Kris Kros Lebanon – Aspin Commercial Tower, 106 Sheikh Zayed Rd – Dubai
If ever you need a break from the racing lanes of Sheikh Zayed Road, make a pit stop at Kris Kros Lebanon, a roadside fast food diner on the Service Road near the Aspin Commercial Tower. But good luck finding a parking place.
Kris Kros Lebanon has an unassuming, narrow façade. If you don’t keep your eyes peeled, you’ll be sure to miss it. My fellow diner and I arrived at 9pm on a Tuesday which was obviously too early for Lebanese street food fans; the joint was empty. Upon arrival, there’s a choice between eating outside on the roadside high-chairs or in the upstairs dining area. We opted for the indoor dining experience.
A general nod to the culture and history of Lebanon can be found in the form of wall-mounted, silver-framed photos of Lebanese postage stamps, statues and places of interest. There is something charming about the sterile, modern décor but the lighting is perhaps too stark and the a/c is fierce. Top tip: Nestled between the aforementioned photos is the a/c control. Be smart, turn it off, we did and our comfort dramatically improved.
The menu is creatively presented in the form of a blue passport. Alongside photos of wraps, sandwiches and mocktails, you’ll find snippets of info about Lebanon. For example, “the country’s name is known to be the oldest in the world and has remained unchanged for over 4,000 years.” Who knew?
From the passport menu, we chose zaatar & cheese, a box of fries, the chicken and vegetarian varieties of shawarma, and a nutritious mocktail that included avocado, nuts and honey. My fellow diner’s slurping and mmm-ing were followed with three words … “God it’s good”. Recommendation enough.
The cheesy flatbread was perfectly tasty and with so much oozing hot cheese, what’s not to like? I wish we’d ordered two portions. Our over-sized shawarmas were delivered to our spotlessly clean dining table, beautifully wrapped in silver paper, looking something like a cross between a Christmas cracker and an astronaut’s supper. Unfortunately, my lukewarm chicken shawarma was almost as dry as a dehydrated space meal. My companion’s veggie version was apparently “over-minted”. He seemed to be forever pulling mint leaves out of the falafel wrap … and his teeth.
All in all, Kris Kros Lebanon is a pleasant filling station where the food is as fast as the Dubai traffic. This is not high-end dining but if you need to splash and dash or get out of the race, this authentic Lebanese fuel, served by an authentic Pilipino team, has the winning formula.
Two dined for AED 70