Tamashii is a kind of place where you go and meet with friends to have a good suchi with affordable prices. The restaurant is a little small, but its a very cozy place by the way! Their Sake list is a must and the restaurant design is quite special.
In a Word:
Good and Affordable
Location:
The restaurant is located at the end of Gouraud Street, just behind the Electricite du Liban Building. The place is not indicated at all, you have to heard about it or know it to find it. By the way, the restaurant is aptly named,Tamashii means brotherhood in Japanese! Of course you wont have a place to park your car in front of Tamashii, but you will find a parking lot just across the street. You will have to pay 5.000 LL to park (by night), but it is not Tamashii's fault!
Notation: 5/10
Decoration:
Well the place is very small, so the owner had a lot of fun choosing for the decoration. The walls are dressed with MDF wood pallets with a lot of Japanese trinket around the restaurant. You have a bar for the fast eaters or the latecomers with a typical japanese catties...funny! You will notice the nice collection of Sake bottles above the bar, in which the owner is particularly very proud. 3 tables in total and a bar that can fits up to 6 people.
Notation: 6/10
Ambience:
You really feel like you are eating sushi in a small Tokyo bar. As the place only receives around 26 persons indoor, it is quite cozy and relaxing. But if someone's begin to smoke.... It could rapidely become annoying as you will get all the smoke while eating. No very pleasant. The owner is always in his restaurant making sure that everything is in order but knows when to slip away for better intimacy. A TV is placed above the bar showing fishes in their natural living, symbolizing an artificial aquarium! Nice Idea!
Notation: 6/10
Service:
As the place is very small, the service is very good. There are 2 waiters and the owner to take care of your order and demands throughout your dinner. The menu is very clear with not too much of a choice. With is a good point as you usually get lost with all the sushi names and shapes! The waiters are ready to help in case your not on the right track and you get served very well.
Notation: 7/10
Food:
The menu is quite simple and easy to read, but if I may, Tamashii should add/remove some sushi choices from time to time in order to keep it clientele satisfied as you may get bored from the actual choices in the menu. Otherwise, the sushis are of good quality and different from what you can see in the market. In fact there is more fish than rice in the sushi, which makes it light and digest.
The Edamame portion is bigger than other sushi restaurants... Enjoy it! But the salads are very small and the quantity is very minimal, they should make an effort on this point.
To taste:
Salads are good espacially the crab and salmon salads. You can enjoy all the sushi are they are very simple, but should add more mixtures as the existing ones are very known and really there is nothing special to explore. Shrimp Tampura are very good also.
To avoid
The hot platters... when you go to eat sushi you eat raw fish... you are not supposed to be eating chicken or meat!
Notation: 6/10
Price:
Price is ok reading to the quality / quantity of the food.
Notation: 6/10
Kitchens:
Very small... but couldn't see them clearly!
Toilets:
Nice and clean, but very big compared to the smalness of the place.
Notation: 6/10
TOTAL: 6/10
Conclusion: Tamashii is a nice small sushi restaurant with a cozy atmosphere. If you want to have a simple dinner with attentive waiters and good quality food, Tamashii is the good place for you. The choice of sushi is limited and they should make an effort on this matter.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Monday, October 18, 2010
E Café Sursok
Being used to the E Café in Jbeil, I thought that the new restaurant from Roger Edde, in Sursok, would be mixing together good grilled cuisine with a typical Sursok green garden villa for a charming and cozy dinner out in Beirut. Unfortunatly, we don’t think the same.
In a Word:
A Disaster
Location:
The restaurant is located on the end of Sursok Street in a tiny place down a building, not really the place that I was expected. If you don’t like giving your car to a Valet, well you don’t have a choice! To find a place near the restaurant is nearly impossible, unless you have a Smart or a bicycle / motor bike. Moreover, the restaurant is not indicated so good luck in finding the place!
Notation: 3/10
Decoration:
As described above, I expected a very warm and cozy restaurant located in the intimacy of one of the Sursok’s palaces in Beirut with “rustique” wood tables on an elegant green grass freshly mowed as well as fer forgé pergolas… You have the choice to eat outside or inside.
