Voices from the city

The Lebanese Connection: Middle Eastern Cuisine in Mexico City

What many people think of as generic Middle Eastern Food is, in fact, Lebanese. Lebanon, a country whose history is fraught with conflict, is also a cultural center whose influence has been felt throughout the Arab-speaking world and beyond. The largest community of foreign immigrants to Mexico is from Lebanon and, at present, there are an estimated 500,000 people of Lebanese descent living mostly in Mexico City, Mérida and Puebla.

Escaping the persecution of the rigid Ottoman regime, the first wave of Lebanese immigrants arrived to Mexico between 1880 and 1910, during the so-called Porfiriato, when the country received foreign immigrants with open arms. More came before and during World War II, to a post-revolutionary Mexico looking for fresh ideas. A final wave arrived after Lebanon’s civil war of 1990. The majority are Orthodox Catholic, although some are Jewish and a few are Muslims. Many run garment and textile shops and factories, others, who settled in the Yucatan, became rich in the hemp industry. Illustrious Mexicans of Lebanese descent include moneybags Carlos Slim, glamour puss Salma Hayak, poet Jaime Sabines and underground diva Astrid Hadad. These days, most are people who were born in Mexico, consider themselves Mexican and are not particularly connected to the homeland.

Naturally, Arab and Lebanese-Mexicans have left a distinctive mark on Mexican cooking. Immigrants arriving in a new country where their traditional ingredients are not available adapt, and the creative fusion of the old and new can produce exciting new dishes. The most notable Lebanese-Mexican fusion is the spit roasted meat served on tortillas and known all over the country as "al pastor". This quintessentially Mexican dish was born on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean as shawarma and is known in its first-generation form here as tacos Arabes. The Mexicanized version, developed in the capital, is made with pork, chili and fresh pineapple.

Stuffed grape leaves became tacos de parra, filled with seasoned rice and ground meat. Spinach turnovers here are called empanadas de espinaca, flavored with parsely, mint and spices. The ever popular garbanzo dip called hummus, the eggplant dip, baba ganouj, and the herb and bulgar salad called tabouleh are ubiquitous, and retain their distinctly Lebanese identity. The flat bread called pita is served at all meals. It is perfect for scooping up hummus, baba ganouj, jocoque or, the raw, spices meat, kebe cruda. Pita is also served sprinkled with the spice mixture zahtar, baked in the oven and served as chips for dipping.
Lebanese desserts are sweetened with honey or sugar syrup, filled with nuts or dates and perfumed with orange and rose flower waters.

The following are my recommendations for Middle Eastern and Lebanese restaurants in Mexico City.

Restaurante Al Andalus
Mesones 171 (several blocks east of Pino Suarez)
Colonia Centro
Tel. 5522- 2528
Open daily 9-6
Branch: a small cafe in Colonia Napoles at Nueva York no. 91

Situated in a lovely 18th century mansion in Mexico City’s Centro (historical center), near other Arab-owned businesses, this restaurant opened its doors 15 years ago. Founded by chef Mohamed Mazeh, its goal is to provide fresh and authentic foods and to dispel the idea that Lebanese cuisine is greasy or heavy. The large wood-beamed dining rooms look out over a charming patio with views of trees and colonial buildings; from here, it’s hard to believe you’re at the epicenter of the teeming Centro.

A "plato Libanés" could be your whole lunch. All nine elements are authentic and beautifully presented; the 'dips' are distinctly flavored, grape leaves fresh and retaining their texture, kepes crunchy and spicy, and a typical rice and lentil mixture moist and toothsome. Other entrees are jocoque seco con anchoas (dry sour cream with anchovies); shashlish (a paste of anchovies, capers and fine herbes); falafel (a fried ball made of fava and garbanzo beans); and  kibbeh (here spelled ‘kepes’), a fried ball of ground meat and spices. For the adventurous, the restaurant offers tripa de cordero rellena (stuffed tripe, or innards, of lamb).

I recommend the taco de chorizo arabe, tender, aromatic chunks of spicy, tart chorizo sausage that are bathed in jocoque and parsley and blanketed in a warm, freshly baked pita. Desserts are, as usual, the aforementioned very sweet honey cakes and the coffee is strong and fresh. Prices are reasonable – lunch for 2 should be $300-400 pesos.

El Jamil
Amsterdam 306, corner of Celaya
Colonia Condesa
Tel: 5564-9486
Open Monday-Saturday 2pm-11pm, Sunday 1pm-7pm

Mexico’s only truly authentic Lebanese restaurant is the dream-come-true of chef and owner Mohamed Jamil. He presides over every aspect of his restaurant (you will recognize him by his movie-star good looks). A native of Beirut, he studied hotel and restaurant management but his dream was to share his love of good cuisine.

