Beit Misk is a tribute to authentic Lebanese cuisine and all things Lebanon. After two years of operation in Dammam, the fine-dining restaurant opened its second branch in Alkhobar last month.
Although there is no dearth of Lebanese restaurants in the Middle East, you can tell — right from the outset — that Beit Misk is different. Mosaic walls, wooden furnishings and fittings, earthen pots, photographs of old Lebanon and weave baskets have us longing for the countryside.
Designed by a Lebanese interior designer, the ambiance has a cross-generational appeal, with private seating areas that appeal to the older generation and the use of trendy aesthetics that appeal to the young.
Although the concept is “Lebanese at heart,” the restaurant is 100 percent Saudi. It is owned and managed by the Al-Shiha family, which has been in the restaurant business for 40 years. The social media manager of the family-run business, Najoud Al-Shiha, spoke to Arab News about the extensive social media and marketing strategies that Beit Misk has adopted.
“The traditional methods of marketing may not be very relevant anymore. Especially in Saudi Arabia, where word-of-mouth and social media — Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat — is a good way of informing people about your brand and services, and building a loyal customer base,” Al-Shiha said.
At the launch of Beit Misk Alkhobar, social-media influencers and bloggers were invited to the event through personalized Beit Misk clay-pot invites.
Learning from her culinary trips abroad, Al-Shiha has worked closely with the Lebanese head chef, Milad, to curate some of the restaurant’s signature dishes.
For starters, she recommends the chicken tenders (deep fried, and served with a spicy sauce) and the “Beirut Twist” — a fusion of Mexican and Lebanese, potato wedges doused in bolognese sauce, cheddar cheese, and jalapenos.
It would be disgraceful to visit a Lebanese restaurant and not order cold mezze. We tried the trio-hummus (mango, pesto and almond) and the “Mama Ghanoush” (a smooth, creamy beetroot ghanoush) served with fresh pita bread.
The star of the show was the Beit Misk salad — a combination of quinoa, broccoli, bell peppers, and three sweet and savory cheese balls (raisin, almond and pistachio). From the hot mezze, we ordered the lehmeh ras asfour, which is kibbeh stuffed with meat and sautéed in grenadine molasses and garnished with sesame and pomegranate seeds.
From the main courses, we ordered the chicken and lamb taouk platter served with garlic sauce and rice, the kibbeh labanieh (kibbeh balls cooked in yogurt sauce, served with rice) and the hamour fish on a bed of rice, served with a caramelized onion sauce and tahini sauce. The combination of melt-in-the-mouth fish, warm rice, and creamy sauces should not be missed.
We opted for the pomegranate juice and the Beit Misk fruit cocktail (kiwi, melon, pineapple, mango, cocktail juice, avocado juice, honey and nuts.) Other popular options are the “Jamaica Special” (grenadine, pineapple juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, fresh strawberry and soda) and the white coffee (a special blend from Lebanon.)
“Customers always like to see a food show and the sizzling kanafah is definitely worth a show,” says Al-Shiha. This dish is served on a hot plate and made to “sizzle” with sugar syrup and ice-cream.
Beit Misk is located in a strategic location — on the Prince Mohammed bin Fahad Road — between Alkhobar and Dammam. It caters to customers who are largely working professionals, and offers private party catering and home-delivery services.
“Providing exceptional quality and service makes the whole difference,” said Al-Shiha. We couldn’t agree more!
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Lebanese at heart: Beit Misk
Lebanese at heart: Beit Misk
Chef serves up a taste of Spain at Ithra Cultural Days in Saudi Arabia
DHAHRAN: Among the attractions of the Ithra Cultural Days: Spain at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), visitors can try a tantalizing selection of Spanish foods — none more renowned than its famous paella.
Arab News spoke with chef Jose Zafra at the event, which runs until Jan. 31, who flew in from Spain to offer a taste of his homeland to the people of Saudi Arabia.
A “master rice cook, paella researcher and promoter,” according to his business card, his logo is even designed around the recognizable cooking pan and the phrase “Pasion por la paella,” or “Passion for paella.”
“That's why the pan is round because people get around and eat all together — to share culture and passion and life,” Zafra told Arab News as foodies lined up behind him, eager to try a plateful.
“It’s not just a food. It’s a link, a connection. Paella is the symbol of unity and sharing. And people now are going to try it — authentic Spanish paella in Saudi Arabia.”
The word “paella” comes from the Latin “patella,” meaning pan.
In Spanish, it refers both to the rice dish itself and the pan in which it is cooked.
Paella was introduced to Spain during Moorish rule. It originated in Valencia, on the country’s eastern coast, as a rural peasant dish that was cooked by farm workers over open fires using local ingredients. Over time, the dish’s popularity spread and other versions evolved, for example featuring seafood and meat.
It is different to Saudi Arabia’s kabsa, a communal dish which similarly uses rice and meat. Kabsa is cooked in a deep pot to ensure the rice stays soft and aromatic from the meaty broth, whereas paella uses a wide, shallow pan to fully absorb flavors evenly, often creating a prized crispy layer at the bottom.
Visitors to Ithra’s Culture Days can enjoy the flavors of Spain made with a sprinkling of local love — true to the origins of the dish.
Find the scoops of Spanish joy near the food truck area and try chicken paella, seafood paella —or both! You will see the signs offering a plate, at SR35 ($9) for chicken and SR40 for seafood, or let your nose lead you there.
Zafra concluded: “The chicken is from here, the seafood is from here — and the passion, well, that is from Spain.”
