Throughout 2020 we enjoyed trying out some different cuisines through restaurants offering delivery, and Beirut Lebanese Cuisine is one that I’ll definitely revisit again. I spotted them on Just Eat, where all vegan-friendly items were conveniently labelled (I really don’t understand why more places can’t do this). Based in Headington, I think Beirut has been around for quite a while but somehow I’d never checked out their menu – until now.
With so much on offer, it took me a while to decide what to order, but in the end I felt I had to try the veggie moussaka. It’s a classic but it can vary quite a lot from place to place so I was really interest to try it from Beirut Lebanese Cuisine. Their version of the thick veggie stew, made with a very rich tomato sauce, was delicious. It had quite a generous amount of cinnamon running through it, and the chunks of melting aubergine had absorbed all of those warming spices. The chunks of potato and green beans were nicely cooked too, and the pot was absolutely huge making it great value for money, particularly served with fluffy white rice. I enjoyed it so much that I was inspired to recreate it myself a couple of days later. I used the same ingredients and it came out very nicely but it wasn’t quite as tasty as Beirut’s version!
There were so many delicious sounding options on the menu that I would never be able to eat them all in one go, so I decided to order the mezze platter. It seemed like a very reasonable price to get to try so many different menu items from the hot and cold mezze sections, and would probably be a great meal for one on its own. I loved the mixture of textures and flavours that all blended so well with each other. The spicy chilli potatoes packed a punch. They weren’t crisp on the outside like I was hoping for, but they were very flavourful. The green beans and tomato sauce were perfectly salted and packed with loads of garlic. Such a delicious way to cook vegetables. And then the tabbouleh, which was mostly herbs, was so refreshing, and lifted up some of the richer elements of the plate. Fresh tomato cubes and a zingy dressing made this a really tasty salad that I could eat a big bowl of during the warmer months. The flavourful falafel balls, which were crisp on the outside and crumbly in the middle, worked well dipped in the smokey aubergine dip. The only thing on the platter that I didn’t love was the stuffed vine leaves, purely because I’m not a fan in general. I gave them a go, and they tasted like they always taste to me – I just don’t like that flavour. However if you do, I expect you will find these just as enjoyable as any other.
One dish that wasn’t included in the mezze platter that I really wanted to try was the fried cauliflower, and it didn’t disappoint. It was possibly my favourite bit of the meal, I just love cauliflower when it’s cooked like this. It had a chargrilled flavour, which paired so nicely with a creamy tahini sauce. The fried veg hadn’t been cooked down to mush, it still had a bit of bite to it. The cauliflower pieces were delicious dragged through the smooth, slightly bitter hummus in the mezze platter too.
The whole meal was just a wonderful experience and I would happily order from here again. I felt it was really good value, great portion sizes, delivery was quick and arrived piping hot (the items that were supposed to, anyway). Love that they label their menu so clearly, and that there is so much on offer that you could place multiple orders and choose something different every time! The meal felt wholesome and filling and made a welcome change from some of the more ‘junk food’ style takeaways we’ve been ordering recently. Have you ordered from Beirut before? Would love to know what you thought!
Vegan Eats Oxford 
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