are grilled on coals only upon order
For our Manakeesh combo, we picked Kafta with Cheese - flavourful minced lamb topped with sliced tomato, pickles and mayo accompanied by Hommos (chickpea mash with sesame seed paste, lemon juice and olive oil), Tabbouleh (fresh parsley and tomato salad with onion, bulgur wheat, spices, olive oil and lemon juice) and a dainty serving of sliced cucumber, tomato, olives and mint.
I like my Rosto Baguette Sandwich - a hearty portion of rustic but soft rectagular bread filled with sliced roast beef and tomato, fresh shredded lettuce, pickles and mayo. The meat was tender and juicy to the bite which went well with the smokiness of the Baba Ghanoush (pureed grilled eggplant dip) and the refreshing Fattoush (tomato, cucumber, lettuce, rocket, radish and mint in a special sumac dressing).
This combo also includes three small pastries (meze) so I chose Spinach Fatayer (triangular fried dough pastries with baby spinach, onion and lemon zest filling), a deep-fried Cheese Roll and Sambousik (fried minced beef puff).
The Half Roasted Chicken should go down well if you are partial to poultry. Spiked with sumac (Middle Eastern spices), the chicken is rotisserie-grilled on premise and served with French fries, pickles, garlic sauce and Lebanese bread. In addition, you'd get two types of side dishes which can be Labneh (a sourish Lebanese cream cheese made from strained yoghurt with olive oil) and Khiar Bel Laban (mint and cucumber salad with yoghurt dressing and garlic).
Just as tasty was the Chicken Taouk (unsurprisingly one of the outlet's hottest items). Rolled up in the same light, airy bread, I was delighted and surprised to discover how seamlessly the chunks of marinated chicken breast meat melded with the creamy coleslaw and pungent garlic sauce. French fries and pickles lent unexpected crunch to the overall ensemble.
Flanked by two semi al-fresco seating terraces on each side, Al Amar Express can seat up to 80 diners. One of them is known as the Chicha corner; much favoured by a constant stream of Middle Eastern tourists especially during Happy Hours (3 pm to 8 pm) since they get 25% discount on chicha (also known as shisha - a toweirng hookah pipe used for smoking flavoured tobacco).
Syrupy and studded with pine nuts, Jellab is an enticing date juice drink that you should try. The Laban Ayran, a rich, salty and tangy yoghurt drink similar to Indian lassi, is more of an acquired taste. Coffee aficionados would love the smooth and strong Lebanese coffee that leave one with quite a buzz.
Gotta satisfy your sweet tooth? Fret not. There are Creme Caramel, Cheese Cake and puddings but we were happy to settle for some home-made ice cream. Pistachio tops my list for the cool treat comes speckled with bits of pistachios. The vanilla and chocolate variants are rich and smooth while the strawberry is redolent with real fruit flavour; akin to a fine sorbet.
Al Amar Express is located on the ground floor of Fahrenheit 88, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. For reservations, call 03 2141 3814. Further information can be obtained from www.al-amar.com or its Facebook page "Al Amar Lebanese Cuisine".