The Angry Monkey is flying high

A night out at The Angry Monkey

It is difficult to refuse an invitation by my friend Mohammad Hijazi (@mhijazi). So I set off to the latest nightspot in Beirut’s Gemmayzeh for the opening night of The Angry Monkey last Wednesday (August 31).

It’s always exciting to head to Gemmayzeh, the district nestled between Downtown Beirut and Ashrafieh and renowned for its bars, pubs, cafés and restaurants. The last time I headed there was for a salsa night last November. 

Gemmayzeh’s main street, Rue Gouraud, has the highest concentration of night venues lining the narrow alleyways, to the dismay of residents who often complain about the noise of both revelers and cars that pack the streets every night. Makdessi Street, parallel to Hamra Street in West Beirut, is catching up and striving to rival Gemmayzeh.

It's at the entrance to The Alleyway in Gemmayzeh

The Angry Monkey is towards the end of Rue Gouraud and part of The Alleyway, an arcade grouping several food, drink and shopping outlets. 

My friend Maggie drove me there. On the way, we were worrying about handing over the car for valet parking, which has a sullied reputation in Beirut. But finding a parking spot at 10 p.m. in Gemmayzeh is almost impossible.

The place was packed to the brim

The place was already packed to the brim when we arrived, as were most of the pubs and restaurants we passed by while driving down the street.

Our host, Hijazi, had a table at the back, next to the entrance. We had a good view of the stage where Lebanese rock band JLP was already performing to great cheers from the crowd.

Mohammad, Joseph, Sara and Michel

Patrick, Sara and Roy

A jovial group joined Maggie, Hijazi and me. And, once more, it was good to meet virtual Twitter friends. With Sara Bitar, Joseph Maalouf, Michel Richa, Patrick Abdel Sater and Roy Jibrin, we were guests of Ziad Kamel, who is The Angry Monkey owner and The Alleyway CEO.

Lori, Gino, Ziad and Hijazi

Accompanied by Lori Kharpoutlian, the king of Beirut nightlife and club reviews Gino Raidy joined us in next to no time. With Gino there, I won’t even try to review The Angry Monkey!

Sara and Michel show off the Beef Short Ribs

What I can say though is that we got a royal treatment. Everyone else probably felt the same. With such a big crowd on opening night, orders were arriving in the blink of an eye. Amiable staff kept clearing empty bottles and glasses and replacing ashtrays in a flash. The food we tried -- Monkey Burgers, Stacked Shrimp and Beef Short Ribs --  was excellent. Ziad did not stop welcoming and mingling with revelers that night, most of whom – I am certain – will become The Angry Monkey’s habitués.

Lebanese rock band JLP performing at The Angry Monkey

JLP, the five-member acoustic band performing live on the night, play the best in rock, pop, alternative and oldies among others. They got the cheery crowd going early on and it was not long before we were all swinging to our favorite tunes and calling out requests.

The rock band consists of Boudy Boustany (vocals), Ramzi Ramman (guitar and vocals), Ghassan Bouz (percussion), Ziad Ramman (percussion), and Joe Mokbel (bass). They are regulars around Beirut and you can also catch them at Railway 1891 (pub/resto), Dany's, Boston Hamra Bar & Grill.

Maggie and Hijazi

We sang with them, swayed and clapped. It was difficult to speak much, but we had some excellent strawberry Margaritas and then someone had the bright idea of ordering shots, blackjack shots! Need I say more…?

Although I missed recording the shots, you can join us at The Angry Monkey in photos. An enchanting evening that will indeed be encored.

Related post: Salsa in Beirut, 11 November 2010

My Beirut bowling baptism

Bowling... it's great fun!

There’s always a first for everything… I finally went bowling in Beirut last week. The finding: It’s great fun!

The closest I got to bowling until then were bowling shirts. They were fashionable at one time -- in the late seventies if I remember correctly. I was fond of one in particular. It was black with red and white pins on a left side pocket. I have several snapshots of me sporting it, but they are in Dubai.

Gustav's Noor and Khaled

As it often does, the evening started at Gustav -- the pâtisserie haven for dessert aficionados and our favorite hangout on Hamra Street. Gustav (@LeGustav on Twitter) is the brainchild of Emirati entrepreneur Khaled Bou Falasa and his Chef Patissier Noor Ramlawi. It has become the virtual world’s nerve center. It’s where you invariably come face-to-face with “friends” you only got to know through Twitter or Facebook.

Woody waits for his ball, strikes and...

... gets a high-five from Liliane

Joining us from Canada, and meeting him for the first time, was Woody Ghsoubi (@vipwoody), who studies in Montreal and is now holidaying in Lebanon. It’s always uplifting to chance on a Twitter friend. Also going bowling were Liliane (@FunkyOzzi), Hussam (@sam_lb), Maggie (@Abaretruth), Yasmine (@yasminehajjar), Jennifer (@Jenhaddad), Youssef (@ychaker), Samir, Khaled (@Arabear) and Noor (@ChefNoor).

We just had to walk across the street to the Crowne Plaza Hotel where the 10-lane Score bowling alley and amusement center is sited.

Maggie joins the fray

Finger magic from Liliane

Jennifer chooses her ball

The good time a bunch of “would be” adults can have at one of the oldest and most popular games in the world is remarkable. I didn’t even know bowling is a sport dating back to 3200 BC!

In the 1930s, British anthropologist Sir Flinders Petrie discovered a collection of objects in a child's grave in Egypt that appeared to be used for a primitive form of bowling. In Germany, historian William Pehle found evidence of bowling around 300 AD. In 1366 England, King Edward III banned bowling because the game was taking archery practice away from his troops but Henry VIII brought it back.

English, Dutch and German settlers must have imported bowling to America, where it started on lawns. There’s still a plot in New York called Bowling Green in what is now the financial district.

The electronic scoring board

The equipment used for bowling has evolved from the hardwood balls and pin boys responsible for setting up the pins. New technologies have improved the bowling ball, introduced electronic scoring and monitors that show the path and speed of your ball, and several other novelties. 

Cheerfully, bowling is played by people of all ages, which was the case while we were there. There were children challenging their parents, teenagers and older groups as well. The amusement center was packed.

We were among the 95 million people across 90 countries that bowl every day. Debate whether ten-pin bowling should be introduced at the Olympics Games is continuing.

Sam, Youssef, Jennifer and Maggie play a game of air hockey

I was apprehensive at first and sat out the first game. But I couldn’t resist engaging in the second -- with little success I must confess. But that was part of the fun. I will not be changing careers or going to the World Series of Bowling any time soon with a score of 33!

The rules seem easy and the automatic scoring is a blessing. 

Yasmine and Liliane take the Harleys for a spin

The Hamra bowling center has 10 alleys and a cafeteria. LL 10,000 ($6.63) pay for a "game," bowling shoe hire and a new pair of socks. Each game is divided into 10 "frames." A "strike" is scored when a player knocks down all pins on the first roll in the frame.

It all looks straightforward when watching. But when I strode up to roll my first ball, it wasn’t that easy. However much I tried to aim straight, the ball kept swerving right. In one of my tries I hit my calf instead of the alley!

The evening didn’t end there. On our way out, we couldn’t resist the other games at the amusement arcade, including the air hockey and Harley-Davidson rides.


You can join our bowling night in pictures.

Voilà, et à la prochaine!

Introducing Dubai’s falafel superstar

Juicy, soft and green on the inside, just as a falafel should be

I think I’ve found it! Yes, this is Dubai’s king of falafel. They are the best I’ve tasted in the five years I’ve been in the emirate, and I’ve tried a few.
 

Since the start of the Holy Month of Ramadan, some friends have been getting them nearly every night and that’s how I got addicted.

Dukkan Falafel is tucked...

... at the back of ENOC petrol station

Dukkan Falafel is not where you would normally look for a falafel outlet. My friend Aboudi discovered it by chance recently when he stopped to fill petrol. It is tucked at the back of ENOC petrol station, coming down from what used to be Defense Roundabout towards Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah side, just before Life Pharmacy.

The cozy seating area

Dukkan Falafel is open 24/7, but during Ramadan the timing is 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. You can enjoy a meal in the modest four-table restaurant, pick up, or call for delivery. You can visit Dukkan in these photos.

Mohammad and Amir

I was immediately welcomed by the friendly staff on duty the evening I passed by. Amir and Mohammad were happy to answer my questions and explain the “Dukkan” (Arabic for shop) specialties.

Dukkan’s falafels are freshly deep-fried using zero transfat Canola oil. The four branches work without a freezer. They get fresh ingredients daily. The other branches are in ENOC Al Warqaa, Meadows and Gardens. More are planned for Sports City, Jafza and Al Bustan Center in Dubai and as well as Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

Dukkan Falafel is one of four chains – Tawasy, Chinoodles and Tandoori Trail – operated by Alternative Dining Experience, a company started in the UAE in 2009. It offers alternative concepts to customers, creates innovative and exciting new segments in dining, enters regional and global joint ventures, and franchises these concepts. The company’s strategy is to distinguish its restaurants by consistently emphasizing high-quality food and service and offering generous portions at moderate prices.

One of the menu boards

Dukkan's reasonable prices

And I thought the prices were very reasonable by Dubai standards: 12 falafels for AED 6 ($1.63) or 24 for AED 10 ($2.72).

As I had written in Introducing Beirut’s king of falafel (3 May 2011), it is difficult to trace the origin of falafel, the small, fried croquettes. Probably ancient, and often hijacked by different countries, it is accepted falafel originated in Egypt, where the Copts claim them as their own as a replacement for meat during Lent.

Except in the port city of Alexandria, falafels are called ta’amia in Egypt. They are made with dried broad beans or fool. In Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan they use dried broad beans and/or chickpeas.

It is maybe from Alexandria that falafel was introduced to the rest of the Middle East and spread worldwide. Made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans, they are usually served as a sandwich in Arabic bread with pickles, tomatoes, mint or parsley, hot pickled peppers and drizzled with a tahini sauce. Some prefer to eat them without the bread and just with the tahini dip.

Mohammad making two falafel sandwiches...

... in Arabic bread

Dukkan Falafel’s Amir and Mohammad explained the supplies and falafel mix come fresh from Tawasy every day. Owned by Ramy Wardeh, Dukkan uses the Palestinian and Jordanian recipe of making falafel with chickpeas. Among the other ingredients they use in the mix is plentiful of parsley (hence their green center), pepper, garlic and a special mix of spices.

Tawasy Gourmet Catering, Dukkan’s supplier, is a home, events and banquets delivery service with an extensive menu of genuine Arabic and Mediterranean cuisines. All the ingredients, like the fries, cut eggplant, cauliflower florets, vegetables and the falafel mix are delivered to Dukkan Falafel and then cooked on-site, as I witnessed when orders started to pour in just before iftar, or the evening meal when Moslems break their dawn to sunset fast during Ramadan.

Four choices of bread

Amir and Mohammad got busy frying fresh falafels, fries and aubergines for the orders. They offer four varieties of bread for the falafel sandwich – Arabic, Panini, Ka’ek and Dukkan.

Dukkan Falafel has five falafel sandwich choices – asli (original), with herbs, tomato and their special tahini sauce; bil foul with fool mudammas or mashed fava beans; fakher with sautéed vegetables and tahini; ala kefak (to your liking) with your choice of filling; and bil khoudra with fresh tomatoes and vegetables.

They have event platters, eight different hummus choices, three of fool and plenty of side dishes. You can even explore their menu on their site before ordering.

Ready to fry a fresh batch

Oh boy, do they taste good!

I couldn’t help but have a few while Mohammad was frying a new batch and oh boy, do they taste good! They are nice and crispy on the outside; juicy, soft and green on the inside -- just as a falafel should be.

If you try Dukkan Falafel, I’d love to hear your verdict.

Related post: Introducing Beirut’s king of falafel, 3 May 2011

Twitter takes me to Lourdes

My candle at Lourdes

While on Twitter last Wednesday night (August 10), my friend Elie Fares tweeted he had arrived at Lourdes, the town at the foothills of the French Pyrénées famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes.

I immediately replied to his tweet: “Shou helou (how nice)!!! How lucky! Light me a candle please :-))” 

I couldn’t believe it when a couple of minutes later Elie (@eliefares) replied: “Done,” and attached a snapshot of “my” candle at Lourdes to his tweet.

I was in tears!

That is the power of Social Media… the social in media!

A visit to Lourdes has always been one of my dreams. I hope to go there one day, as I look forward to do the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, also known as The Way of St. James. Imagine all the posts and pictures likely to be generated along the 100-kilomter-pilgrimage route!

It is near Lourdes, in the grotto of Massabielle, that in 1858 Our Lady appeared 18 times to a young and sickly peasant girl, Bernadette Soubirous.

Bernadette had 18 apparitions from the “Lady,” between 11 February 1858 and 16 July 1858. It is only on the 16th Apparition that the “Lady,” as Bernadette called the apparition, revealed her name. Bernadette is said to have always asked the “Lady” who she was. That day, she dared to ask three times. "Then slowly opening Her hands and leaning towards me, She said to me in a voice vibrating with emotion, ‘Que Soy Era Immaculada Conception’ (I Am The Immaculate Conception). She smiled again, spoke no more, and disappeared smiling."

