Review: BALADE-A Treasure in the East Village for Lebanese Food

One of the greatest pleasures of NYC dining is the availability of tastes and styles from around the globe. Balade in the East Village is a perfect example of fine international cuisine. The restaurant serves Lebanese menu items and Mediterranean inspired selections. With a sleek indoor dining room and a well-designed outdoor area, there's seating for all size parties.

Chef/Restaurateur Roland Semaan is a native of Beirut, Lebanon's capital city. His interest in hospitality started in the kitchen during his childhood as he watched his mother and grandmother cook. His father was a diplomat, and the family home was the host site of elaborate dinner parties that welcomed political guests from around the world. Roland Semaan has brought his valuable knowledge of hospitality to Balade.

With the guidance of Semaan, Executive Chef, Micheline Wakim has designed a menu that will totally please guests. It features traditional Middle Eastern dishes with a creative flair, original taste sensations, and exciting vegetarian choices.

Begin your meal with soup or salad. Beautiful and savory, the Taboule is a specialty. The authentic parsley salad with burghul is mixed with chopped onions, tomatoes, olive oil, and fresh lemon juice. There are other salad choices such as the Artichoke Salad, the Mediterranean Tuna Salad and soups like their vegetarian Hearty Lentil or Chicks & Veg.

Mezze are ideal appetizers and sharable plates. The unique, flavorful starter, Mouhmara is a blend of freshly-ground red peppers and walnuts topped with fresh pomegranate. The hummus is some of the best we've ever had. The Mezze menu also features Baba Ghanouj, Shrimp, Grilled Halloume Cheese, Falafel, and so much more. You can create your own sampler with four or eight Mezze selections.

The Manakeesh, or Lebanese Pizza is made in house with freshly kneeded dough. Try their Lahme Baajin selection, Balade's secret recipe of seasoned ground-lean beef, mixed with finely diced onions, and tomatoes. The Jebne is a combination of white cheeses served with sliced tomatoes. There are also crispy Pita Pizzas.

The main dishes couldn't be better. Family-style platters such as the Supreme Mixed Grill is served covered in Balade's famous house-made bread and edged-open to reveal a medley of grass-fed tender meats like beef kafta, lamb kabab, chicken tawook, lamb chops and chargrilled vegetables. It is expertly served tableside and an ideal dish for a small group to enjoy. Other entrées include Beef Shawarma with shredded marinated beef, topped with tomatoes, onions and parsley, served with rice, 29 pickles and tahini sauce; Samke Harra grilled Chilean sea bass filet marinated with lemon and a spicy warm tahini sauce; a vegetarian special is their Moudardara made with cooked lentils and rice, topped with caramelized onions that is served with a side salad and a customer favorite is the Djej Al Fahem, a half chicken marinated with their Balade's signature recipe of fresh herbs and spices served with hand-cut fries.

Pair your meal with wine or beer. Your server can suggest a wine selection by the glass or bottle from their list that consists of mostly reds and whites imported from Lebanon, as well as ones from France and Italy. There are also beers from Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Morocco.

Dessert lovers will be delighted by the choices. Ashta, a house specialty, is a creamy, rich white pudding coated with honey and topped with pistachio and fresh strawberries. There's also Baklava, and Lebanese Ice Cream.

You will treasure the opportunity to enjoy traditional and original dishes, all with the flavors and seasonings that make Lebanese cuisine an extraordinary experience. Experience foods and flavors that you can only find at Balade.

Balade is located at 208 First Avenue, New York, NY 10009. For more information, hours and menus, visit https://www.baladerestaurants.com/ or call 212.529.6868. Balade also has catering, takeout and delivery. Follow them on Instagram @baladenyc.

The team behind Balade has also created "Balade Your Way" in the Flatiron neighborhood. This fast casual restaurant serves custom wraps, bowls and so much more. Visit https://www.baladeyourway.com/.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Balade

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