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tepping into Kazbar, one can’t
help but be drawn by the
mysterious Middle Eastern tunes and
its laid-back, trance-like ambience.
“Kazbar is a trading area, or a market
place, where people gather to eat and to
drink,” explains Chef Kamel Fakih, 31, of Kazbar. The
Lebanese native’s eyes sparkle once he gets started
on his home country’s cuisine. “In a proper Lebanese
meal, you’ll first be served a dozen of small plates,
called mezze.” These are hot or cold starters which
come with various dips, which you eat slowly and
enjoy. “Then you have the salads, then the mains –
these are ordered for sharing, family-style.” At the
end, you have the desserts. Chef Fakih’s shiek al
mahshi, a minced lamb and eggplant dish, is a must-
try. Pine nuts are first roasted till its oil is released,
which is then used to brown the red onions and
minced lamb.Eggplants are deep-fried till tender, then layered
with the minced lamb and tomato sauce, and set
in the oven, for all the flavours to meld together.
The lamb chops, marinated overnight with
Lebanese spices and olive oil, have a lovely charred
smokiness, while the golden sultanas hidden within
the fragrant saffron rice surprises one with random
bursts of mellow sweetness. “When we have a feast,
we roast a whole lamb inside the oven, and serve it
with ouzi rice, which is cooked with the lamb, pine
nuts, Lebanese spices, and black pepper,” says Chef
Fakih. The yoghurt, which goes with the dish, truly
perks up the palate, as do the littering of toasted
cashew nuts, which offers crunch and texture. Be
sure to try the 2012 Musar Jeune from Bekka Valley,
Lebanon, a blend of cinsault, syrah, and cabernet
sauvignon. I am amazed by how lush, savoury, and
mouthwatering it is on the palate, which keeps you
going back for more.ouzi lamb shank with Arabic rice,
cashew nut & yoghurt sauceeg
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When there is a feast, we marinade
a whole lamb overnight, and roast
it inside the oven for five hours,
till it’s tender.
Kamel Fakih