Discovering new spots in your own city is always a pleasure. Yesterday was one of those days: I bumped into a new Lebanese restaurant called Aywa. The big golden letters on the façade made me curious, so I decided to give it a try.

When entering, the food counter with the  tasty mezzes and salads immediately drew my attention. Owners Aagje (she’s Belgian) and Ellie (her Lebanese husband) greeted us warmly and invited us to have a seat. Their idea is simple: you choose from the menu, order at the counter, Ellie prepares your meal and Aagje serves you with a big smile. A dining place filled with hospitality!

My friend is a vegetarian and believe me, we could not have chosen a better place. Under the slogan ‘sharing is caring’ we decided to go for 5 mini-bites. Aagje was eager to help us make some tasty combinations. We enjoyed the best humus, fatoush (a Lebanese salad with bread crisps), tabbouleh (some refreshing tomato, parsley and bulgur salad), labne (a soft cheese dip) and batata harra (spicy Lebanese potatoes) ever. All this accompanied by a light Beirut beer and a glass of Lebanese rosé wine turned that evening into a great food experience.

Aywa, I will be back!