Mannoush takes the Lebanese conventional breakfast to the next level.
Reinventing a Middle Eastern treat using fine ingredients like truffles, sausages and meat... the mankoushe here is a served in style - a more gourmet way.
On Bliss Street and on LAU's upper gate is a small restaurant called Mannoush. Black is the color and freshness is the motto. I loved the name, loved the concept, loved the portions, the presentation and the taste.
I tried to order everything:
- Truffle and cheese pizza: Aromatic, creamy, intensely flavorful and fresh. The rich taste of truffle with molten cheese and fresh mushrooms. That's a redefinition of the conventional mankoushe up scaled to a real gourmet wrap.
- Warm Labneh, a green version of it mixed with avocado and topped with sliced cucumbers and purslane. Olive oil adds flavor and finesse. I loved the temperature of the Labneh, loved the bread and the fresh vegetables. The red half had tomatoes on top and a boost of spiciness. More than a normal Labneh wrap, it's a journey... Two thumbs up for that.
- Mozzarella and red sauce: The way they see pizza is not what I expected. A bit too sour when a pizza should have a certain sweetness. Good dough, an interesting look, but it needs more flavor.
- Kafta: A layer of meat covering the wrap, a juicy meat and a spicy sauce on top. Thinly sliced tomatoes add the sweetness and freshness you expect.
- The best seller, the star, is surely the Zaatar. Fresh green Zaatar, with diced tomatoes and cheese crumbles. Lemon and olive oil make of it an amazing creation. It's the "not to miss" wrap.
- Halloum: Melted halloumi with olive tapenade, cucumbers and tomatoes. A tender dough, a molten warm halloumi, a hint of saltiness, the olives and fresh vegetables. Loved it.
- Cafe de Paris: It's a sandwich that transports you to Paris. Tender meat, the steak sauce and the crunch of chips. A meal of its own wrapped into a sandwich. That's an interesting innovation.
- Deep South Chicken: That's a yummy sandwich. A super duper juicy and rich yellow sauce with a tender chicken and a light crunch provided by the peppers. Lovely!
Mannoush managed to take the conventional breakfast you know to gourmet standards. Tasty wraps made of truffles, fresh thyme, chicken and meat to name a few. LAU upper gate or Bliss, pass by for a try.
