CHECK OTHER REVIEWS FOR THIS PLACE:
Ashta has one address and that is Tripoli. One of my favorite places is Abdul Rahman Hallab. Despite the fact it's opening shops all around Lebanon, going all the way to the mother city to properly indulge in these sweets is priceless.
Abdul Rahman Hallab is my favorite place for oriental sweets.
Mafrouket Fostok, Mafroukeh, Halawet el Jeben, Znoud El Set and Ashta ice cream. I come here every other week because these oriental creations simply make me happy.
I love the rich ashta ice cream and its balanced content of sugar, the real, one-and-only halawet el jeben, thin like paper and soft like sponge cake filled with the same kashta.
The mafroukeh topped with crunchy almonds is phenomenal. It is my favorite. It is served warm and fresh.
The mafrouket festok on the other hand is eighty percent kashta, fifteen percent sugar and five percent festok. A bizarre gooey feel, an unpleasant sandy effect and too much sugar. The pistachio on top still have their shells making it even more unpleasant to eat. I had this before and didn't like it. Unfortunately it has not changed.
Now for my all time favorite Znoud el Set. They are heaven! One can't leave this world without experiencing this heavenly creation. Soft puff pastry, thin like paper, warm and shining like a gold bar, topped with ground pistachio and decorated with ashta. Just put it in your mouth and wait, wait for it to activate your senses, wait for it to amaze. Push it under your palate, hear it crumble, feel it melt... A smooth sweetness, a rich heart... Man, words are not enough!
Unfortunately the bites have become smaller. I had six mini bites that are smaller than the ones I am used to having. Making them smaller, makes them more chewy compared to the original size. I prefer them as they were, bigger.
I love it here, I enjoy the place and its cleanliness. How the cutlery is wrapped with nylon, how the plates are presented and everything served has a unique flavor. Oriental sweets are taken seriously at Abdul Rahman Hallab.
