UAE2020 Day 09: Marina Mall

Picking up where we left off in the previous post, we left Qasr al Watan right after the light and sound show and arrived at Marina Mall soon after. The show left us absolutely famished so Ginny and Sern thought it a good idea for us to sample some authentic Lebanese cuisine for a change.

we've arrived at Marina Mall

everyone's ravenous

up to the 1st floor

fancy a bird's eye view of the city?

Villa Beirut boasts “age-old tradition and timeless recipes that have been passed down through generations”.

a welcoming committee out front

I lingered outside

to capture a few shots of the entire restaurant

made easy since there were no one else dining

we sat down

and begun ordering

There is even a story behind the restaurant in the form of a little girl named Dalia: "It all started in the early 1900’s when a little girl named Dalia grew up watching her mother prepare traditional Lebanese delicacies in the suburbs of Beirut.  Even at such a young age, she was fascinated by her mother’s cooking and simply adored authentic Lebanese cuisine. Dalia’s own passion for preparing fresh food bloomed when she got a job at a local restaurant. Fuelled by a desire to produce only the best product, she worked relentlessly to learn every aspect of the business. She spent a great deal of time in the kitchen and thrived on creating her own dishes." Whether or not it is true is another matter, but an interesting story nonetheless.

we were so hungry...

that we forgot to take more photos...

of the meal before us

our apologies!

Our first experience with Lebanese cuisine was not a disappointment. Far from it, we enjoyed every single morsel of food that was laid before us. Brendan was mightily impressed with the pizza (of all things!) while we relished the Fajita Sandwich and Villa Kafta immensely. The glorious and generous portions overwhelmed us, but who are we to complain? Oh, and the service was excellent by the way.