Appetizing Lebanese food with a classy Armenian twist

Last Thursday we visited Almayass located at Corniche Abu Dhabi to taste their signature dishes. The restaurant serves Lebanese Armenian Cuisine and is located at Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel. I am already a big fan of Lebanese cuisine, though Armenian was new for me, hence I dig deep online ;0) & Mr. Google briefed me a little about Armenian food history to understand the correlation between the two.

Armenian cuisine reveals the geography and history of the country, as well as animals and crops,  are grown on its territory. The cuisine is rich in vegetables, meat, and fish; however, eggplant, lamb, and lavash (flatbread) make up its primary components. Also, cracked wheat, or bulgur, is often used instead of rice and maize in Armenian cuisine.

   

Coming back to Alamayass, the decor there is very modish, they serve shisha and have outdoor seating. Once we were seated, they served this scrumptious Zaatar Salad with some toasted crunchy breadsticks which were excellent and addictive with Chili paste Hummus was delicious, Fattoush & Beetroot Hummus were dainty.

   

Food Rundown

“Basterma Almayass” This newly tried dish is undeniably one of our favorites amongst Almayass tasting of special ones! I feel it was unique in taste. The crisp bread with meat, topped with tiny soft quail egg, made it’s delightful and joyous to eat.

   

We tasted another yogurt-drenched dumplings dish called Mantee. It was prepared and cooked to meet diners fine taste! This item is a never-ending story of Armenian Heritage. It is one of their signature dishes. It was bursting with the freshness of yogurt and tomato paste with sumac drizzled on the pot.  Mantee is common in both Armenian & Lebanese cuisine? Well in Armenia they eat it with yogurt, tomato paste, and sumac. And in Lebanon with yogurt & rice!

   

Armenian “Itch” – an absolute delight! Thicker and grainier than the Tabbouleh, with more focus on the BURGHUL (Cracked Wheat) than the parsley, and less zesty. The Burghul salad served at Almayass is traditionally Armenian, and I loved the taste. “Kabab Bil Karaz” or simply Cherry Kebab is a blend of authenticity and passion and is my favorite from our tasting at Almayass.  Bil Karaz is typically traditional Armenian skewered kebabs topped with a delicious sour cherry sauce.

   

Shrimp Provencal was another flavorsome pot with shrimp sautéed in a very pleasant lemon juice, cilantro and garlic sauce. A dinner without some BBQ is incomplete. Hence our lovely host brought the most delicious chicken bites, Lebanese pride Shish tawouk. Do make sure to taste their delicious Shish Tawouk

   

In desserts, we tasted fresh fruits. Grapes were juicy & fresh and presented chilled with crushed ice.  A happy ending for every heavenly meal should be like Osmaliyet Al Mayass. I will leave you guys to explore this dessert yourself at Almayass as it was the Layer of Happiness. Crispy and sweet vermicelli with homemade ashta cream, & rose syrup. It was outstanding., Another likable dessert was Mafrouket Fistouk, the pistachio Base with Fresh Clotted Cream and honey syrup on top. It was delicious & not overly sweet.

   

The food was amazingly flavorsome, and the service was attentive and helpful. This Lebanese-Armenian restaurant offered generations-old recipes, while simultaneously being eclectic, imaginative and yet embracing new boundaries of taste through excellence.

My Verdict:

All in all, it was a great experience. Love, Respect & passion for food is what made our foodie experience at Almayass even more authentic. We get to taste the most appetizing Lebanese food with a classy Armenian twist.

Almayass Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato