With so many great eateries in the capital selling what is essentially a handful of cheap and very basic ingredients, the Lebanese cuisine market is a difficult one to survive in.
To cut to the chase, Abdel Wahab serves above-average food, with items such as the cheese rolls and the signature hummus even bordering on great. This is also one of the best places to pick up some batrakh (salted and smoked cod roe, served with slices of garlic and olive oil), despite it being more of an Egyptian staple. The batrakh at Abdel Wahab is served like carpaccio, giving this traditional delicacy a more elegant touch. And the batata kezbara (potatoes with fresh coriander) is also not to be missed, a dish so simple to make, but so often done wrong in the capital is perfectly executed here.
Sadly, the good food is severely let down by the quality of service. Abdel Wahab is not an overpriced joint, but it certainly bills itself as a quality establishment, and this quality is not reflected by the waiting staff. Servers are impatient, unsmiling and unresponsive, and have a talent for disappearing exactly when you need them. Water glasses and the bread basket were not refreshed, the table was set without napkins or condiments, and despite having booked in advance we were given a seat in a corner next to the cashier, where our view consisted of an ever-growing stack of dirty dishes on a mobile serving trolley half a metre away. These dishes remained our dinner companions for about 40 minutes, after which they were substituted for another set of dishes, this time filled with food (not ours).
Incidentally, 40 minutes is also how long it took for the meat to arrive, by which time we’d already finished our mezze and lemonades, run out of conversation, and ordered (and received) our bill. The meat was on said bill (albeit under an incorrect name) but the restaurant manager was obliging enough to remove it. And he even took a moment to educate us on Lebanese dining, and advised that next time we should mention we want the mains together with the starters, if we expect them to arrive any earlier. Thanks for that, but when our next Lebanese craving hits, we’ll be heading to friendlier environs such as Tourist Club Area’s Al Qasr or Awtar Restaurant.
The bill (for two)
Batrakh Dhs78
Fattoush Dhs24
Cheese rolls Dhs24
Batata kezbara Dhs25
Total (excluding service) Dhs151
