Le Professeur’s story started more than twenty years ago, on a little street in Mar Elias where this specialist breakfast restaurant welcomes you from the early hours of the day. The hummus doctor, the judge of foul, the graduate in the art of fatteh, Le Professeur prepares everything in front of your eyes, tantalizing each of your senses and making you want to order ever more food.
Le Professeur is known by the Beiruty crowd not only for its name, but also for its quality, which is indeed excellent. Sit down and relax, as a waiter approaches you for your order. We had the eggs, the fatteh, hummus, balila, foul... Actually, we had everything so we could get a detailed idea of their offerings.
Let's have a hefty breakfast:
Eggs with awarma: The awarma, which is meat conserved in fat, is mixed with eggs and enjoyed with a smile. The awarma I know looks like minced meat, but the one the Professeur uses looks more like shredded meat, tastes better and melts away under the teeth. Cooked in its own fat with three eggs on top, one bite leads to another and another until your common sense tells you to stop. I loved the juiciness, the seasoning and, most importantly, a distinct taste of lemon that comes at the very end and will put a smile on your face.
The standard hummus is excellent. The work and effort put into it is clear. A beautiful chickpea flavor is followed by an aftertaste of lemon. Yum!
Fatteh is one of my favorite breakfasts: In a bowl filled to top, a mix of overcooked chickpeas and a cocktail of nuts is topped with laban and pine nuts. The mix just melted in my mouth, while I felt every spice and premium ingredient used to create this masterpiece. Cold Laban topped with grilled almonds and cashew nuts rests on top, creating mouthwatering crunching sounds as you dig in.
The foul, on the other hand, had this flavor, this fresh lemon feel, this premium olive oil... Perfection on a plate, it was so good, even without the garlic. You realize how good it is and how great the ingredients are as soon as it reaches your mouth.
Msabbaha: Exactly like the foul, or hummus, with bits of cooked chickpeas mixed with fava beans and seasoned with lemon and olive oil. An intense, rich flavor of lemon, olive oil and perfectly cooked ingredients with a subtle hint of spiciness as an aftertaste.
All plates are served with a complementary bottle of water and a plate of vegetables. As a dessert we were offered debs el kharroub to help with our digestion.
What's so amazing are the little details in what is basically a street food place. The water bottle, the wet napkins, the Clorets chewing gum and the waiter who seemed to have been here for a decade or more; it all made for a wonderful experience.
Dreaming of a real Lebanese breakfast cooked and presented in an authentic way? Le Professeur is a must visit for locals and tourists alike. The restaurant is on Mar Elias street. Everyone knows it around there.
