Byblos Outstanding Cuisine in WTC Wharf

Written by David Hagger on 02 October 2014.

Byblos Bar & Restaurant is an attractive Lebanese restaurant in WTC Wharf near Docklands and the CBD, which excels in ambience, tasty authentic cuisine and affordability. We were invited along to experience the Express Lunch deals in WTC Wharf and in particular the delights of Byblos.

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Byblos boasts an expensive well appointed fit out creating an enticing atmosphere. think sandstone bricks, expensive high back styled chairs, red carpet, tables with mosaics, and alluring and colourful banquette seating along the wall. You could come here equally for a business lunch as a family special occasion, or even that romantic night out... Even the cutlery boasts fine detail.

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Byblos is well known for its diverse menu featuring many tapas style options, but the Platter for 2 was our port of call. For $49 at lunch time and $69 in the evenings, the value is exceptional.

Here we have the tower of Platter for 2 with tasty treats at every turn. For some it's a great introduction to Lebanese food.

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This platter includes Hommos, Tabouleh and two each of: Rekakat, Fatayer, Lahim bil Ajeen, Sambusek, Shish Tawook and Lahim Meshwi.

The Rekakat was a delicate and tasty dish featuring lightly fried filo pastry filled with feta and mozzarella cheese, freshly chopped onion, and fresh herbs. Fresh and zesty. Similarly impressive was the Fatayer featuring freshly baked homemade pastry filled with spinach, onion, walnuts, tomato and Lebanese spices. My favourite was the Homemade open pastry with marinated lamb, fresh tomato, onion and traditional spices. Baked until golden brown and served with natural yoghurt.

Lamb is a favourite, so I enjoyed imbibing the Sambusek with Homemade pastry filled with marinated lamb, pine nuts, onion and traditional spices. Sambusek is lightly fried.

Skewers are either great or forgettable - and at Byblos the skewers are exceptional. Cooked to juicy perfection the cuts of meat are excellent and the portions on the skewers generous. Both the Shish Tawook (char grilled chicken tenderloin) and the Lahim Meshwi (char grilled lamb) were a triumph.

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By now my guest and myself were feeling rather full on the hot food from the tower. Yet we also indulged in these dips as part of the Platter for 2.

Tabouli and Hummus (with baba ghanouj) were the order of the day. Quality dips with generous portions, and more than enough pita bread and labneh yoghurt!

Says the Byblos website, "The Byblos Dining Menu is built upon a foundation of traditional Mediterranean recipes and culinary techniques. The Byblos team of international chefs build upon this foundation by adding their own imaginative twists and by embracing newer, lighter cooking methods. All of our dishes are created using fresh, high quality ingredients and are created with a passion to meet world-class standards."

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After raving about the quality of the Platter for 2 noticeably the pastries and the skewers, we were invited by the manager to venture upstairs to the function room. The views from the function room are nothing short of spectacular along the Yarra River. At night this must be stunning.

We greatly enjoyed our visit to Byblos and see it has a high rating on Urbanspoon with many stories of great food and service. Highly recommended.

Posted in Food