A Meal You Won’t Forget at ilili
By Sherry Li 
August 5, 2010 
22 Comments
ilili
236 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10001
Tel: 212.683.2929
Website | @ililiRestaurant
After we met Executive Chef Philippe Massoud at Taste of the Nation, we stopped by ilili to sample his contemporary Lebanese creations. In my first article, we talked to Chef Massoud about his food philosophy and philanthropy. Not only has he been an ardent supporter of Share Our Strength through Taste of the Nation and First Lady Michelle Obama’s Chefs Move to Schools program, he also led the Dine Out for Haiti event with 80 restaurants across the country. No doubt, Chef Massoud has a passion for philanthropy!
To find out more about Chef Massoud’s charity, read the first article of this ilili series. Now, onto the food!
Mezza
We started off with appetizers. There were so many to choose from! But luckily our waiter was both knowledgeable and patient with us while we ordered. I think we ended up with a very good array of dishes!
We began with pita chips and labne, which is strained yogurt mixed with olive oil and mint. The chips were crispy and well seasoned, crunchy but not too brittle. The yogurt was thick and creamy, almost like a cream cheese rather than a yogurt – great starting point!
Other cold mezza we got were the baba ghannouj and kibbeh nayeh beirutieh. I’ve had different variations of baba ghannouj – eggplant is my favorite vegetable – but this has to be the best I’ve had! I love both the texture and the flavor. With its smooth texture and slight chunkiness, ilili’s baba ghannouj impresses! There was also a nice smokiness to it that I found very pleasant.
The kibbeh nayeh beirutieh came in a quite unexpected form. When I read steak tartare, I expected a chunky tartare with sauces and spices mixed in. Instead, it was presented in a paté-like consistency, served with onion cubes, mint, jalapeño peppers, and extra virgin olive oil. We were baffled at how to eat this curious tartare, but luckily Chef Massoud stopped by to speak with us.
He walked us through step by step how to eat it – it’s basically like making a taco in your plate. 1) Take some tartare on to our own plate and drizzle with olive oil; 2) mash and flatten the tartare with a fork (thereby mixing the oil in); 3) stuff a piece of pita bread with the tartare and our preference of accompaniments. Who said you can’t have fun with your food! Not only was the dish delicious but the process of creating our own bite-size masterpiece was interactive.
I have to take a break between the cold and hot mezza to talk about the pita bread. We learned from Marwan at Meze Grill that the best way to tell if the pitas are fresh is if they poof up. The pita at ilili was definitely puffy! Coming straight from the oven, they were piping hot and delicious. You can make a meal out of the pita bread and mezza alone!
The warm eggplant was another amazing dish. The tamarind molasses gave it a strong sweet and tart flavor – which I loved! The skin of each piece of eggplant was also crispy, which was unexpected because eggplant is usually very soft. You don’t even have to like eggplant to love this dish – it’s just that good!
Our favorite of the evening was the duck shawarma. It’s tucked away in the middle of a long list of hot mezza, but don’t let it escape you! The presentation was really playful, kind of like getting handrolls from the sushi bar. Being Asian, I would compare this dish to a Lebanese play on Peking Duck. Of course, it has its own unique elements but all the basic fixtures were very similar – from the pancake-like bread to the tender charred duck, sweet sauce, and green onions. The best part about this dish, according to Patrick, is the abundance of meat. It might look puny, but inside is a gold mine of duck!
The chicken livers were an interesting and intense dish. Normally, liver has a grainy texture and a funky flavor. But the pomegranate molasses overpowered (luckily) and won the flavor battle. It was sweet, tart, and memorable. Great dish – never thought chicken livers can taste so delicious!
I was really happy when our server brought us the lahmajeen. When I was in Turkey, this was my favorite dish but sadly, I couldn’t remember the name! Little did I know I was to be reunited with its Lebanese cousin at ilili. The lahmajeen is like a thin crust pizza – but really really thin crust – and topped with extremely well seasoned ground lamp, pepper, and lemon. It’s probably the best tasting meat on dough I’ve tasted without tomato sauce! The meat to starch ratio is also really good (something Patrick would rave about) – I think it’s at least 1:1!
Our last mezza was the mekanek – sautéed lamb sausages! There were bits of pine nuts within the well seasoned smokey meat. Don’t let these little plump sausages fool you! They may look small but they were extremely filling and flavorful! If you love lamb, you must get this dish!
