It's Arab Gully, every where

Its nearly impossible to walk past Maffys Pan Arabian Bistro opposite Apollo Bunder without wanting to peek in Designed to look like a souk or an openair Arab market the outdoor area is bathed in bright hues with the indoor section dotted with Moroccoinspired murals The grandeur makes us forget that this spot was once vacant save the Sea Palace Hotel With its strategic view of the Arabian sea owner Mufiz Rakhangi and chef Nimish Bhatia couldnt have chosen a better location to subliminally introduce a cuisine that was consumed by communities along the Mediterranean seaBaklava brownie served at Mezze in a puff pastry cup with chocolate sauce and kulfiPicSameer MarkandeBut Rakhangi and Bhatia did not get here first The monthold restaurant inspired by the culinary traditions of Syria Turkey Damascus Lebanon and the UAE is one of the many that have popped up in the city in the last one year The competition seems to be only getting tougher In South Mumbai alone theres Rue Du Liban and Bayroute In fact the latter has already launched its third outlet in less than two months Atiq Kapadia and Zareen Baig an Indian couple whove spent a large part of their life in Dubai recently launched Arbab in Bandra They consulted chef Raed Askar who has worked in various finedine kitchens across Lebanon and Dubai to put together a Frenchstyle cafe with Lebanese foodThe love affair is fresh and wholesome much like the cuisine the restaurants have chosen to offer Everybody wants to run a race where you know who the winner is jokes chef Bhatia former corporate executive chef for The Lalit Group about the sudden interest in Med cuisineChef Sagar Savale prepares the stuffed eggplant at Versovas Mezze PicSameer MarkandeHow the cuisine travelledBack in 2004 Moshe Shek was the first to arrive on the scene with Moshes Fine Foods he opened his first outlet at Cuffe Parade It was the cuisine I had grown up eating and something I loved so it was only natural for me to introduce different kinds of hummus kuboos and couscous on the menu says Shek who was also the first to introduce lavash a soft thin unleavened flatbread made in a tandoor and eaten all over the South Caucasus and Western AsiaNo item was tweaked for the Indian palate Shek was careful to not gamble by experimenting too much so he selected dishes that he was confident would click For instance the harissa a deep smoky North African condiment that can be swirled into stews or rubbed on meat was something Indians would take to After Moshe made Med cuisine fashionable quick service restaurant brand Maroosh launched in the city offering a mix of Lebanese items albeit with an Indian touchBayroute first opened at Cuffe Parade in April last year Since then it has started outlets in Powai and Juhu as well PicSayyed Sameer AbediSoon shawarma and hummus was what began to define Middle Eastern cuisine But there was so much more to it says chef Aniket Patil owner and chef at Versovas Mezze He spent two years working as a chef in Bahrain where he picked the nuances of the cuisine I wanted to go beyond the staple fare because people have already tasted the popular varieties But to be on the safe side Patil also included cuisine from Afghanistan and Pakistan to add a touch of familiarity given its parallels with Indian foodRue Du Liban opened in Kala Ghoda late last year and is a stones throw from the Jewish synagogue Knesset Eliyahoo the newlyrestored jewel of this busy district The Jews originally hailed from the Levant the Land of Israel And this new dugout as Chef De Cuisine Devendra Khetle points out offers traditional Levantine cuisine food that is inspired from the Eastern Mediterranean countries mainly the states of Jordan Lebanon Israel Palestine Syria and parts of southern Turkey and Antakya The irony is not lost to us as we negotiate through this lane on a weekday afternoon Its like two seas the people and their food have met finally The bridge this restaurantAccording to Mufiz Rakhangi of Maffys Pan Arabian Bistro a decade ago you were able to tuck into authentic Middle Eastern cuisine only at 5 stars Middlerung eateries were still caught up with Chinese and Italian Its only now that we have more access he says PicsBipin KokateAn offering from the founders of the Italian casual dining chain Gustoso the diner has had packed evenings since it opened with reservations for the weekends sometimes beginning a few weeks ahead Chef Khetle isnt surprised Indians are far more welltravelled now and the Middle East and Mediterranean regions have become popular food and travel destinations in the last few years In fact Arja Shridhar cofounder and director of Rue Du Liban says she learnt about Med cuisines during a trip to Turkey nearly 15 years ago She loved the streetfood at first bite but couldnt pronounce its tonguetwisting names Shridhar always knew that she had to bring it back home Her restaurant which is currently only open for dinner will be catering to the afternoon lunch crowd in a few months timeAn Indian sensibilityAt Maffys the menu runs into reams of pages with sections being divided into cold plates hot sharing plates hummus the chargrills bastillas loaded phyllo pastry pockets pide hand stretched Turkish pizza arayes chargrilled sandwiches