Open in 1946, "46" is a famous place nestled on El Mina's sea road facing the beautiful Mediterranean. A casual restaurant serving international and Italian cuisine, it offers something complementary to the traditional Silver Shore venue. It feels fresh and upbeat with its colorful chairs, green ceiling, blue walls and decorative pictures.
Tonight I'm having Iftar with my friends.
Iftar started with lentil soup for all the guests. A creamy yellow sauce with a sandy texture - you feel the lentils.
Loved the food; the acidity and strength of their Moutabbal which was lemony and fresh. The hummus was created without garlic keeping the true flavors of all the ingredients constituting it. Even though cooked an hour earlier, the Kebbeh wasn't oily, had a thick outside, a moist heart and a great flavor. Try the cheese rakakat; super crispy and loaded with cheese. The stuffed grapevine leaves had a thin leaf and a lemony touch. The best of all was the warm hummus topped with crunchy walnuts. A light touch and a crunchy finish. The Makanek had a bit too much garlic in them however. Overall the experience was great... I was positively impressed.
Afterwards, my host Saad wanted to give me a general feel for Silver Shore Restaurant quality and so served us the famous seafood platter. Shrimp, samak bizri, calamari and fresh crab. Two thumbs up to the chef and owner for maintaining the high quality expected of the place since 1946.
We were not done yet: the siyyadieh is amazing, good rice cooked al dente cooked in grilled onion sauce and served with fish fillets and crunchy almonds. I even tried the moghrabieh with chickpeas, chicken and cooked onions. It was beautifully seasoned and served with sauce. Fine foods are served here.
Desserts followed.
I enjoyed my meal, the mood, the food and the service. I am planning to come again after Ramadan.
