Boubouffe – A contemporary Lebanese joint in Business Bay

Situated upstairs from Bookmunch in Bay Square, Boubouffe is a Lebanese restaurant in the Business Bay area amongst many others. So what makes it different from other Levantine restaurants that are peppered throughout the city? To me, the best Levantine restaurants in the city all reside in Deira; but my favourites are usually a very basic restaurant that has no space for fine or even casual dining. Boubouffe seems to fill that gap; as you will soon see. It’s in a great location with a great view of the Burj Khalifa and has an excellent, contemporary vibe. The view is so good, it makes me wonder why they don’t have shisha there!

We started our meal with fatteh hommous, which was rich and delicious. The succulent warmth of the bread and presentation was so inviting. I’m a bigger fan of the fatteh with eggplant; but this was a very wholesome version that I’ve not found in Dubai so far. It was soon followed by a grilled halloumi which F.C. devoured in seconds. Perfectly salted and grilled.

My first run with fattah was on a trip to Jordan in 2015. A local friend took us to a hotspot and we reveled in the flavors. The softness of chickpeas, the warmth of the bread underneath soaked in delicious yoghurt and garnished with pine nuts and sumac. My favorite one in Dubai so far however has been an eggplant fattah by Chef Lawrence @almaeda_restaurant. This one @boubouffeuae had hints of what I had in Jordan, but didn’t quite hit the spot..the chickpeas were slightly undercooked but all other flavors on point. #mediainvite #myfoodstory . . . . . #Levantcuisine #lebanesecuisine #lebanesefood #Boubouffe #vegetarian #delish #eeeeeats #omnomnom #zomatouae #dubaiblogger #dubaifoodblogger #uaefoodblogger #foodography #tasty #f52grams #yum #dubaifoodie #feedfeed #dubaiPR #foodie #thatsdarling #beautifulcuisines #lifeandthyme #uaeblogger

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Sadly, their arayes was soft and rather unappetising. The meat was also rather under-seasoned.

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I then opted for something that I don’t have very often in Levantine restaurants. The shish barak. My first tryst with the shish barak was at a Syrian restaurant in Malaysia. Because it’s a time consuming dish, they used to make it only on Mondays. It was my biggest comfort food. The one here did not exactly match up to the one I had there, but was prepared in a different way; it had the crispy coated kibbeh with a pastry version. Interesting to say the least.

For dessert, I decided to have the kunafa. The one available here is the soft version, and while it’s not the best I’ve ever had; it’s not bad either. Overall, I would rate Boubouffe a very average experience, given the multitude of similar restaurants in every Dubai neighbourhood and the fact that Bay Square has a plethora of other way more interesting restaurants next door. Definitely pocket friendly and perfect for those who work in the area and want a quick bite coupled with good service. Besides this, they’re on The Entertainer, which means you can buy one get one free on your main courses.

If you know me well, you know my weakness for kunafa. The best can undoubtedly be found in my favorite Deira haunts, but this ‘soft’ version @boubouffeuae was pretty decent. #mediainvite #sponsored . . . . . . #Kunafa #fortheloveofkunafa #Levantcuisine #lebanesecuisine #delish #eeeeeats #omnomnom #zomatouae #dubaiblogger #dubaifoodblogger #uaefoodblogger #foodography #tasty #f52grams #yum #dubaifoodie #feedfeed #dubaiPR #foodie #thatsdarling #beautifulcuisines #lifeandthyme #uaeblogger #thesweetlife

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LOCATION: Level P, bay Square, Building 4, Business Bay

DISCLOSURE: I was invited for a tasting to Boubouffe. All opinions remain my own.

Update: As of May 2022, this establishment has been shut down.