Named after the millennia-old port city of Byblos, this new diner's menu draws inspiration from cuisines in and around Beirut. So you have influences from Africa, France, Italy and the Middle East – all beautifully merged together to create something that is different yet so familiar. Our meal begins with a sampling of the edible candle - which is actually a dip for baguettes with a soya wick that melts as soon as the server lights it. Magic with food or magical food? Chef Nidhi Behl hopes to achieve both with her focus on creating a menu which is edgy, fun and different. A good start so far, we look forward to the puzzle coming together.
Food
We start off the meal with the Mezze platter that comes with an onion paté, Byblos hummus,
Baba Ganoush and Toum (Rs 485) (a garlic sauce from the Levant), Each dip stands out but the toum did us in because of it's silken texture and that added zing of garlic. The Cheese Course, comes with almond and parsley labneh truffles, savoury scallion and mozzarella cake fromage frais, and brie served with chili jam (Rs 485). The spicy, salty combo then lifts the plate up and had our tastebuds singing. The chili jam is worth a trip to the crowded mall. The Baked Camembert (Rs 445), that's brie and whisky and onion marmalade is definitely and interesting twist, bringing together some varied ingredients that somehow work leaving you pleasantly suprised. The Caponata Salad (Rs 295) takes a much despised veggie - the eggplant and turns it around to give it a smoky taste that goes really well with the Caponata dressing and labneh mousse. The Salade Folle (Rs 395) is a healthier and lighter take on the Ceasar Salad. It has greens, tossed with bbq chicken, and drizzled with bbq ranch dressing, topped with a crispy onion ring, worth a try. For the mains we tried the Fush Tarator (Rs 625) served with Tahini and Turkish Salsa, which was good, the Lamb Shawarma plate (Rs 495) served on a bed of cous cous was light and hearty, the Manouche Byblos (Rs 345) was a flat bread topped with slow cooked tomato sauce and buffalo mozzarella, oregano and cheddar, yummy and light and a must-try for cheese lovers. The Chicken Roll Up (Rs 425) is their take on kebabs and has a peri peri rub, with basil and English Cheddar, worth a try, spicy and bursting with flavour. The Green Peas and Musroom Ravioli (Rs 355) had a good portion of parmesan, mushroom fonduta and sage, with an earthy taste and texture. For desserts we recommend you try the Miss Marple (Rs 345) that has a perfectly poached pea sitting in a pie served with apple pie caramels and salted dulce de leche. Elvis (Rs 315) rocks the house with a sinful treat named after the singer that sees drunken blondies, peanuts and flambéed bananas comes together in a perfect melange of flavours. The Oops I dropped The Lemon Pie (Rs 365) is a tangy mix of lemon champagne curd, port meringue and shortbread Soil. Overall, Byblos does manage to pack in a lot of flavour, keeping it fresh yet distinctly familiar. Definitely worth a visit!
Timings: 11.30 am to 1 am
WHERE: Byblos Kitchen + Bar, 41, Phoenix Mills, opposite Costa Coffee, next to Sai Service, Lower Parel
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