Main Course
I think we were pretty stuffed with all the food before we even got to the main course! But when the lamb chops came, we forged forward. They were just so damn tasty-looking! Two juicy looking pieces of lamb chops were served with two halves of a grilled tomato, parsley, and greens. What beautiful presentation! The meat was cooked to just the right degree and like all other ilili dishes, it was very well seasoned
The mixed grill can definitely rival the lamb chops for the best meat course. It comes with a mix of chicken shish taouk, beef kebab, and beef kafta. The chicken shish taouk was to die for! It came with a garlic and lemon sauce that had the consistency of mayo (but I don’t think there was any mayo in it). The chicken was tender and extremely juicy! Both beef skewers were extremely flavorful and tender! This is a great entrée to follow all the great mezza. It’s even delicious as a leftover (even more so, I would argue)!
Sides
Both the batata harra and Phoenician fries looked delicious on the menu and I’m glad we didn’t have to choose between which side was better cause the batata harra and phoenician fries were amazing. These were salty but in a good way! The Phoenician fries came with a great dip! Both sides were crispy to a delight!
Dessert
A dinner wouldn’t be complete without dessert! We were pretty darn full by that point but the two desserts we got were absolutely irresistible! The name of the first one escapes me but it was layers of thin wafers with cream and marinated strawberries. The other dessert was the knafe bil jibneh. I don’t think either of these desserts are on the menu… but definitely order the knafe bil jibneh – you will not be disappointed! It’s basically an upside down cheese tart with crushed pistachios and orange blossom syrup. While the syrup wafted its flowery fragrance to your nostrils, you can savor the rich and salty cheese from the tart. The balance of sweet and salty was a great end to the evening!
Dinner at ilili was one of the best dinners I’ve had in a long time and definitely one of the most memorable. Each dish was unique and had its own flavors. You can just let your taste buds do all the work! And the best part is, after eating your fill at ilili, you can go home feeling good that your money was not only spent on a satisfying meal but also went to some great causes like feeding hungry children and earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. Don’t you want to feel good about food?
Photos by Patrick Chang for Appetite for Good.
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What an amazing meal! That duck shawarma especially looks tantalizing! I will have to try ilili when I move to NY
Thanks for reading! ilili is definitely one of our favorites now!
mmmmmmmmmm im craving some duck shwarma so0o0o0o gooooooooooooodddddddddddd
Indeed! I can still remember the crispy wrap and the charred duck meat mmmmm!
haven’t tried lebanese food but this post makes me wanna. should have tried this when i was in NYC
It will rock your world, I promise you that!
I wanted to cry. I miss Lebanon and Lebanese food. Thank you for the walk down memory lane.
Awww, thank you for your comment! If you’re in NY, you should stop by ilili! Hopefully it will remind you of Lebanon.
Beautiful presentation
Thank you!
This is just impressive. My grandparents are from Lebanon and I grew up on this food, but the presentation is nothing like have see before. Thank you! This is very inspirational! I am saving his restaurant name in case I am ever in the area.
I’m very happy that you think so! Always nice to hear that from someone of authority!
Definitely stop by ilili if you have the chance!
This is a great and exhaustive review of ilili in NYC. Going to add this to our list of must try places next time in the City!
I also thumbed up this post in Stumble Upon and shared it with a few foodie folks!
Bon appetit!
=:~)
Yay! Thank you for reading!
I’m sure you’ll have a blast at ilili! Everything we ordered was amazing!
Also, thank you so much for sharing this post! That is very kind of you!
Wow what a great review of this restaurant. Even though I don’t live in the US That would be one I’d love to try. Great food is fantastic and to have had a feast like yours now that’s a treat.
Thanks for your kind comments! If you’re ever in NY, definitely give ilili a try
Sherry and Patrick, what an amazing job you’ve done! Everything looks and reads beautifully
Thanks, Yasmina! It was a pleasure
I’m glad I was able to capture Philippe’s food and philosphy adequately!
thanks! its incredibly motivating to work on a piece with such an inspiring subject and delicious food!
Its also amazing to see how much the hospitality industry gives back to the community and how important they are in promoting social causes.
I love middle-eastern food! This place looks fabulous – I think I remember them from Taste of the Nation….
Oooh, if you like Middle Eastern food, definitely give ilili a try! It’s amazing!