Tasting Syria and Lebanon in Mana-ish

MANILA, Philippines - It is not a delicious exaggeration to say that Syrian and Lebanese food is good and good for you. In fact, my recent culinary adventures in a Makati restaurant called Mana-ish have even got me thinking that perhaps Syrian olive oil is just as good (or even better) than Italian olive oil.

When Mana-ish opened in 2009, the initial plan of restaurant owner Philip Mazloum was to simply offer what his restaurant name says: mana-ish, a flatbread topped with thyme, cheese or ground meat. Eventually, though, he realized he wanted to serve more and more dishes that he grew up eating. And so, Mana-ish became a Middle Eastern restaurant, serving up authentic Syrian and Lebanese food.

The first thing that got me hooked was the garlic crème, a savory dip topped with a generous splash of Syrian olive oil, which may be enjoyed with some warm pita. Surprisingly, I learned that it also pairs well with the restaurant’s French fries. And, in fact, it can be addicting.

Up next was a series of even more appetizers that will have you tearing through a lot more pita. There’s the hummus, which is a tangy blend of garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon and olive oil. There’s also the baba ghanouj, which is a hearty dip made of grilled eggplant, fresh garlic, tomato, temon, parsley and a dash of olive oil on top. There’s the labneh, which is made with homemade yogurt, mint and olive oil. And then there’s my ultimate favorite, the muhamara crème, which combines chili pepper, tomato, walnuts and chili into one flavorful and spicy dip.

The restaurant’s kebbeh is deep-fried meatballs made with lean veal and crushed bulghul wheat and stuffed with spiced ground beef and roasted onions.

On to the flatbread specialties. There are several kinds of mana-ish to choose from. One my favorites is the zaatar, in which the flatbread is topped with an aromatic mix of ground thyme, oregano and mixed toasted sesame seeds cooked in olive oil. There is also the soujok that comes with some spiced ground beef and mozzarella cheese. And then there’s the cheesy jebneh, made with white cheese and parsley.

The restaurant also serves several kinds of shawarma made with Mana-ish’s very own saj bread. Order the donner plate and feast on shawarma made from strips of lamb and beef with tahini sauce and pickles. There’s also the mixed-plate shawarma, filled with grilled beef, lamb, chicken strips and smothered with some tahini and garlic sauce. And then there’s the taggen shawarma, which is made with chicken meat, tahini sauce, butter and cashew nut on fried pita bread.

Whatever you do, save some room for one of Mana-ish’s ultimate specialties, the fatteh. I tried the dajaj fatteh, a creamy mix of boiled chickpeas, vermicelli rice, chicken strips, tahini and buttered cashew nuts served like a baked casserole, with some tall triangles of toasted pita. the eggplant fatteh, made with a mix of ground meat, fried eggplant, vermicelli rice, buttered cashew nuts and tahini sauce.

To end the meal, have some of Mana-ish’s halawe, crisp slices of saj bread filled with sweet, creamy sesame seed paste and topped with a drizzle of honey and chopped walnuts.

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Mana-ish can be found at the G/F, Unit 1D Valdecon Building, #20 Jupiter St. Cor. Antares St., Barangay Bel-Air, Makati City. Call 896-MANA for inquiries.

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E-mail the author at ravin.facts@yahoo.com.