Nacho, baliye!

When Lebanese marries Mexican on your plate, your taste buds easily begin a song and dance on your palate at the new not-so-snobbish Leb Mex Eatery

With a flurry of eateries serving North and South Indian fare and a handful of Italian dine-ins thrown in, the newly opened Leb Mex in Koramangala fills in the much-needed gap. And with the Mexican given a Lebanese twist, there's another reason to spice up your life here.

Leb Mex
Food: good
Service: quick
Ambience: funky



I stopped by on a weekend afternoon and the moment I noticed the bright chilly motifs on walls, it gave me an instant perk. The chillies donned several avatarsu00a0-- the cowboy chilli, the Mexican chilli girl with a skirt, singer chilli and the likes.

After skimming through the chilled out no-fuss ambience, with small wooden seating on the first floor, I chose a corner on the ground floor which was stacked with board games like Chinese Checkers and the likes. I picked a Connect 4 and was handed the 15-page long all-vegetarian menu. Though at the forefront it's a little confusing whether you should order from the counter or at your table, don't give it any thought, either works.

Creamy Hummus and Spicy Salsa raise hands and urge you to glance at them alongside Nachos, Tachos, Crunchy Burritos and Falafels. Bring them all on, we say. Up came a Pita Chips and Hummus platter. Pick from an array of Original Hummus, Black Bean Hummus, Hummus with Mushrooms, Hummus with Salad, Hummus with Batata Harra (Rs 100 to 130). Though the dips were teasers, I would have preferred Pita Bread instead of the Pita Chips.

Vying for attention also are live dip and salad bar counters, which double up as an open kitchen counter with several bowls of interesting dips you'd love to dunk your chip into. Make your own Salad, Falafel or a Burrito with loads of gooey creamy cheese, bits of chunky chicken, teeny-weeny cilantro garnishing on crunchy onions, fried chickpeas, garbanzo and pinto beans, cherry tomatoes, red and green bell peppers and other shredded and diced veggies and not to forget the not-so-fiery olive green chillies.

The Taco Salad (Rs 100) is served in a taco shell bowl, with tortilla chips, tossed green salad, refried beans, cheese, sour cream and guacamole. The guacamole, a dip of mashed avocado mixed with tomato, onion and seasoning, lends a distinctive zing, without drowning or overpowering the rest of the salad. Don't try to break the shell to scoop out the salad as you might find it a tad tough.

The Chimichanga (Rs 90) came in the form of four small portions of crispy deep fried flour tortillas rolled and stuffed with refried beans and cheese. We lapped the crunchy bites, which were hot and gooey on the inside, with a sour cream dip and a glass of Fresh Lemonade (Rs 40). Next up were the Quesadillas (Rs 90), which were soft flour tortillas, filled with black beans, grilled veggies, sour cream, cheese and guacamole.

My pick would have to be the Original Falafel (Rs 100) here, a wholesome dish in options of whole wheat, regular or laffa ( a kind of Israeli bread), which comes stuffed with falafel bullets, salad, Turkish sauce, Tehina, sour chillies and pickled veggies. I wasn't complaining I didn't get to gorge on meat at this vegetarian joint, as I could do justice to some divine desserts.
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Though there are only three dessert options, we suggest you tuck into an Apple Empanade (Rs 55), a divine, warm and gooey apple pie in a pastry filo. There's also Chocolate Quesadillas and Chocolate Hummus with Pita Chips.

Prices are quite good and are sure to make a buzz with people on the move. Great music, food and a glimpse of the bustling world go by outsideu00a0-- did someone just call your name?

At: Leb Mex, 487, 5th block, J.T Plaza, Koramangala, Jyoti Nivas Road, Bangalore
Call: 2563 5000
Meal for two: Rs 400