Inside: I was really disappointed by the cheap modern decoration of the restaurant that does not give you the push for eating! It really has this very white cold atmosphere which reminded me of these white clean hospitals morgues with a chef in the background cutting the cadavers to pieces before serving them to you in a poorly decorated dish.
Outside: The tables are really Parisian! Very small round table designed to take a coffee or an aperitif before dinner. You do not have enough space to lay your knife and fork on the table or even to display two plates on the same table.
Notation: 2/10
Ambience:
The people working on the audio, really try to make you feel like you’re having dinner in France but largely failed to succeed! The waiters and waitresses are unfortunately too Lebanese to look like French people but have the same sense of humor as a polish diplomat.
Notation: 3/10
Service:
Well what can I say after all… the service of the E Café Sursok is worse than the E Café in Jbeil! We should really create a Waiter’s School to teach them how to manage a conversation with clients and especially be more reactive to client’s complaints and demands.
E Café wants to be positioned into the classy restaurants of Beirut, but before they should really make an effort on their service. Imagine that the waitress, by mistake, filled my white wine glass with water without bothering herself getting me a new one! The waitress ignores completely what is served in the plate! You don’t understand nothing.
E Café is mainly a grilled meat restaurant, PLEASE instruct your waiters before serving the client. They don’t know the difference between a Medium Rare and Medium Well cooking! Shocking!
Notation: 1/10
Food:
What a torture… from the food portions to the meat tender and finally to the meat cooking! It was a real disaster! Personnaly I have ordered a beef carpaccio and a beef fillet (Twice). Why twice? Because my first fillet was served to me well done instead of medium rare…Pathetic
Please don’t serve carpaccio when you don’t even know what it is. My beef slices were as thick as my fillet! The taste of the raw meat in my mouth was not very pleasant.
Important: Please take your bread with you before entering the restaurant as it is given to you piece by piece on demand. And you have to smile to the waitress to give you the bread otherwise … forget about it! The plates are poorly presented and the portions are very small.
To Taste: The bread as it is very rare and given as a privilege, the meat but check on it every while.
To Avoid: The Magret de canard, salade de chevre chaud ( too Small), salade farfellue and the Glass of Wine! You won’t believe the quantity given to you!!
Notation: 4/10
Price:
To expensive compared to the small portions and bad service proposed.
Notation: 4/10
Kitchens:
The chef is behind a big transparent glass in the inside eatery room, looks clean! But again nothing new!
Toilets:
Ca va!
Notation: 5/10
TOTAL: 3/10
Conclusion: E Café is enjoying the Jbeil E Café reputation but really don’t deserve it at all. The service is very poor, the service is obviously under experienced and the food quality is not as expected. Moreover, the location and deco of the place are not in the image of the food served in the restaurant.
In a Word:
A Disaster
Location:
The restaurant is located on the end of Sursok Street in a tiny place down a building, not really the place that I was expected. If you don’t like giving your car to a Valet, well you don’t have a choice! To find a place near the restaurant is nearly impossible, unless you have a Smart or a bicycle / motor bike. Moreover, the restaurant is not indicated so good luck in finding the place!
Notation: 3/10
Decoration:
As described above, I expected a very warm and cozy restaurant located in the intimacy of one of the Sursok’s palaces in Beirut with “rustique” wood tables on an elegant green grass freshly mowed as well as fer forgé pergolas… You have the choice to eat outside or inside.
Inside: I was really disappointed by the cheap modern decoration of the restaurant that does not give you the push for eating! It really has this very white cold atmosphere which reminded me of these white clean hospitals morgues with a chef in the background cutting the cadavers to pieces before serving them to you in a poorly decorated dish.
Outside: The tables are really Parisian! Very small round table designed to take a coffee or an aperitif before dinner. You do not have enough space to lay your knife and fork on the table or even to display two plates on the same table.
Notation: 2/10
Ambience:
The people working on the audio, really try to make you feel like you’re having dinner in France but largely failed to succeed! The waiters and waitresses are unfortunately too Lebanese to look like French people but have the same sense of humor as a polish diplomat.
Notation: 3/10
Service:
Well what can I say after all… the service of the E Café Sursok is worse than the E Café in Jbeil! We should really create a Waiter’s School to teach them how to manage a conversation with clients and especially be more reactive to client’s complaints and demands.
