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Batchig is one those places I visit often and enjoy every time. A new idea has been introduced at this Armenian modern hot spot in Antelias. Every Tuesday, the place is changed into a Lebanese night around Arak Karaké, special bites and a one-man show... Head down to Batchig and enjoy an overflow of arak droplets around authentic traditional tunes... accompanied with a special menu tailored to satisfy your taste buds.
Welcome to Batchig, a spacious two-floored restaurant with a terrace. The overall white space is colored with furniture and other details that will keep you looking... Your eyes are in for a treat.
My wife and I arrived before the others. Led to our table, we were warmly welcomed under the mandaloun, surrounded by glass facades with some light released from the chandelier pending from above. While waiting, we were generously offered to taste a selection of bites from the salad bar... to prepare our taste buds.
- A long corridor leads you to a very high open space perfectly lit by daylight from the glass rooftop
- Facing the entrance, you'll find a stainless steel piece of art covering the wood oven, where a large portion of the menu
- The floor, poured with polished concrete, a new age material that adds modernism
- A general white ambiance relaxes your senses
- White walls and gypsum white ceiling highlight the colorful furniture underneath
- Dozens of design porcelain plates decorate the walls
- The claustra details add an oriental feel to the place and connects the architecture to its surrounding
- Two floors to choose from, depending on your mood are open one on the other
- One of the walls on the upper floor is covered with a beautiful wallpaper filled with little flowers
- Two bars, one on the upper floor and the other outside prepare the drinks
- Outside seating is distributed between the upper floor and the large terrace on ground level
- Two individual spaces inside, host large tables for intimate groups
- The three arcades, signature design of Mayrig, are reproduced in a modernized way
- Uncountable design ideas and materials all blend in perfectly together without making the space look like an art gallery
- On the upper floor, a single glass chandelier is the main art piece decorating the space
- My favorite design item: Playing on the art of light and shadows, the metallic sieve like wall scones reflect beautiful art work on the walls while adding warmth to the ambiance.
The permanent buffet:
- Hindbeh, Raheb, Beetroot, Boulghour Abour, Plaki, potato salad, basterma and egg quail, tuna tajen, Shanklish, Mousaka, rakakat potato, stuffed cabbage leaves, manakish, fried eggs, fried cauliflower, grilled zucchini, vegetables and pickles.
Karaké formula, $45 TTC per person:
- Tabboule
- Lentil salad
- Hummus
- Moutabbal
- Stuffed vineleaves
- Mouhammara
- Blata naye (kafta, sawda, Ftilé, habra, kebbe armaniyeh)
- Spicy potato
- Sfiha
- Wings
- Mayrig lahme beajine
- Eggplant pot
- Mixed grill
- Dessert (3aysh el saraya, cheese esmalliyeh, meghle)
Dinner was good as always as Batchig. The formula - more of a Lebanese mezze- is exactly what you need to enjoy Arak night; although I still prefer coming here for their Armenian specialties.
Tabboule was tasty, lentil salad was excellent, eggplant fatteh was exquisite, hommos was very good and eggplant batenjen was good as always... But the grilled meat was not as good as what we are normally used to having at Batchig.
After dinner, nothing other than Batchig's famous Ararat ice cream mountain to put a smile on your face. Ice cream balls mixed with cotton candy. Cheese esmalliyeh followed; a crunchy circular shaped esmalliyeh filled with melting cheese and topped with sugar syrup. I'm in love with Batchig's desserts.
You don't have to go up to villages to enjoy some of Lebanon's most renowned traditions; you can enjoy a taste of it every Tuesday at Batchig. If you have friends coming from abroad and want to show them the finest of Lebanon's traditions, Batchig is a good idea to consider.
Tags:
armenian Alcohol Vegetables Arak Manakish pickles Shanklish fried eggs Raheb batchig serge maacaron beetroot Hindbeh Boulghour Abour Plaki potato salad basterma and egg quail tuna taken Mousaka rakakat potato stuffed cabbage leaves fried cauliflower grilled zucchini karake karke arak production armenian cuisine