In Mexico he saw the opportunity to do something a little different – to create a higher end, cleaner, “hipper” venue for fresh and creative Lebanese cuisine. “What most of the world thinks of as Middle Eastern food is actually Lebanese,” he claims. “Our menu is 100% authentic, not the usual fusion of cultures.” He imports some of his own products; the cracked wheat, olives, oil and grape leaves are of the highest quality.

There are standard mezze (appetizers) – I like the eggplant, sort of a deconstructed baba ganouj, redolent of its oven roasting and anointed with good green olive oil. Standout main dishes are the tender beef brochettes, and, my favorite (and the chef’s), fish filets in sesame sauce dotted with roast pine nuts. This dish will be a surprise to all who thought of Lebanese food as meaty and heavy. The decor is simple, the music authentic (Fairuz, the grand diva of Lebanese song reigns supreme), and the sidewalk tables, each with its own water pipe, have views of tree-lined Avenida Amsterdam. The food is clean and fresh, the bread hot and service attentive. El Jamil is a favorite of both locals and members of the tribe.

Café Jekemir
Isabel la Catolica 72, near Mesones
Colonia Centro
Tel: 5709-7038

Forget those ubiquitous Seattle-based chains. I make a trip to this place in the Centro to buy my Veracruzano coffee beans; they are the best as well as the cheapest. You can also sit here to have a cup of coffee and Lebanese pastries or light food. Owned and run by multiple generations of a Lebanese family, it is still presided over by the Guraieb sisters and, when he is able, their father Fred, son of the founder.

Dumas Gourmet
Alejandro Dumas 125, near Mazaryk
Colonia Polanco
Tel.: 5280-1925/8385
Open Monday - Friday 8am - 8pm, Saturday 10am - 9pm,
Sunday 11am - 6pm

Glamorous chef Sonia El-Nawal, an ex-New Yorker of Lebanese descent, presides over her sleek “traiteur” style store with interesting Mediterranian dishes to eat at home, many of them out of the Lebanese cookbook, others are creative fusions. On sale as well are good breads and gourmet products. www.dumasgourmet.com

Al Malak Productos Arabes
Av. Cuauhtemoc 160 at Guanajuato
Colonia Roma
Open daily 9:30am-7 pm

This shop and restaurant sells the best Lebanese pastries I’ve ever had. Also available are olives, nuts, couscous and breads. They have a small restaurant which offers light food.

Adonis
Hegel 205
Colonia Polanco
Branch in Tecamachalco, Av. de Las Fuentes no. 49-B
Open daily Monday-Wednesday 1PM-12AM, Thursday-Saturday 1PM-2AM, Sunday 1–7PM
Tel. 5531- 6940/ 5531-8081
This well known Polanco venue serves generous portions of typical Lebanese fare including good hummus, tabule, “tacos Arabes” and kibbe. There is a well stocked shop around the corner featuring breads, olives and excellent Middle Eastern pastries.

H'elus
Rep. del Salvador 157, (between Las Cruces & Jesus Maria)
Colonia Centro
Inside an unassuming doorway a few blocks east of the Zocaló, at the end of the dingy hall, is an excellent take away - great pastries both savory and sweet. It has been here since 1949 and is still run by the grandson of the founder.

La Nueva Libanesa
Dr. Vertiz no. 1111
Colonia Navarte
Tel. 5575-4324
Open daily, 10-10PM
This family-style place offers a copious lunch-time buffet.

Restaurante Miguel
Córdoba 226
Colonia Roma
Open Sunday 10-8, Monday-Thursday 10-10, Friday, Saturday until 11PM.
This dependable restaurant, frequented by Lebanese Mexicans, offers an enormous buffet comida on Wednesday and Friday. If you are lucky, they will put out the superb roast leg of lamb. It's a deal at $150 pesos.

Ehden
Gante 11-A
Colonia Centro
Good Middle-eastern food is served at outdoor tables on this pedestrian-only street.

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Author: Nicholas Gilman

Author Bio: Nicholas Gilman is a food and travel writer originally from New York City. He is author of Good Food in Mexico City: A Guide to Food Stalls, Fondas and Fine Dining, winner of the Gourmand Cookbook award. He lives and works in Mexico City. See his blog: www.goodfoodmexicocity.blogspot.com

Image Credit: Nicholas Gilman

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