During our street food tour around Beirut, my friend Hasan suggested we visit Kalaa Chicken. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to have some chicken that day, since almost all chicken in the country is marinated in garlic which makes me feel sick when injested. Al Kalaa chicken is different, there's no garlic and their sandwiches are full of flavor and taste.
Located in Ras Beirut, Al Kalaa chicken is few a meters from the entrance of LAU. A large shop, two dozen delivery boys… that's an institution of chicken.
The menu:
- Breakfast
- Salads
- Burgers
- Burger Platters
- Sandwiches
- Chicken Sandwiches
- Fish Sandwiches
- Falafel
- Platters
- Appetizers
- Grills
To have a complete idea of the concept, we ordered three sandwiches:
- Francisco LBP5,000: Mildly spicy marinated chicken, lettuce, grated cheese, mayonnaise and soy sauce
- Kalaa Special Chicken LBP6,000: Chicken, pepper, pineapple, lettuce, corn, mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise and kale sauce
- Chicken Sub LBP5,000: Chicken breast, mozzarella cheese, pickles, corn, lettuce, mayonnaise
They say Kalaa chicken invented the Francisco before others copied it.
Stand facing the grill to enjoy the metal and grilling sounds while the sandwiches are prepared. A tender bun, served extremely warm, and fluffy like a sponge, is filled with a load of ingredients. The Francisco has a fine touch of spice and saltiness I enjoyed and surely is a uniquely marinated chicken. The Kalaa chicken is perfect for sweet lovers; the pineapple adds this touch of sweetness transforming a simple sandwich into a delicious bite. Pay attention not to burn your tongue. The chicken sub, as simple as it might look, is excellent.
In Beirut, they say that Kalaa chicken is a reference point … now I understand why.