E Café wants to be positioned into the classy restaurants of Beirut, but before they should really make an effort on their service. Imagine that the waitress, by mistake, filled my white wine glass with water without bothering herself getting me a new one! The waitress ignores completely what is served in the plate! You don’t understand nothing.
E Café is mainly a grilled meat restaurant, PLEASE instruct your waiters before serving the client. They don’t know the difference between a Medium Rare and Medium Well cooking! Shocking!
Notation: 1/10
Food:
What a torture… from the food portions to the meat tender and finally to the meat cooking! It was a real disaster! Personnaly I have ordered a beef carpaccio and a beef fillet (Twice). Why twice? Because my first fillet was served to me well done instead of medium rare…Pathetic
Please don’t serve carpaccio when you don’t even know what it is. My beef slices were as thick as my fillet! The taste of the raw meat in my mouth was not very pleasant.
Important: Please take your bread with you before entering the restaurant as it is given to you piece by piece on demand. And you have to smile to the waitress to give you the bread otherwise … forget about it! The plates are poorly presented and the portions are very small.
To Taste: The bread as it is very rare and given as a privilege, the meat but check on it every while.
To Avoid: The Magret de canard, salade de chevre chaud ( too Small), salade farfellue and the Glass of Wine! You won’t believe the quantity given to you!!
Notation: 4/10
Price:
To expensive compared to the small portions and bad service proposed.
Notation: 4/10
Kitchens:
The chef is behind a big transparent glass in the inside eatery room, looks clean! But again nothing new!
Toilets:
Ca va!
Notation: 5/10
TOTAL: 3/10
Conclusion: E Café is enjoying the Jbeil E Café reputation but really don’t deserve it at all. The service is very poor, the service is obviously under experienced and the food quality is not as expected. Moreover, the location and deco of the place are not in the image of the food served in the restaurant.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Jardin De Chine / Jal El Dib
Jardin de Chine is actually one of the oldest Chinese restaurants in Lebanon. It's a restaurant I've always wanted to go to, and last week I did. Since it's been around for ages, I had some expectations before going there, but for many of them it was a disappointment.
In a Word:
Average
Location:
Jardin de Chine is located in a very calm neighborhood on the main Jal El Dib road. It is easy to park around the restaurant or across the street but for the laziest there is always the valet parking available. The valet parking was surprinsingly very pleasant, thing that doesn't always happen if you don't have an overly expensive car. One thing though, get directions to the restaurant as it is not indicated and you may get lost.
Notation: 6/10
Decoration:
The decoration of the Jardin de Chine is as old as the restaurant. It has a very unique 90's style which was probably very trendy up until 1999 but since we are in the 21st century, it makes the restaurant look cheap and inelegant. There are plenty of talented interior designers in Lebanon, so I don't understand why the decoration stills cold and unfriendly.
Notation: 3/10
Ambience:
The ambience is no different than the decoration. While entering Jardin de Chine you will unexplainably feel the presence of your grand-father around. They may not have succeeded in making the room "Chinese style", but they managed to create a time machine, and we should give them credit for that. So you get it, the ambiance is really classic and not recommendable for young people. The main room is huge, killing the charm of any Chinese cosiness they may have intended to create. You will also be overwhelmed by a mix odours combining cigarettes and frying oil. Don't look for it, it's not on the menu.
Notation: 3/10
Service:
The waiters are friendly and welcoming, this is a good point for the restaurant, though the menu is very complex! If you are not an frequent visitor, or habitué(e) of Jardin de Chine you will have some problems understanding it. Once you decide to overcome the embarrassment of being totally lost on a Chinese menu, you can to ask the waiter for some help. Unfortunately they have absolutely no clue about the plates, ingredients and spiciness of the meals.
The service is rather fast, so there's no complaining there. Nevertheless, the decoration of the plates needs a bit more creativity as it is very plain. It is always pleasant to see that the chef made an effort to make his food look attractive and not just a random disposition of ingredients like it was the case at Jardin de Chine.
Notation: 6/10
Food:
The food is simple, not very original nor elaborated. It is ironic considering the mathematical complexity of the menu.
