Phoenix Lebanese Restaurant
FOX 13’s Jason Wright takes us to the Temple Terrace restaurant that was began by two pals who got here to the U.S. due to the conflicts in Lebanon.
TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. – Leaving residence in Lebanon wasn’t a alternative, nevertheless it was needed. However leaving the struggle again residence didn’t imply that Kassen Babha and Lara Altakash needed to depart behind the meals and flavors they liked.
In that need, the thought of Phoenix Lebanese Delicacies was born. A bit greater than a yr later, the restaurant has expanded from breakfasts to lunch and dinner menus as nicely.
What they’re saying:
“We truly named the place Phoenix as a result of the Phoenix resembles like rising, rebuilding and holding onto hope,” stated Babha. “Lebanon all through the historical past has gone by means of a number of hardship.”
The whole lot within the restaurant is impressed by their hometown heritage with the recipes and décor straight from the streets of the Japanese Mediterranean.
“The whole lot is made with Lebanese recipes, Lebanese flavors, Lebanese spices,” shared Altakash.
“We tried to not simply convey the meals but in addition the essence of the place, the vibe,” admitted Babha.
As for the delicacies, they encourage guests to take a seat for a Finjan espresso and a breakfast made recent.
“We serve primarily Saj,” shared Babha. “We make bread from scratch.”
Saj is a regional bread that they make by hand after which the baker stretches the dough on a heated dome to get it paper skinny.
It could possibly then be paired with no matter else they provide to pair it with from the menu. It may be served with zaatar and cheese or it’s a base for his or her Mediterranean pizza.
“The whole lot’s made recent,” he stated.
The menu displays these recent flavors from an Akawi & Cheese mix to Zaatar served with the recent Saj.
Altakash stated of the menu that it’s, “The meals that we make at residence.”
“This place isn’t just a enterprise, it’s a love letter to Lebanon. We will promise our group that we’ll all the time goal to convey freshness and authenticity and simply being distinctive,” she stated.
What’s subsequent:
You’ll discover Phoenix Lebanese Delicacies positioned in Temple Terrace at 12635 North 56th Avenue.
They’re open 6 days per week from Tuesday by means of Sunday from 9 a.m. till 9 p.m. You may be taught extra about them on their Fb and Instagram social media pages.
The Supply: This story was written based mostly on interviews with the homeowners of Phoenix Lebanese Delicacies.
