A little Middle-Eastern adventure just made its way to Chennai, gracing the city with exotic Lebanese cuisine, and generating quite the buzz. The Raintree, on St.Mary’s Road, hosts a lavish festival for foodies in the city at Colony, their restaurant. Food Festivals are always celebrated for their differences and this festival celebrates the best of Lebanon, with a popular Master Chef, Ahmed Ammouri, who’s flown in to the city all the way from Lebanon to cook up a luxurious spread. The Lebanese Food Festival gives you the best delicacies from the region, with every recipe uniquely made to please the palate, traditional dishes to celebrate authenticity, and ingredients sourced from Lebanon by Chef Ahmed.
 
A little chat with Chef Ahmed Ammouri gave us an insight to the festival and his story. An award winning chef, Chef Ahmed has trotted around the globe working for notable places like the Taj group of hotels in India, and catering to royalty like the King of Morocco, Prince of Saudi Arabia and Sultan of Muscat. He has also catered to the Prime Minister of Cyprus at a reception hosted by the Ambassador of Egypt. With over 15 years of culinary experience, Chef Ahmed promises to serve the best of Lebanese with a cheerful smile and delightful sense of humour. The fest at Colony features an exotic buffet with the best Lebanese recipes curated by Chef Ahmed himself, and has a great selection of dishes including mezzes like Tabbouleh, Fattoush, Hummus, Moutabel and Rahab. The mains consist of a traditional spread of Samake harra, Mulukhiya chicken, Dajaj Mishwi, Lebanese lamb chops and Bajegan moussaka. Popular treats like the Chicken Shavarma and Falafel Wraps are dished out too, and for desserts you can treat yourself to some authentic Baklava, Ma’Moul, Basboosa, and so on.
 

What we had:
 

Baked Potato and coriander, something all potato fans would enjoy, graced with a mild mix of spices.
 

This vegetable tart is every veggie lovers’ comfort food. ‘Nuff said.

Chicken and corn, tossed together in a lovely salad with a hint of spice and everything nice.

An olive salad with feta cheese, nothing feels better than digging into this after a long day. Really!
 

For every meat lover, there’s something special on the menu like this lamb kebab. Soft, chewy, and a little addictive, you’ll like this one.
 

Behold, this awesome mezze platter, with Hummus, Moutabel, Tabouleh, Kishk and Muhammara. One of the most satisfying platters we have ever indulged in, trust that you’ll come back for seconds for this one.
 

Shrimp, grilled Lebanese style, is pleasing to the palette and comes with a different spice mix that is enjoyable and fun to eat with a variety of Lebanese dips.
 

This Chicken shavarma is filled with soft, grilled chicken and Lebanese spices, served with garlic sauce and pita bread.
 

No, this isn’t chocolate and glaze. This is a soft, tender falafel with a delightful garlic sauce that anyone is bound to enjoy whether you’re a falafel fan or not.
 

For dessert, we indulged in some authentic Lebanese sugary delights like the baklava, a sweet tart, and a semolina coconut cake.
 
 
 
Indulge in one of the treasured cuisines with Chef Ammouri at Colony restaurant, The Raintree, St.Mary’s Road, priced at INR 1,450 for non-alcoholic and INR 1,850 for alcoholic, exclusive of taxes.  For reservations and further queries kindly contact +91 44 42252525.