There’s good news for vegetarians too — Go Lebanese serves shawarma with paneer.
This year, they opened a second branch in Sector V (Infinity Think Tank, Plot A-3, Block GP) and a third should sprout soon in Ajoynagar, Survey Park.
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| The Grilled Chicken is the less spicy Lebanese cousin of Tandoori Chicken. Cooked without oil, the meat is tender with a hint of garlic. A wise choice for weight-watchers. |
ROYAL LEBANESE
Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how big or small an eatery is — all that matters is how good the grub is. Royal Lebanese may just be an eight-seater at 187 Sarat Bose Road (near the Deshapriya Park crossing, with a popular
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| Different from the one served on Park Street, the Mutton Chello Kebab here has six chunks of keema kebab served with herbed rice. But its chicken variation comes with bread. The poached egg is given a miss. |
Mughlai food stop next door!) but it has successfully survived almost five months since its launch by drawing customers who want a healthy take on the kathi roll, kebabs and biryani, sit-down or home delivery. “Our kebabs and Chello are hot-sellers and we get our spices from Dubai,” said Sushavan Das, owner of Royal Lebanese. Some of the top picks are the fish kebabs — Shish (basa fish cubes marinated in oregano, parsley and chargrilled) and Semak Lebanah (pan-fried fish in a cheese-based sauce).