The starters were classic, nothing new that will inspire you for tasting! But you can be sure to have good quality meat, chicken and shrimps in your dish compared to the other chinese restaurants in Lebanon.The meat is good and tender, the shrimps are tasty and fresh and the chicken is not bad at all! The only deception is that we didn't have the chance to order the duck, as you have to book it 3 hours in advance. That's very unusual, but then again, you have to be an Habitué(e) to know these particularities about the restaurant.
As for the rice, it was bad. And not just according to the standards of a reputable chinese restaurant such as this one, but according to any world's rice cooking standards. I don't think that they serve Asian basmati rice, instead they offer you a roundly-shaped Egyptian rice à la façon Basmati, and it is a total failure! It looks more like a rice purée than anything else.
The food misses a little bit of attitude and style. For example the sizzling beef usally comes hot and sizzling, a show for your eyes and ears but in our case the dish was served quietly and unimpressively - killing all the excitement of ordering it.
Regarding the drinks and desserts, it is a total disaster. There are no chinese beers, no chinese teas and not one type of typical Chinese liquor. The desserts are not Asians at all, they consist of the regular fondant au chocolat, canned litchis and other international things. I was expecting to see at least the legendary bananes flambées, but no.
To Taste: Spring rolls with salad, Ginger Shrimps, Sizzling Beef (even if its not sizzling)
To Avoid: All desserts, the litchis espacially, All dumplings, and rice !
Notation: 6.5/10
Price:
Price is OK! but they should use our money to make some modifications in the restaurant.
Notation: 6/10
Jardin De Chine / Jal El Dib
Kitchens:
Didn't get the chance to see it.
Toilets:
OK
Notation: 5/10
TOTAL: 5 /10
Conclusion: Jardin De Chine is a "has been" place where many things, from ambiance to food presentation, need to be improved. Though I got the impression that it is a place for the frequent visitors and attracting new crowds isn't necessarily in their strategy at the moment. The food is of good quality, but nothing extraordinary.
In a Word:
Average
Location:
Jardin de Chine is located in a very calm neighborhood on the main Jal El Dib road. It is easy to park around the restaurant or across the street but for the laziest there is always the valet parking available. The valet parking was surprinsingly very pleasant, thing that doesn't always happen if you don't have an overly expensive car. One thing though, get directions to the restaurant as it is not indicated and you may get lost.
Notation: 6/10
Decoration:
The decoration of the Jardin de Chine is as old as the restaurant. It has a very unique 90's style which was probably very trendy up until 1999 but since we are in the 21st century, it makes the restaurant look cheap and inelegant. There are plenty of talented interior designers in Lebanon, so I don't understand why the decoration stills cold and unfriendly.
Notation: 3/10
Ambience:
The ambience is no different than the decoration. While entering Jardin de Chine you will unexplainably feel the presence of your grand-father around. They may not have succeeded in making the room "Chinese style", but they managed to create a time machine, and we should give them credit for that. So you get it, the ambiance is really classic and not recommendable for young people. The main room is huge, killing the charm of any Chinese cosiness they may have intended to create. You will also be overwhelmed by a mix odours combining cigarettes and frying oil. Don't look for it, it's not on the menu.
Notation: 3/10
Service:
The waiters are friendly and welcoming, this is a good point for the restaurant, though the menu is very complex! If you are not an frequent visitor, or habitué(e) of Jardin de Chine you will have some problems understanding it. Once you decide to overcome the embarrassment of being totally lost on a Chinese menu, you can to ask the waiter for some help. Unfortunately they have absolutely no clue about the plates, ingredients and spiciness of the meals.
The service is rather fast, so there's no complaining there. Nevertheless, the decoration of the plates needs a bit more creativity as it is very plain. It is always pleasant to see that the chef made an effort to make his food look attractive and not just a random disposition of ingredients like it was the case at Jardin de Chine.
Notation: 6/10
Food:
The food is simple, not very original nor elaborated. It is ironic considering the mathematical complexity of the menu.
