Located on the first floor of the Golden Tulip Hotel, Afandi is a restaurant that serves a wide selection of the tastiest Lebanese specialty dishes, which we often crave for when away from home. Would you believe it when I tell you that the food at Afandi Tunis is better than some of our local Lebanese restaurants. I never imagined eating such amazing quality Lebanese food outside the borders of Lebanon up until today: Lunch was sumptuous. I asked to personally meet and congratulate the chef...
You arrive into a cozy restaurant located on the first floor of the hotel overlooking the backyard. A band, playing the Middle Eastern Oud, accompanies your palatal notes. A smiling and welcoming hostess takes you to your table, where a feast is waiting to be devoured. A rumor around Tunis floats stating that Lebanese food is simply built around Shawarma and Falafel! Tunisians, please! Lebanon has one of the tastiest and most diverse cuisines in the world. In Lebanon, very rarely are drinks served without being accompanied by food. Similar to the tapas of Spain, mezeluri of Romania, and antipasto of Italy, mezze is a variety of small dishes placed before the guests creating an array of colors, flavors, textures and aromas. This style of serving food is less a part of family life than it is of entertaining and cafes. Mezze may be as simple as pickled vegetables or raw vegetables, hummus, baba ghanouj and bread, or it may become an entire meal consisting of grilled marinated seafood, skewered meats, a variety of cooked and raw salads and an arrangement of desserts. I asked to meet the Lebanese Chef, Mr. Shady El-Chami to personally congratulate him on the culinary wonders he carefully prepared today, a few even know how to make in our homeland.
The place:
- Adequately lit with two large glass facades overlooking the inner hotel court
- A low ceiling decorated with wood making the ambiance cozy and relaxing
- Wood and fabric chairs keep you relaxed during long gatherings
- Large round plates with table napkins folded beautifully in the middle
- Beige is the main color giving the overall ambiance a soft touch of classiness
We Ordered:
- Cut Vegetables Platter (carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, parsley, bell pepper, tomatoes and lemon)
- Moujaddara with fried onions on top
- Stuffed Vine Leaves, rolled individually in perfect cylinders
- Labneh with vegetables cut in cubes
- Moutabbal with pomegranate
- Hummus: The simplest yet the most complicated to achieve: I loved it!
- Loubieh with olive oil
- Thick fresh Lebanese pitta bread and some toasted quarters
- Raheb Aubergine salad
- Shanklish: a type of cow's milk or sheep milk cheese with thyme and fresh vegetables
- Chicken wings with coriander and garlic
- Arayess Kafta: Grilled Kafta in Lebanese bread
- Chicken liver
- Mini Kebbe, Sambousik, Fatayer and cheese rolls
- Mixed Grill Platter: Chicken, Meat, Kafta
- The Hummus cooked without garlic is really delicious and beautifully presented in a clean and professional way
- The Kebbe, Sambousik, Fatayer, Cheese Rolls prepared in mini versions are crispy and very tasty. Each is full with fresh ingredients you feel with every bite
- Chicken liver is tender and juicy
- Arayess Kafta is generous, thick and juicy
- The best part is the meat skewers and veal chops. Forget about all the rest and come try Afandi to feel the perfect seasoning of those little pieces of meat melting under your teeth. Adequately cooked to remove all the red color yet keeping every bite juicy and tender
- Labneh is the only dish that can be improved with some added salt
