insideKENT Magazine Issue 51 - June 2016 | Page 61

FOOD+DRINK COMPTOIR LIBANAIS I must admit, I’d never tried Lebanese food before. I’d never really even thought about it. But then I went for dinner at Comptoir Libanais at Bluewater, and I realised I’d been missing out my whole life. BY LISAMARIE LAMB Comptoir Libanais literally translates as ‘the Lebanese counter’, and the counter itself is the first thing diners see when they enter the restaurant. This wonderfully fragrant counter is brimming with exotic looking, fresh food that the chefs who created it are more than happy to talk about and explain. In fact, talking about food is a bit of a theme at Comptoir Libanais; everyone is chatty and friendly, immediately wanting to make you feel at ease. And it works. By the time we reached our table, we were relaxed, at home, and excited to try the food on offer. The main course took a lot of thinking about; again, our wonderful server was very pleased to go through it all with us. In the end, my partner chose the mixed grill (which featured lamb kofta, chicken kofta, chicken shish taouk and vermicelli rice; although he did substitute the rice for batata harra fries – more on those later). I decided, eventually, on the Comptoir burger: a grilled lamb patty in a seeded bun with harissa mayonnaise. There is a large and varied selection of food to tempt the taste buds. But it’s okay – it’s not overwhelming and there is plenty of help on hand should you need it. And really, Lebanese food is all about taking your time, enjoying the company, and savouring the flavours, so if it does take you a while to choose your meal, no one is going to mind. It was good. It was all good. So good. But those batata harra fries… Wow. The bite-sized chunks of fried potato made with just a light dusting of salt, pepper and chilli, were crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside with enough of a bite to make them possibly the most moreish thing on the menu. For our starter my partner and I went for the mezze sharing platter. We opted to add a dish of grilled halloumi and another of spicy chicken wings to complete the whole ensemble. The platter included a fabulous baba ganush (an aubergine dip), hummus, falafel (a friend ball of chickpea and broad beans), a lentil rice salad, cheese sambousek (small cheese-filled pastries) and pita bread. It was quite the revelation; flavours burst from each mouthful and although it was simple food, there was a lot to it. For dessert we opted for the mango and vanilla cheesecake and the mouhalabia (a traditional Lebanese milk pudding served with rose syrup and toasted pistachios). This is similar to an Italian panna cotta, and it was creamy and delicious. 61 And then, because we were curious, we had a selection of baklawa as well. These little Lebanese pastries were sweet and buttery and just right. To finish, we had a pot of the most exquisite rose and mint tea. It wasn’t just the refreshing taste that made this final course special; it was the fun of it as well. Paul, the ebullient manager, brought it to us on a silver tray and he proceeded to pour the tea from quite a height directly into glasses which contained fresh mint leaves. It looks like an easy thing to do, but believe me it’s not – we tried! Comptoir Libanais combines laughter, history and tradition to make this one of the most enjoyable and relaxing meals out we’ve had for some time. Comptoir Libanais Bluewater Shopping Centre Lower Grown Floor DA9 9SJ 020 7657 1960 www.comptoirlibanais.com