The conversation revolves around a food travel show featuring two friends, Anton and Misha, who are exploring the cuisine of Lebanon. They start by discussing their unique attitudes towards food, with Anton viewing it as fuel and Misha as a hobby. Misha, who owns several restaurants in Kiev, travels the world in search of exciting and exotic cuisine, launching restaurants with the ones he likes the most.
They decide to launch a food travel show, starting with Lebanon, which is the main cuisine of the Middle East. They share their experiences, including visiting a bar opposite an exploded gas station, eating a sheep's head, and trying a dish made from sheep's colon. They also visit an Armenian bakery in Beirut and learn about the traditional Lebanese breakfast called Lahembajin.
They discuss the Lebanese street food, which is a myriad of fillings rolled into different bread varieties. They try various dishes, including pies, local pizzaz, funky sandwiches stuffed with fries, and a wrap with kofte. They also visit a place called Faysal, where they are advised to try the tasty pies.
They delve into the traditional Lebanese food, starting with houmous, falafel, and shawarma. They visit the most legit breakfast place that is over 100 years old, and Eli, an entrepreneur who continues on his family's heritage, guides them into the houmous world. They also visit Falafel Freiha, one of the oldest falafel restaurants, launched in 1945.
They visit a world-famous restaurant that was completely destroyed due to the port explosion. The owner, Paul, shares his story of starting everything from scratch after the explosion. They also visit Em Sherif, a restaurant run by Mirai, who also runs restaurants in UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar. They try various dishes, including a chichipichichity (a lentils salad), a Lebanese version of tartar, and a traditional Lebanese breakfast called manaish.
They also visit Al Sultan cafe, specifically for the dish of very small, crunchy birds called Asafir. They also visit a place that serves everything a sheep is made of, including the head, guts, stomach, cheeks, and hooves.
In summary, the conversation is a detailed exploration of Lebanese cuisine, with the hosts sharing their experiences and learning about the local dishes and traditions.
1. The narrator has a peculiar attitude towards food, considering it as fuel, and is not a food connoisseur.
2. The narrator's friend, Misha Katsurin, is a restaurateur who travels the world in search of exciting and exotic cuisine.
3. Misha and the narrator decided to launch a food travel show, where they open new countries to viewers through national cuisine.
4. The narrator and Misha decided to start their journey in Lebanon, due to its status as the main cuisine of the Middle East.
5. Lebanon is the most liberal country of the Middle East and does not have a desert. It is a beautiful place with access to the Mediterranean Sea.
6. Lebanon has a rich history and culture, with a mix of Arab, European, modern, ancient, Muslim, and Christian influences.
7. Lebanon's economy suffered a crash in 2019, leading to a depreciation of the currency and a decrease in average salary.
8. The narrator and Misha visited Beirut, which is being refurbished at a fast pace after a recent explosion in the city's main port.
9. The narrator and Misha embarked on a search of street food, as it is often the best reflection of the local, traditional cuisine.
10. The narrator and Misha visited an Armenian bakery in Beirut, where they tried a traditional Lebanese breakfast called Lahembajin.
11. The narrator and Misha visited a snack bar called Faysal, where they tried a variety of foods including labnet, fresh salad, pickles, meat, spinach, and trabusi.
12. The narrator and Misha visited a falafel restaurant, where they tried a mix of chickpeas, fava beans, onions, salad, and spices.
13. The narrator and Misha visited a shawarma restaurant, where they tried a dish packed with marinated turnip, lots of veg, and a crispy exterior.
14. The narrator and Misha visited a restaurant called Em Sherif, where they tried a variety of dishes including houmous, falafel, tabuli, and manaish.
15. The narrator and Misha visited a cafe called Ahmed, where they tried a traditional Lebanese breakfast including liver in pomegranate sauce, kawarma with eggs, fatah with nuts, ful, and houmous.
16. The narrator and Misha tried a dish of very small, crunchy birds called Asafir, which is only available from August until October.
17. The narrator and Misha tried a dish of sheep's balls, which are usually large and cut into six parts, fried with white pepper, and a chunk of butter.
18. The narrator and Misha tried a dish of a sheep's colon, which is stuffed with rice.
19. The narrator and Misha tried a dish of sheep's hooves, which are also stuffed with rice.
20. The narrator and Misha tried a dish of sheep's end, which is stuffed with rice and tastes like black pudding.