Jaï

Chef Wael Lazkani prepares guests' dinners right in front of their eyes at Jai, a take-out restaurant with an open kitchen. The atmosphere is laid-back and intimate, making it ideal for friendly banter across the bar. Chicken, shrimp rolls, fish cakes, noodle soups, and curry are among the menu's highlights. Jai is the ideal location for all aficionados of Asian cuisine, with an appealing blend of spicy Indian, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisines. All of the cuisine can be carried home and savored while wandering through Beirut's Kantari district.

Jai, Beirut's first pan-Asian restaurant, is still going strong. The restaurant is tiny, with only enough space for the kitchen and one eight-person table, but the staff set up tables on the sidewalk and street outside for dinner (blocked off by a military checkpoint). Although the food is hit-or-miss, the green curry, nasi goreng, and spinach salad with peanut sauce are standouts.

Rate: 4.6/5.0, 506 Google reviews

Location: Beirut, Lebanon

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jaikitchen