Let me begin by saying that this review will not be featuring The Chicken, despite it being the dish that my friend drooled over in his account of his recent visit to this Lebanese spot, and despite a different but equally-delicious chicken dish featuring on pretty much every other table in the dining room.
I have no regrets.
Kubri is a contemporary Lebanese spot that recently took over the address formerly occupied by Goguette, a natural wine bar I loved but admittedly have not visited in quite some time. The space has a far warmer glow to it than when Goguette stood here, with paler walls creating a more open, welcoming atmosphere, all the better for enjoying Chef Rita Higgins’ creative fare.
While there are a few larger plates (including the aforementioned roast chicken with black lemon labneh, which looked just as tasty as the fried chicken that apparently wooed several diners and reviewers to visit this spot before me), we opted instead to share a few small plates, which are far more consequential than their name promises. Our server recommended we order five; we stuck with four plus dessert, and it was plenty.
We began with one of the hummuses, of which the menu boasts four: with za’atar and dukkah, with mushrooms or octopus or confit egg yolk. The Shimeji with pan-fried mushrooms and a soupçon of roasted garlic is crowned with a perfectly cooked poached egg, and in any other restaurant would have been my favorite dish. As it was, it provided merely an introduction to the mastery that was to follow.
Hispi cabbage has become somewhat of a regular on Paris’ menus of late, taking the place perhaps previously occupied by cauliflower. I can’t say I’m complaining; after enjoying a positively decadent dish featuring the crucifer at Reyna last year, I was bowled over by the caramelized roasted version at Kubri, seasoned with Aleppo pepper butter, cri-cri peanuts, oregano, apricot pickles, and shanklish cheese. The cabbage was perfectly cooked and rich in umami savoriness; the apricot pickles were the ideal sweet-and-sour note to balance all that earthiness with just the right toothsom bite. This dish would, by a hair, be my favorite of the night.
The shish barak were, however, a close second: This chickpea and eggplant dumplings giving slight samossa vibes were served with fresh peas, yogurt, and spring garlic butter for an impeccable ode to spring. The yogurt had a wonderful acidity to counterbalance the richness of the fried dumplings, which were positively redolent with vegetal spice.
The halloumi kataif was the ideal final small plate, paving the way towards dessert. Slender fingers of halloumi were shrouded in angel hair pastry and generously topped with coriander- and caraway-dominant dukkah and hot(ish) honey.
I’ll admit to not being the biggest halloumi fan – I prefer my cheeses of a slightly more assertive ilk, and the chewy texture, while certainly a suitable stand-in for meat, does little for me. A few times I went in for a bite of this dish half-expecting it to be feta, but that’s on me: All in all, it really was a pretty delicious plate.
For dessert, we opted to share the almond-lemon nammoura with honey labneh and citrus peel. This was pretty much everything I ever want a cake to be: rich and dense and so moist it was almost weeping syrup, with the sweet-and-savory hint of the labneh dolloped generously (sexily? Sexily.) over the top.
Frankly I cannot fault it, and indeed can only say… could this please be my birthday cake this year?
We paired our selection with an assortment of sustainable (and some natural) wines by the glass, all of which were tasty, though there was a perceptible dearth of Lebanese selections. To finish (and to accompany the cake) we opted instead for one of the house cocktails made with Bulleit, cinnamon, date water, and orange blossom. Though I’m not usually a fan of sweet cocktails, this one proved perfectly balanced and ultimately ideal for dessert.
In addition to the aforementioned chicken, there are also several choices here for carnivores, but ultimately, I was bowled over by the plant-driven options. Kubri, you’ve conquered my heart.
Kubri – 108 Rue Amelot, 75011