A taste of Lebanon in every bite

When I first heard that Em Sherif has franchised to Dubai, I couldn’t stop myself from booking a table there. The Lebanese restaurant will also open its doors in Jeddah soon.
Located in the outdoor area of the Address Downtown hotel in Dubai and overviewing the Dubai Mall’s famous dancing fountain, the restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating for 300 diners at once. The outdoor seating area comprises white steel chairs and marble tables with romantic candlelight set up. Shisha is also served here. The inside decor features a Mediterranean touch, with silver blue walls, beautiful coral chandeliers and black wooden tables with velvet armchairs and black wooden chairs with blue pattern padding. On the far left is a private dining area comprising colorful oriental sofas, which are a statement in itself.
The best part of the decor comprises the hanging oval shaped art pieces imitating traditional windows and the small colorful plates adorning the walls.
There is no menu in Em Sherif. Yes, it’s that cool. You get a set menu for lunch and dinner offering everything you would want to eat and more. As soon as I took my seat, a waiter in black tuxedo walked up to me and asked what my preferred drink is. I asked for lemon mint juice. He later explained that several waiters will pass by me, each presenting a dish. Zaatar manakish, Arabic for thyme pie, came first. It is a round, soft pie topped with zaatar and sumac, which is a famous Lebanese sour spice. Then came the cold mezze, Arabic for cold appetizers, containing traditional hummus, fattoush salad (made with thinly sliced parsley, tomatoes and shaved lemon skin), tabbouleh salad (square-shaped tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, mint, fried dough, sliced radish, topped with amazing fried eggplant soaked in dibs al roman), a plate of fresh mixed vegetables, Yalangi (stuffed chard with rice and olive oil), kabis mehche (pickled eggplants), mutabbal (mashed eggplant with tahini topped with pomegranate), Batata with Lahmeh (mashed potato with meat), Kebbe Naya (Raw meat with pine nuts and olive oil), Labneh Harra, (Labneh cheese topped with chili paste), Mdardara and Malfouf Salad (cup of rice, brown lentil topped with fried onion and a cabbage salad) and finally, Tajin Samak and Salade Bakleh (Nabolsi boneless fish cooked with tahini and tomato sauce).
Tabbouleh is highly recommended; I fell in love with the different textures and the flavorful taste. Batata with Lahmeh is also a great choice, it is salty and full of flavors. Tajin Samak, on the other hand, is my favorite. Even though it comes with cold appetizers, it is warm and tasty, especially when eaten with their in-house baked bread.
The first course is followed by a serving of cheese sambusas and kebba sajiyye (grilled meatballs), Fatet Hummus (warm chickpeas with yogurt and bread) and Briwat Jebne (flavored cheese).
I loved them all but if I had to choose one, it would be the warm Fatet Hummus, it is a traditional delight and the taste of cumin makes it pleasing to the tastebuds.
The waiter then gave us a five-minute break to prepare us for the main course. Then came a platter of grilled meat and chicken skewers, Kreides Mechwiyye (grilled shrimps with tomato sauce and olive oil), chicken liver with dib reman, Ouzi (pie filled with rice, minced meat, chicken and peas), Batata Ma’aleye (fried potatoes) and Arayes Soujok and Jebneh (sliced cheese and sausage pie).
The grilled dishes are pure indulgence — you can taste the charcoal in every bite of the juicy chunks of meat. The shrimps are cooked to perfection. Even the sauce is magical.
Desserts are served with traditional Arabic coffee. Famous Lebanese sweets offered here include Muhallabia, Meghli, Nashwiyet Remein, Tamriyeh, Biscuit Au Chocolate and Katayef with Bouza.
If I could describe the desserts in one word, it would be heavenly. If you know me, you would know that I have a major sweet tooth. The variety of sweets at Em Sherif is a beautiful mixture of traditions with a twist.
Over all, the set menu is satisfying for it offers something for everyone. It also gives you a chance to taste different dishes and explore what pleases your taste buds.
Expect to pay:
Lunch: AED250, Dinner: AED350
Opening hours: 12 Noon to 4 PM, 8 PM to 12 Midnight