The starters were classic, nothing new that will inspire you for tasting! But you can be sure to have good quality meat, chicken and shrimps in your dish compared to the other chinese restaurants in Lebanon.The meat is good and tender, the shrimps are tasty and fresh and the chicken is not bad at all! The only deception is that we didn't have the chance to order the duck, as you have to book it 3 hours in advance. That's very unusual, but then again, you have to be an Habitué(e) to know these particularities about the restaurant.
As for the rice, it was bad. And not just according to the standards of a reputable chinese restaurant such as this one, but according to any world's rice cooking standards. I don't think that they serve Asian basmati rice, instead they offer you a roundly-shaped Egyptian rice à la façon Basmati, and it is a total failure! It looks more like a rice purée than anything else.
The food misses a little bit of attitude and style. For example the sizzling beef usally comes hot and sizzling, a show for your eyes and ears but in our case the dish was served quietly and unimpressively - killing all the excitement of ordering it.
Regarding the drinks and desserts, it is a total disaster. There are no chinese beers, no chinese teas and not one type of typical Chinese liquor. The desserts are not Asians at all, they consist of the regular fondant au chocolat, canned litchis and other international things. I was expecting to see at least the legendary bananes flambées, but no.
To Taste: Spring rolls with salad, Ginger Shrimps, Sizzling Beef (even if its not sizzling)
To Avoid: All desserts, the litchis espacially, All dumplings, and rice !
Notation: 6.5/10
Price:
Price is OK! but they should use our money to make some modifications in the restaurant.
Notation: 6/10
Jardin De Chine / Jal El Dib
Kitchens:
Didn't get the chance to see it.
Toilets:
OK
Notation: 5/10
TOTAL: 5 /10
Conclusion: Jardin De Chine is a "has been" place where many things, from ambiance to food presentation, need to be improved. Though I got the impression that it is a place for the frequent visitors and attracting new crowds isn't necessarily in their strategy at the moment. The food is of good quality, but nothing extraordinary.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Keif - Rue Crezus / Antelias
My first blog post/critic will be about the Keif restaurant. I have been there a few days ago and I was highly disappointed, but not surprised. It is the typical Lebanese/International restaurant providing a nest for excessive-gel-in-the-hair Lebanese Jagals, heavy argilé smokers and siliconed women.
In a Word:
Bad.
Location:
Keif is located on the overcrowded road before the St Elie square. I like the concept of having several restaurants on the same street, but it is time to admit that it doesn't work in Lebanon. The street became a loud, jammed and polluted parking lot. No way to park your car and walk to the restaurant, you have to give it to the unfriendly valet parking who carefully examines it (brand, model, year - a.k.a total wealth) and after an easy 10 minute wait he will then park it in a place reflecting your car's value.
Notation: 4/10
Decoration:
Keif is a big restaurant and is designed to be a show-off place. It has a very modern decoration that seems to have failed, giving it an empty and cold atmosphere. The only notable architectural effort would be the main hall and the big watch on the back wall - but overall the restaurant is characterless.
Notation: 4/10
Ambience:
As I said Keif is a place where you go to see and to be seen. There are no walls or separations between the areas or the tables providing an obvious lack of privacy, especially if you are on your first date. Be sure to bring fog lights or a pair of goggles with you because the smoke is very consistent and our natural visual skills are considerably impaired. But not only your sight will be affected at Keif, your sense of smell will witness a bizarre combination of cigarettes, argilé and cigars - lovely. The aeration is very BAD.
Notation: 3/10
Service:
The waiters are rude and unprofessional - the management is probably to blame for that since there is 1 waiter for 5 tables! Every time you want to order something you have to wait 10 minutes for the waiter to come and 15-20 minutes for him to bring what you asked for (do not forget to remind the waiter about your order a couple of times though). Moreover their knowledge about the menu is very limited and they say "yes" to everything - even if it's not a yes-or-no question:
Q:" The cream comes on the chicken or on the side?" ,
A: "Yes!"
The vulgarly dressed hostesses have attended the same class of the Valet Parking guys and greet you according to the value of your car. And personally, I think that if they were more focused on welcoming the clients instead of chasing husbands, the service may be slightly better.
