Restaurant Al Erzel is near the town of Faraya in Keserwan, Lebanon. According to our host, it’s especially known for the chicken kebabs (shish tawouk, for the Arabic speakers among you), and the quality of the locally made dairy products. I never had a bad meal in Lebanon, and this was no exception. The reputation of the chicken kebabs is well deserved, though keep the arak handy because they’re also pretty salty.
Freshly made cheese; I’m not sure what variety, but two blocks of it disappeared pretty quickly.
Hummus: Not the best we had on this trip, but still pretty good.
Lebneh. This also disappeared pretty quickly.
Barbecued potatoes and garlic. All food should henceforth be cooked on charcoals.
Our meal was interrupted by the arrival of this cat, who indicated that it would like some food from our table.
Did you know you can make coffee over charcoals? You can, and it’s delicious.
We stopped for dessert on our way back, at a place called Chez Nassim in Broumana. I took the waiter’s recommendation to try mulberry and pistachio, both of which were fantastic. He did try to steer me away from the chocolate and I should have listened: it was a bit freezer burnt. If you’re ever at Chez Nassim, listen to the waiter.
You could say that we took this trip around Keserwan just to stuff our faces, but in fact, we were there to see these ruins at Kfardebian. This site has never been properly excavated, so if you have a few million dollars to spare, and an interest in Near Eastern archeology, maybe you can help them out? There’s more info on the site here.
Restaurant Al Erzel, Faraya Highway, Hrajel, Kesserwein
Noonas Over Forks 