A Review of La Parrilla, in Gemmayze
Most things in Lebanon go by the motto “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” You see cars on the street breaking the laws of physics, somehow running on three wheels with no hub caps, spewing out toxic exhaust, and making sounds no machine should ever make. And yet the driver is whistling on by, absolutely oblivious (or indifferent) to his contribution to noise and air pollution, just happy to be making it from point A to point B. The car ain’t totally broke, so he sure ain’t gon fix it. Meanwhile, away from the streets and inside the closed doors of cabinet, our government says: “It’s about that time to elect a new president, but this guy still works pretty well, don’ he? Well hell, let’s just go ahead and keep him.” Incidentally, our former president declined the extension of his term, leaving the country president-less. And guess what we’ve done so far to fix it? Not much.
That’s why when something in Lebanon is doing just fine, working and operating as it should, but the owners decide to take action to improve it further, I’m impressed. La Parilla used to be one of my favorite restaurants in Lebanon. Consistent and yummy, I had never been disappointed by a meal at La Parilla. The meat was always tender and cooked as requested. The starters were always fresh, the sides elevated the flavor of the beef, and the desserts always left me wanting more. Then, La Parrilla closed its doors. “But why?”, we all asked absolutely perplexed. “It wasn’t broke!” But Mireille Hayek and the people behind La Parrilla decided to “fix” it anyway. For months, the citizens of Beirut were deprived of one of the few places where they could get a decent piece of steak. But recently, their doors reopened and all was restored once again in the capital.
Last week when I came back home for Eid, top on my list was to revisit this place. To see whether shutting down for months was worth it. And it was. As we walked into the newly renovated interior, my friend and I were pleasantly surprised. (NB: I use the term “friend” because said friend is shy and still unprepared for all the fame and celebrity that comes with being part of F&F). Friend and I sat down at our table for two and scanned the restaurant. Despite keeping with the Argentinian tradition of antlers on the wall, a tradition that often makes for a dark and gloomy space, the restaurant was bright and airy. The interior, filled with mirrors, light fabrics, and gold and white accents, was bright and uplifting.
The food meanwhile is still just as good, if not better. Unfortunately for Friend and me, they were fresh out of the burrata so we opted for the goat’s cheese salad and fresh artichoke salad. Both were super fresh and made with great ingredients. Mesclun salad dotted with candied pecans and julienned beet root and topped with a round of goat cheese tartine, this salad was my favorite. The goat cheese tartine was made of whole wheat toast, slathered with a sweet caramalized onion jam, and topped with tangy, creamy goat’s cheese. This combination of fresh, crunchy, sweet, and savory made for a very layered, very flavorful salad. Baby artichoke hearts tossed with mesclun leaves and garnished with shaved Parmesan in a light vinaigrette,the fresh artichoke salad was also very good.
Ribeye
If you’re not afraid of a little fat, I would recommend the ribeye. Friend and I shared the 400g hunk a meat and it was tender, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. If you’re not a fan of fat, stick to the lomo. It’s less flavorful, but less sinew-y as well. The burger at La Parrilla is also phenomenal. As for the sides, all are great and simple. They complement the meat as opposed to overpower it. My favorite is the sweet corn puree. They used to have a carrot puree, I wish they would bring that back.
As the for desserts, Friend went for the gold and ordered both the pain perdu (my favorite) and the creme brulee (his favorite). The pain perdu was great but lacked texture. I remember the pain perdu at La Parilla 1.0 formed a sweet golden crust on the outside and was topped with granola-like clusters, adding crunch and texture to an otherwise gloopy dish. The pain perdu at La Parrilla 2.0, while still delicious, lacked that extra oomph. Meanwhile, the creme brulee was perfection, packed with dark little pearls of vanilla bean.
Overall, the meal was superb. The service is impeccable, the decor is gorgeous, and the food is really top notch. As glorious as the meal was, I admit that the entire experience was made even more glorious thanks to He Who Shall be Named Friend. La Parrilla 1.0 may not have been broke, and neither were my meals without Friend, but both these fixes nevertheless have made all the difference.
La Parrilla,Rue St. Maron (Gemmayzeh, Achrafieh), Beirut, +9613919119
Worth a Taste 