A quick eatery like any other snack has newly opened on the Jounieh-Jbeil highway facing Mc.Donald's Sarba. What's special about it is the food and the name taken from Lebanon's famous personality of the sixties: "Chouchou". Chouchou is displayed on the restaurant's screens, a clean space where a sandwich can be grabbed on the go before continuing your way to the north.
Chouchou is the name: a small eatery with three live sections. The grill, the display fridge and the dessert corner. The restaurant has several seating choices from the terrace outside, to the bar and square tables.
The menu: sides and salads, burgers, sandwiches, seafood, barbecue and juices.
Arrived at noon, approached the counter and asked for the recommendation. A gentleman welcomed me, explained about the sandwiches, recommended some and took the order. A wide smile on his face he added one to my face too.
The food is good enough!
- French Fries to start, a large plate loaded with local fries. Thick, salted and lightly crispy, the fries come with a side dip of ketchup. The fries are spot on.
- Meat sandwich: lahme mechwiyyeh, the lebanese way. Two layers of soft bread, lightly toasted and stuffed with hummus, very tender meat, pickles for the crunch and tomatoes for the juiciness. A good sandwich priced at LBP7,000.
- The roast beef: the content is good enough but the bread is not. A bit chewy when it shouldn't be, toasting it didn't help much. Layers of thinly sliced roast beef, mint leaves, tomatoes, pickles and mayonnaise. I would have cut the roast beef thicker to keep it juicier, add more meat to the sandwich and improve the bread quality.
- The steak sandwich: enjoyed its simplicity, its warmth and the light spread of mayonnaise. The tenderness of the meat and pickles which add the necessary acidity. The steak sandwich is good and simple.
Enjoying the tunes of Chouchou and watching him perform on TeleLiban, I enjoyed my quick and affordable lunch before moving on north. Driving on the highway towards Tripoli, stop for a quick bite.
