An Iftar at Hotel Le Gray

It was Iftar at Le Gray. Up on the roof in Indigo, Iftar is served as the sun sets. 

A large table of mezze was waiting to host us and with that a soup bowl where everything starts, lentil or vegetables with a table preset with Lebanese plates.

I like it here, with a sunset view of a calmly lit Beirut. The wine cellar was covered for the occasion, tables were prepared inside or on the terrace with a buffet dessert on the bar facing the kitchen. In a calm and soothing ambiance, Iftar was launched.

Hummos, Labneh with garlic, Fattoush, moutabbal, mousaa3a, stuffed grape vine leaves, shanklish, dried fruits, tajen, green beans in olive oil and tabbouleh.

Let's drink to that: The Jallab was way too sweet. It tasted of sugar with an end note of Jallab. I'm not sure that I'll be appreciating any Jallab after discovering the one Al Antabli does. Amareddine as well, what is it about the sugar!?

Now for the food:

• The lentil soup had a creamy texture and was served warm, the lentils hada good consistency, well balanced seasoning and a pleasant taste.
  
• The cold starters. I enjoyed the creaminess of the Hummus, the ingredients of moutabbal felt in every bite, and even though the stuffed grapevine leaves' envelope was too thin or overcooked, the filling was good. I liked the Saj cheese rolls; they're unusual, thicker than the ones we know and the cheese inside was melted, sticking it all together. Nicely salty and enjoyable.
  
• Sambousik, fried cheese rolls and kebbe. Those are good indeed. Lovely kebbeh with a lightly crunchy envelope and a warm heart; lemony, firm pine nuts and a juicy meat. The sambousik had a crunchy, round border that crunches while the heart melts with its filling.
  
• Those makanek are juicy! A thin skin, condensed meat and lemon and those pine nuts and spices. Good indeed.
• The tabbouleh's parsley was shredded too small with a light sweet flavor which I would have preferred to be sour instead. The shredded parsley was unpleasant to chew while hiding between your teeth. Stronger lemon and more salt was needed.
  
• When the siyadieh landed on the table, I knew that serious stuff was coming. Brown rice cooked al dente without being too hard but full of flavor and juices. Fish on top and those great spices that make of the siyadieh one of my favorite dishes, close to the one I eat at home.
  

• Even though the rice used is small, Riz 3a Djeij has the spices, the texture, the tender meat and the mix of pine nuts and pistachios with dried raisins. The chicken comes in big chunks that are juicy and flavorful. A little bit more sauce or some added sauce on the side would have made this dish even better.

• Meat, tawouk, kafta and French fries on the side. Good quality meat, tender and good in texture, the kafta had a strong parsley taste but one can't deny it's juicy and tasty and I heard that the chicken tawouk was enjoyable from my fiends; I couldn't try it because of its garlic marinade. The fries rocked! Maybe the best thing I had that night.

After dinner we were invited to the dessert buffet. A long buffet set with a dozen choices of oriental desserts and Oum Ali, a famous hot dish served during Ramadan. Some were good, others not. I enjoyed the Maamoul mad bi Ashta while I found the other Maamoul to be thin and hard to chew. Karabeej are hard for me as well, or maybe I'm comparing them to the ones I adore, the famous ones from Patisserie Chidiac. The locally made Oum Ali put a smile on my face.

That's Iftar at Le Gray, generous choices of Lebanese preparations you still can try until the 18th of this month.

The Iftar was held in celebration of LG's new LG G4 phone.