mains and desserts There are both vegetarian and meaty options For every Turkish Adana kebab hand pounded skewered meat kebab over charfire from AdanaMersin a city in the South Eastern province of Turkey theres broccoli labneh meshwi crunchy broccoli florets chargrilled with sour cream and onionTheres even a fictional tale woven into its concept where an eponymous mascot who has trodden the wideranging geographies of the Middle East returns to Mumbai hoping to the recreate flavours Its pretty much the story of the new age globetrotting Mumbaikar observes Rakhangi Earlier you were able to tuck into authentic Middle Eastern cuisine only at 5 stars Middlerung eateries were still caught up with Chinese and Italian Its only now that we have more access he saysAccording to chef Devendra Khetle of Rue Du Liban the fact that the cuisine cannot be enjoyed solitarily is what makes it such a big hit with Indians PicSayyed Sameer AbediThe fact that Levantine and Mediterranean cuisine share the same spices and herbs as those used in Indian food does the trick But its not spicy or fiery on the palette like Indian cuisines says chef Khetle Here we use spices cinnamon cloves and nutmeg to add flavour and aroma to the dish BahAumlAcircu00c2u0081rAumlAcircu00c2u0081t spice for instance is the Med equivalent of garam masala comprising black peppercorns cardamom cassia bark cloves coriander and cumin seeds nutmeg turmeric saffron among others says Chef Ajay Thakur head chef at Bayroute The is also zaatar a blend of dried herbs like oregano marjoram thyme and sumak with sesame seeds and salt Zaatar is used as a topping on grills and dips or mixed with oil and applied on breads says chef Khetle Ghee and curd are other common ingredientsA few dishes on the Rue Du Liban and Bayroute menus also remind you of the Indian equivalents There is the popular batata harra fried potato cubes sauteacuteed with red chilli garlic and coriander which is a lot like the aloo roast prepared in India but which at Rue Du Liban takes three days to make because the potatoes are chilled in a freezer before they are deepfried to make it crispyOur stuffed parathas are their arayeses Its just that their breads are stuffed with cheese or meats chef Khetle The Indian seekh kebab is a lot like the kafta meshwi seasoned minced lamb kebab placed on Lebanese bread with biwaz flat bread We make baingan ka bharta and the Lebanese prepare baba ghanoush where instead of tempering the baingan egg plant they roast it and add onion parsley and lemon juice says chef ThakurBut while flamboyant new restaurants and extensivelyresearched menus have become the order of the day traditional favourites continue to draw patrons At Bayroute the hummus Bayroute is prepared twice a day because its so much in demand Its a chickpea and labneh mixture with zaatar We did a tasting of 40 different recipes before we perfected this one says chef Thakur It takes around 16 hours to prepare a hummus from soaking to boiling cooling and pulverising it The quality of the chickpea matters a lot when making itRue Du Libans hommos Beiruty has the same appeal Served with marinated cherry tomatoes spring onions and olive oil the hummus smooth and ungrainy melts in your mouth like butter Even those whove relished the dish before will remember this as the first of manyWhile innovation is central to any new venture the process is still ongoing At Bayroutes new outlet in Juhu which opened earlier this week a new section called the Bidayah has been introduced on the menu Its an Arabicstyle tapas which goes well with the cocktail menu and is served just before the soups and salads says chef Thakur The Lebanese nachos fried pita chips topped with refried ful medames cooked fava bean jaitoon olives and avocado salsa and tamarind wings grilled chicken wings cured in seven spice tossed with date and tamarind glaze are among a few dishes that stand out From here we move to the cold mezze small dishes comprising fresh dips and bread hot mezze friedgrilledroasted dishes chef Thakur addsThe fact that the cuisine cannot be enjoyed solitarily is what makes it such a big hit with Indians feels chef Khetle Its a shared cuisine he says explaining Our menu has been designed in a way that you just cant order one single dip or bread and leave it at that These are meals that are eaten in small portions with the entire family The idea of coming together and sharing a meal is a culture that this cuisine inculcates What is there to not love about it chef Khetle asksWhere do you goRue Du Liban Kala Ghodaa A meal for two Rs 3000b MUST TRY Batata harra Rs 600 Manakeesh zatar Rs 600c DinnerBayroute Cuffe Parade Powai and Juhua A meal for two Rs 3000b Alcoholc MUST TRY Hummus Bayroute Rs 555 baklava served with gulkand ice cream Rs 625d Lunch and dinnerMaffys Pan Arabian Bistro Colabaa A meal for two Rs 1500b Alcohol c MUST TRY Signature smoked hummus with spicy shrimpsn Rs 400d DinnerMezze Versovaa A meal for two Rs 1200b Alcoholc MUST TRY Naqish DajajFlatbread topped with chicken cooked in sumac as spices nuts and cheese Rs 320d Lunch and DinnerArbab Bandra Westa A meal for two Rs 1200b Alcoholc MUST TRY Mashawi Mushakkal Arabic mixed grills Rs 750d DinnerCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates