1001 Night – a journey to the Levante

Those who love the food from the Levant are currently taking a trip to the Oriental Hideout at The Dolder Grand. This year's pop-up restaurant is entirely dedicated to the Oriental Chef de Cuisine of the house Firas El-Borjis.

What awaited my friend Zakaria Battikh and me was a wonderful and delicious evening. The dark, elegant ambience with cleverly placed light accents and the sky full of candle-like lamps put us in an expectant mood. The greeting and the service are courteous and very hospitable, as to be expected.

The star of the evening is undoubtedly Firas El-Borjis with its aromatic and impeccable dishes. Anyone who makes it from a dishwasher to chef in a five-star hotel cooks with love and dedication, as the Lebanese native tells us. The most important thing for him is to make his guests happy with his creations. He does this so convincingly and lovingly that he not only inspired us but also many an Arab royal family.

We had the four-course menu with five cold mezze variations, followed by four warm mezze. For the main course, we chose Samake Traboulsiyeh – whole sea bass and Soujouk – minced lamb and veal. For dessert, Mouhalabiye – a milk pudding with rose water and the famous Knefe.

What made us particularly happy was the service and explanation of the dishes by the chef personally. This gave us hobby cooks the opportunity to ask about the ingredients – we like to broaden your horizons.

For Zak, it was a trip home to his mother's stove in Jordan. The mezze baba ganoush was excellent with its smoky taste and even better than it was prepared by his mother. He felt at home when he enjoyed the Knefe with the famous Naboulsi cheese. The mood, the decoration, the music and the belly dancing were the perfect oriental setting for the evening.

The Dolder Grand – Oriental Hideout.
Until November 6, 2021. Tuesday to Saturday, 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
4-course menu from 2 people for CHF 120.00 per person
www.thedoldergrand.com