Shababik: For the love of Lebanese!

Authentic Lebanese food can be hard to find at times, especially as one roams through the maze of restaurants in Jeddah. Look no further, Shababik is one of the top authentic Lebanese restaurants in town, with its name meaning the woodwork covering windows as it was in the old Dey’aah. Each household would have its own personalized woodwork different from the other households around as it was a sign of beauty and sophistication. Having trained Lebanese chefs and sous chefs in the homeland, the restaurant presents its dishes just as it would be if one was visiting any area in Lebanon.
The luxury restaurant is located on the top floor of Ana Ghair Mall on Sultan Street close to Tahlia Street. Shababik is spacious and seats 600 diners in two areas:  the terrace and inside. There are two private sections designated for corporate events equipped with TV screens suitable for meetings and presentations. As soon as guests step off the elevator, they are welcomed by a large wall with a painted mural with different Lebanese figures doing every day tasks in light color patterns with a long seating area for guests to wait. To the right, there are three large glass windows with intricate wood border. Next is a round hall room just before the main restaurant.
The main area is considered a type of fan shaped, this according to the design of the building. The interior consists of a wide area with different shaped tables spread around with high ceilings and bright spotlights, a simple yet rich setting that reflects Lebanon. The middle of the restaurant is a large long table that can be adjusted to lengthen or shorten, used every Friday for buffets. The shape of the tables are quite unique in their own way, tables that hold around 10 diners or more can be served with ease, as the waiter has an opening on the side of each table to place the orders. The general manager of the restaurant, Mr. Michel, said that the owner was involved with every detail of the design and comfort of the diner was on top of the list.
The menu is filled with the most mouthwatering dishes of the Lebanese cuisine. The list of appetizers or Mezzes are large, both hot and cold. As soon as diners sit, they are presented with the in-house bread, baked fresh just before serving along with olives and labneh spread. Not your typical labneh, the house special mixed with other vegetables or garnishes. As soon as we were seated, the dishes started to arrive, all recommended by Mr. Michelle to understand the different tastes and textures.
The usual cold mezzeh included hummus, metabal, mhamarah, shankaleesh and wrapped grape leaves. The salads were light and tasted fresh, the tastiest was the fatoush. The fatoush didn’t have a strong citrusy taste but was just enough along with the olive oil, the bread though was not cut into square pieces and served, instead it comprised small rolls of bread in the salad. The summak and olive oil arrive from Lebanon only and the tastes were strong but just right. Next came the hot mezzeh, but the most recommended dish had to be “cuckoo’s nest”, small kibbeh with the top cut and the filling comprised of meat and eggplant soaked in pomegranate molasses and walnuts. The taste was amazing, the eggplant was not bitter, instead it was light and the mixture was delicious. Then came “abo shousheh” a mix of taro and lentils with olive oil, the dish was very tasty, something we never tasted before. There was kishk, some might think it’s only an Egyptian dish but the Lebanese cuisine also has its own light textured version. The next dish was a bit of a challenge for some, but a must try. Kibbeh neyeh, raw kibbeh meat, it was a little too much for my liking but I was able to understand why it’s one of the top sellers and one of the most widely known dishes amongst the Lebanese. It is very light on the fat, the burghul and meat combined together as well as the spices made the taste very acceptable.
The rest of the dishes were amazing as well. Some of the most recommended dishes include bamyah (okra) in olive oil, hummus topped with minced meat and the fried potatoes and makanek (sausages) in different sauces, everything was truly great tasting.
The main dishes are mostly grilled delicacies such as lamb cutlets, which are very tender as well as the grilled kibbeh, shish tawook, grilled prawns and kabab dishes. All arrived hot, well cooked and the blend of spices was just right. The dessert menu isn’t much but it is very rich in flavor and texture, best had around the restaurant’s tea time hours (6 p.m. — 8 p.m.) on the airy terrace where you can also enjoy sheeshas.
The restaurant is open from 1 p.m. to 12 a.m. on weekdays and from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. on weekends. For reservations, please contact them on +966 12 662 0658.
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