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Meeting up with some friends, they decided to have lunch at Duo at ABC Dbayeh’s food court. Duo restaurant is a fusion of two successful concepts, “Ciao”, which started as an Italian restaurant and “Le Monot”, which was originally a French bistro. It has been a long time since I last ate at DUO. I honestly didn’t know what to expect that day… and I surely didn’t expect to enjoy the food that much…
I liked the place:
- The seating area outside feels like you’re by the sidewalk of a busy city street
- You have a choice of round and square tables where you can sit with your friends and actually see each other and talk, especially when you're a big group
- The chairs are comfortable
- You eat and don't mind sitting a while longer
- Their menu is big and caters to different tastes- from pizza's, salad bar to a selection of sushi (sushi by Shogun)
- The food portions are generous
- The breadbasket is delicious. Bread served is warm and crunchy. The selection is wide including bread sticks and olive oil focaccia
- The waiters are welcoming and always smiling… and attentive
Lunch went smoothly with orders that left us all amazed:
- The club sandwich is exceptional. Three slices of thin and toasted bread act as a support for the rich filling without having a prominent taste. Inside, are more than six different ingredients of which The Roast beef slices, thin tomatoes, the chicken mix with mayonnaise, mayonnaise spread, ham, lettuce and eggs are felt in every bite. The best part is that the bread borders are removed eliminating the crunchiness and the chewy feel those add to your sandwich. Bravo for such a sandwich, which can be considered one of the finest clubs in town.
- The pizza is just good. A thin dough with a thick border filled with a generous amount of ingredients. It has rich tomato sauce, fresh toppings, slightly crunchy borders and a fluffy heart… but unfortunately a crust that absorbs water so quickly turning into soggy dough that's hard to eat. Overall, the pizza is good.
- Boeuf Stroganoff is rice, two cups of it, homemade chips, two decorative slices of endives and the meat. Beef Stroganoff is a Russian dish of sautéed pieces of beef served in a sauce with sour cream. From its origins in mid-19th-century Russia, it has become popular around the world, with considerable variation from the original recipe. I enjoyed the meat, the rice and the prominent flavors of this fine plate. But the sauce is a bit heavy in my opinion. I think it would be better with less cream... But I recommend you try it.
After lunch, dessert was a must. We ordered their profiterole followed by their pain perdu:
- The pain perdu is the country’s latest trend, so ordering has become a must. Duo’s is way too soggy and way too sweet despite the fact that I enjoyed the almond topping. Even the texture of the bread is not pleasant to feel. I'll say no.
- The Profiterol is interesting: Fine dough filled with ice cream and topped with chocolate sauce. The dough is fresh and not chewy but the ice cream is a bit sweet and the chocolate feels commercial. Many of you would definitely like it. A good choice after a hefty meal.
The minuses:
- What many people are complaining about surely needs a change and soon. The plates and cutlery service is overused and looks too old. Many plates are broken; the cutlery surely needs shining while some black lines found on the plates may block your appetite.
- The kitchen needs to focus a bit more on the presentation and cleaning of plates before they are sent to customers. The plates lack a certain finesse… they look messy is a way… Lemon, oil, scattered almonds... Presentation is key and shows the professional background of the staf kitchen
- Waiters, although super nice and very attentive are a bit forgetful
Food was good; service as well, in one of Lebanon's oldest yet still trendy restaurants. DUO has been serving the same quality for years and this why some items like plates and cutlery need to be changed. When changed, this place is an address to have good food at ABC Dbayeh.
