Located behind the Arab university, Issa has been serving foul and hummus for as long as Beirut remembers. Staff smoking a cigarette on the sidewalk, news loudly broadcasted on the television, in a calm, dull ambiance. Two owners sitting at the counter couldn’t care less about our arrival. We sat and waited more than fifteen minutes for someone to take the order.
New and for the first time; Hummus with makanek, I was excited to try it. On the menu, choose from a selection of Hummus, Foul, Balila, and Fatteh.
The specials;
- Issa’s plate.
- Foul with butter
- Hummus and meat
- Fatteh with tahini
The table is prepared with two plates of vegetables, red spicy sauce, green spices, Lebanese bread and traditional plates.
The restaurant is calm, made of a counter and a dining space. Plastic tables and chairs, empty water carafes, writings on the wall from last year’s ramadan. Space is nonsmoking.
Hummus with makanek balls with a hummus that needs more flavors. An excess of salt thrown here and there. A refreshing fattet Laban, msabbah (hummus and tahini), edsiyyeh (hummus, Foul and moutabbaha). Issa’s plate is made of tomatoes, parsley, Foul, hummus and olive oil; it has a certain bitterness that I didn’t like.
I remember better and expected much better. Had a cup of tea and continued my day to another breakfast discovery.
