Welcome to the kingdom of fries and potatoes. Yellow is the color; positivity is the mood. Boutata is the heaven of "Batata" prepared in different unconventional ways. Following the account on Instagram, the creativity and innovative posts, I was excited to try Boutata. Located on Achrafieh’s Sassine square facing ABC, Boutata sells potato and chicken as well as a selection of meat-free sandwiches.
I felt this place from the minute I walked in... I wanted to eat everything! The restaurant feels fresh, decorated with white plastic boxes covering the ceiling, the floor painted in yellow and photos of old Beirut take you on a journey back in time. Metal structures painted in yellow protect the open kitchen.
Let’s eat: I loved the food!
- Batata Maslou2a: comfort food at its finest. Flavors of home on a calm Friday afternoon, an uncomplicated sandwich made of pure love. Tender and thin bread wrap loaded with mashed potato, a sprinkle of salt, a hint of pepper and mint leaves. So simple and so good, a first impression that drew a smile on my face.
- Fries sandwich: served hot, the fries sandwich had ketchup and mayonnaise in it, a special mix made especially for me since I can’t eat garlic. The ketchup turns into a very hot mix embracing the well-cooked fries. Not too crunchy, not too gooey; just good!
- Cauliflower and fries, a great mix! A beautiful texture, crunchy pickles, juicy tomatoes and the main ingredient fried to perfection. It cannot be a boutata sandwich without fries which make of it an upscale version of the street food sandwich.
- French fries, as good as they should be, served in a carton plate the street food way. Excellent fries ready to be dipped in ketchup.
- El 2awiyyeh platter; a huge plate of fries topped with juicy scrambled eggs, melted cheddar cheese and bacon! An excellent invention.
- The roast beef sandwich -again with French fries- is outstanding! Bravo for the bread, the roast beef tenderness, the fries quality, and sauce.
Then the serious stuff started landing on the table. Mashed potatoes cooked to perfection topped with mushrooms and cheddar for the first one and guacamole for the second. Fattouch is not something I expected! Fresh crisp vegetables topped with batata 7arra cubes of fries.
Boutata also has chicken, the famous "Boutata Fried Chicken." Deep fried chicken tenders embraced with crunchy corn flakes. Dip them in honey mustard, cheddar cheese or raspberry ketchup and enjoy.
Even though most of the items are fried, the food feels light on the body.
Don’t skip dessert: Have you ever imagined french fries and Nutella!? YES! It works! Ask for the Nutella Fries sandwich; you won't regret it.
BRAVO: An impressive concept.
