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Experience the Lebanese cuisine

café blanc is more than just a restaurant. It is a place to relive Lebanese culinary flavours and get a taste of Mediterranean culture through its unique dining experience.

café blanc is all about the Lebanese tradition and its unique way of preparing and serving food. café blanc showcases the Arab heart and its culture through the restaurant's wide-ranging menu - from breakfast meals and main courses to light bites - and homely ambience. In fact, one cannot talk about café blanc without mentioning the appearance of its restaurants, which are tastefully decorated to make the diners experience the Lebanese vibe. Its restaurants have walls with rough surfaces that appear like muddy turfs, windowpanes that shun light from the sun, and rooftops that make diners feel as if they are in a castle.
Moreover, café blanc's restaurants also have chandeliers with extensive shoots with lamps, and comfortable furniture that are hard to ignore. And to cap it off, café blanc location at The Dubai Mall - world's largest shopping avenue - which is, also right under the shadows of the world's tallest tower, Burj Khalifa, giving diners quite an exquisite dining experience.
café blanc, part of the Al Essa International Group, was set up at the Dubai Mall in 2009. It now has branches in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Beirut. café blanc has a passion to promote Lebanese culture, even putting such detail in their staff uniforms. Chefs and waiters are dressed in a sombre way, 'Sherwel', as what the locals call it, a style that features baggy denim pants and white shirts. This has more to do with customs, but remodeled in a modern gear.
If there's one simple expression to describe food at café blanc, it's "tradition in a unique sense". The serving is done as per historic norms and bowls -made of clay ceramics - with appetisers served on a platter. There is a wide range of delectable hot and cold appetisers.
café blanc blends many international cuisines and gives them a perfect Lebanese twist. Diners can order Lebanese-inspired manakish, burgers, kababs, spicy potato cubes, hommos, and many toppings and dressings. Other sought-after delicacies are shawarma with Fajita delicacy and smoke-screen steak platters made of beef and chicken.
Sweet dishes have an aura of their own at café blanc. Cheesecakes, though not an Arabic dessert, have been given a specific Lebanese touch here. And there's the popular red cherry topping cake, with a crunchy Barazek biscuit base.
When it comes to drinks, café blanc also has a lot to offer. Zalghouta, a sparkling cocktail with Lebanese ingredients; qamar el din with lemon juice is served with the guest choice of a sparkling drink, is a must try.
café blanc meals, whether breakfast, lunch or dinner, would be incomplete if you do not lay your hands on the orange blossom with hot water - called 'café blanc'. It is a digestive drink with a unique history of its own. Lebanese love to sip it away as they come full circle with the hale and hearty meals.
And to make for a perfect treat, diners can indulge on shisha sessions in a serene corner overlooking The Dubai Fountain. Now that's the perfect way to experience Lebanese tradition through café blanc.
- mehkri@khaleejtimes.com