Notation: 2/10
FOOD:
The food is simple, plain and unexciting. The menu is basic and the description is not clear at all. The quantities seem to be generous but it's a mirage. Let's take the Keif Salad for example:
You have 3/4 of the bowl filled with lettuce and only 1/4 filled with the actual toppings. You will find on your salad half of a mushroom and you can even count the corn pieces, I had 17 of them. The quality of the vegetables is good but the meat and chicken are chewy and unpleasant in your mouth. I asked for my meat to be "Rare", a request to which the waiter nodded and said "Yes" but I got served a piece of coal.
To Taste: Nothing
To Avoid: Everything
Notation: 1/10 ( to be polite)
Price:
Over priced.... the salad is between 15.000 and 20.000 LL. Its crazy if you consider that the lettuce costs barely 1.000 LL. and that your salad is full of it!
Notation: 2/10
Kitchen:
Didn't get the chance to see it.
Toilets:
OK
Notation: 5/10
TOTAL: 3/10
Conclusion: Keif is a place where you go to show-off and smoke. The food is certainly not the main attraction of the restaurant.Poor service and bad food! I don't understand all the fuss about Keif, it really is unoriginal and unpleasant.
In a Word:
Bad.
Location:
Keif is located on the overcrowded road before the St Elie square. I like the concept of having several restaurants on the same street, but it is time to admit that it doesn't work in Lebanon. The street became a loud, jammed and polluted parking lot. No way to park your car and walk to the restaurant, you have to give it to the unfriendly valet parking who carefully examines it (brand, model, year - a.k.a total wealth) and after an easy 10 minute wait he will then park it in a place reflecting your car's value.
Notation: 4/10
Decoration:
Keif is a big restaurant and is designed to be a show-off place. It has a very modern decoration that seems to have failed, giving it an empty and cold atmosphere. The only notable architectural effort would be the main hall and the big watch on the back wall - but overall the restaurant is characterless.
Notation: 4/10
Ambience:
As I said Keif is a place where you go to see and to be seen. There are no walls or separations between the areas or the tables providing an obvious lack of privacy, especially if you are on your first date. Be sure to bring fog lights or a pair of goggles with you because the smoke is very consistent and our natural visual skills are considerably impaired. But not only your sight will be affected at Keif, your sense of smell will witness a bizarre combination of cigarettes, argilé and cigars - lovely. The aeration is very BAD.
Notation: 3/10
Service:
The waiters are rude and unprofessional - the management is probably to blame for that since there is 1 waiter for 5 tables! Every time you want to order something you have to wait 10 minutes for the waiter to come and 15-20 minutes for him to bring what you asked for (do not forget to remind the waiter about your order a couple of times though). Moreover their knowledge about the menu is very limited and they say "yes" to everything - even if it's not a yes-or-no question:
Q:" The cream comes on the chicken or on the side?" ,
A: "Yes!"
The vulgarly dressed hostesses have attended the same class of the Valet Parking guys and greet you according to the value of your car. And personally, I think that if they were more focused on welcoming the clients instead of chasing husbands, the service may be slightly better.
Notation: 2/10
FOOD:
The food is simple, plain and unexciting. The menu is basic and the description is not clear at all. The quantities seem to be generous but it's a mirage. Let's take the Keif Salad for example:
You have 3/4 of the bowl filled with lettuce and only 1/4 filled with the actual toppings. You will find on your salad half of a mushroom and you can even count the corn pieces, I had 17 of them. The quality of the vegetables is good but the meat and chicken are chewy and unpleasant in your mouth. I asked for my meat to be "Rare", a request to which the waiter nodded and said "Yes" but I got served a piece of coal.
To Taste: Nothing
To Avoid: Everything
Notation: 1/10 ( to be polite)
Price:
Over priced.... the salad is between 15.000 and 20.000 LL. Its crazy if you consider that the lettuce costs barely 1.000 LL. and that your salad is full of it!
Notation: 2/10
Kitchen:
Didn't get the chance to see it.
Toilets:
OK
Notation: 5/10
TOTAL: 3/10
Conclusion: Keif is a place where you go to show-off and smoke. The food is certainly not the main attraction of the restaurant.Poor service and bad food! I don't understand all the fuss about Keif, it really is unoriginal and unpleasant.
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