Lebanese food is something that many people have heard of but may never have had the opportunity to try. If you fall on the side of those who have already had the privilege of consuming this type of food, then lucky you, but if not, you really are missing out on something extraordinary! Whatever side of the spectrum you happen to fall on, choosing the right restaurant can go a long way in making your experience outstanding or turning what should be an unforgettable cuisine into something that you shy away from in the future (which would be a great shame since Lebanese and Levantine food really is spectacular). In this post, we will cover a few tips you can use to ensure that if you have a hankering for some Lebanese, you will always end up in a restaurant most suited to extracting the various flavors and delights that should be present.
Make Sure They Offer Authentic Dishes
The first and arguably most obvious first step is to ensure that whatever eatery you are aiming for offers authentic dishes that you might actually find in the Levant. The easiest way to achieve this is by looking over the menu on their website and seeing what they tend to promote. For instance, this Restaurant Elephant and Castle show a wide variety of dishes, from cold mezze to mixed shawarma, indicating that they know a thing or two about this cuisine! When you spend a bit of time during this step, you will be far more likely to end up dining in a restaurant that takes the food seriously rather than turning it into a mockery that only wishes to serve those ignorant of the real deal.
Seek Out Family-Run Establishments
When it comes to any sort of ethnic food, family-run usually equals top quality. While not always the case, it rings true in most. Again, you can check with a quick search online and reading through their website and their about pages in particular. If there is any whiff that it might be a chain or cater toward the lowest common denominator, you should run a mile and look for somewhere else.
Look For Traditional Cooking Methods
If you just happen to be wandering around an area and are physically looking for Lebanese places, you can always peer inside to see how they cook. In most cases, the proprietors might also be willing to show you their kitchen briefly, where you can get a good idea of how they cook their food. If it looks traditional, you’re probably onto a winner!
Ask Locals For Their Favorites
What better way is there to get a recommendation than by asking those who live and work in the area you are searching around? However, this task is slightly trickier than the others on this list, as you can’t simply run around a location bothering locals without annoying people. Instead, you can join local Facebook groups and ask about what places other members might recommend. Armed with this info, you can compile a pretty decent list of quality restaurants and narrow it down based on your price preferences and the style in which you’d like to dine.
Lebanese food really is like no other, with unique flavors and ways of cooking that create some of the most delicious cuisines on the planet. As long as you find the right restaurant, you won’t be disappointed.