St. Bernadette (via Wikipedia)

Bernadette Soubirous was declared a Saint by Pope Pius XI on 8 December 1933, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Her body, in the main chapel of the Convent of Saint Gildard in the city of Nevers in France, remains entirely incorrupt. Around her shrine are inscribed the words of the great promise made to her at Lourdes by the “Lady,” and fulfilled by Her: "I do not promise that you will be happy in this world, only in the next." 

There is so much faith and belief on such pilgrimages, that I often wonder what it would feel like, and what would I ask for once there. Certainly health for loved ones… What can be more important?

What would you ask for?

So it is with great emotion that I thank you, Elie Fares, for lighting a candle for me at Lourdes. It has surely burned down by now, but it means a lot to me. I hope to light one for you before long.

Glorifying Virgin Mary in Ramadan

“Behold! The angels said: ‘O Mary! Allah hath chosen thee and purified

thee -- chosen thee above all women. O Mary! Worship Thy Lord devoutly:

Prostrate thyself, and bow down (in prayer) with those who bow down’…

Behold! The angels said: ‘O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings

of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor

in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those closest to Him.’”

(Surat Al 'Imran: 42, 43 and 45)

"Mother and Child" by my cousin Huda Asfour Khoury

Today is Eid al 3adra, the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary to Heaven, and it falls during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Both Christians and Muslims will celebrate Our Lady – or “Maryam” in the Holy Qur’an.

The last time Our Lady’s Day was during the Holy Month of Ramadan was 33 years ago in 1978.

 

The mother of Jesus has a distinguished and honored position among women in the Qur’an. The 19th of the Holy Book’s 114 chapters is titled “Maryam” – the only surah named after a woman.

The Virgin Mary is the only woman directly named in the Qur'an. And in the many translations I found online, she is declared -- uniquely with Jesus -- to be a sign of God to humanity (Qur’an 23:50); one who guarded her chastity (Qur’an 66:12); an obedient one (66:12); chosen of her mother and dedicated to God whist still in the womb (3:36); and uniquely, among women, accepted into service by God (3.37).

In the Qur’an, Christ is called repeatedly Issa ibnu Maryam, Arabic for "Jesus son of Mary" (5:19, 75, 81, 113; 19:34), a name which is best known in the Islamic world.

Here in part is what Giancarlo Finazzo wrote in an article titled "The Virgin Mary in the Qur'an" for the 13 April 1978 weekly English edition of the Holy See publication, L'Osservatore Romano: 

"Among the persons of Sacred History mentioned in the Qur'an, the Virgin Mary occupies an important position on the historical and dogmatic plane. In addition to being the object of as many as 34 direct or indirect references, Mary also gives Surat 19 its name and is its central figure as the mother of Jesus. The characteristic note of references to the Virgin in the Qur'an and, to an even greater extent, in Islamic tradition, can be seen both in the information about her genealogy and her childhood -- a part of which is more detailed than in the four Gospels...

"...In a famous Hadeeth attributed to the Prophet, it is affirmed that 'every child is touched by the devil as soon as he is born and this contact makes him cry. Excepted are Mary and her Son'...

"Mary's childhood, as seen through the Qur'an narration and Islamic tradition, is entirely a miracle. Mary grows under direct divine protection, she is nourished daily by angels (3:32) and has visions of God every day. Everything contributes to making her and her Son a signum for mankind (5:79; 21:91; 23:50). But if the detailed narration of Mary's childhood confirms the exceptional value of her person, it is necessary to stress the greatness of Mary is completely related to the extraordinary event constituted by the birth of her son Jesus..."

I wonder when Surat Maryam is read at the Taraweeh in mosques this month. I shall continue listening to them in my garden. These are special prayers featuring recitations of the Qur'an after 'Isha (the last evening prayer). They last over an hour and are performed at the mosque and the congregation stands upright to read and listen to passages from the Qur'an. After each cycle -- standing, bowing, prostrating, one sits for rest before continuing, hence the name rest prayer or Taraweeh. Some 1/30th of the Qur'an is read each evening so by the end of the blessed month, the entire Holy Book would have been completed.

To mark the Assumption, the following is a recitation of Surat Maryam with English translation:

May our Heavenly Lady, bring peace, solace and love to all.

And may the Mother of all Mothers shower us -- especially the needy, hungry, sick and infirm -- with her Blessings.

Related post: To the Mother of all Mothers, 15 August 2010