The Ice Cream Chronicles (Pt. 4): Bakdashery

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The countries of the Middle East have often made world headlines over the past several decades, and usually it has not been for pleasant reasons. Political, religious, factional and nationalistic differences from countries in and out of the region have led to numerous violent outbreaks, with the re-igniting of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict the latest in this long line of strife.

Prior to this, Syria had been at the forefront of these headlines not too long ago, when the region-wide "Arab Spring" movement turned into a bitter civil war between groups of rebels and the long-standing ruling government. This conflict, now more than three years running, has caused many people to flee the country for neighboring countries such as Egypt and Jordan.

In an interesting twist, I read recently that the well-renowned ice creamery in Damascus, Bakdash, has become a victim of the civil war in its own right. As detailed in this NPR story, Bakdash has opened up a new location in Amman, Jordan due to the decline in business in Syria and the influx of refugees into Jordan. Upon learning of this story, I feel even more fortunate now that I was able to sample some of their uniquely crafted treats during a far more peaceful time during a work detail Damascus several years ago.

Damascus, said to be one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world (there is some debate about that distinction), turned out to be a fascinating city where ancient and modern, Arab and Western, rich and poor, and other stark contrasts could be found almost every minute if one looked hard enough. This stark contrast also translated to the food in a more pronounced manner. Anything that tended to mimic Western-styled themes or concepts was often times odd at best and simply not enjoyable at worst (yes, I did try a local version of the Skyline Chili Coney Dog to my chagrin.) If you stuck with the local food, you were almost guaranteed to have a good to great meal.

One of my personal favorite trips was when the group decided to head into the older part of town to Souk Al-Hamidiyeh, typically the busiest market in the city due to its tourist attraction status. This market has just about everything the shopper could want, both local and visitor. Spices and other food basics, home furnishings, toys, sweets, clothing - you name it, you'll find it somewhere within this market's vast expanse. Using the famed western entrance, you are greeted with a walkway covered with an iron roof that is riddled with bullet-holes from early 20th century conflicts. It is here where Bakdash has plied its craft making its ice cream (or, as the locals call it, booza) since 1895.

Prior to the trip, my research revealed this was one of those must-visit places. Indeed, no matter when we dropped by the market, there seemed to be a line extending from inside. As it turned out, the spectacle created by the crowds milling inside and around the store along with the employees plying their craft was as much of an attraction as much as the ice cream itself.

One man churned/pounded the ice cream (made up mainly of whole milk, sugar, mastic and orchid flour) in a cooled chamber with a large wooden.  When it had reached the right consistency, he wedged the ice cream from the bottom and handed the mass over to another worker. This worker then pulled chunks of this glob out and rolled them in pistachios. Other workers would assist in the placing the ice cream into bowls and adding other toppings as requested as customers queued by. The standard order costed about $1 at the time, with add-ons available for additional cost.

Upon first look, my instinct upon seeing it was to think vanilla, but that was nowhere in the smell or flavor profile. Indeed, the base ice cream was a lot like a slow-to-melt ice milk, with a unique flavor profile and a flowery scent. Texture-wise, it was chewy and gooey like a warmed up taffy or thick melted cheese. The freshly chopped pistachios provided the dominant and tasty flavor.

Bakdash's ice cream ranks as my most unique foray into the ice cream world.  While the ice cream may not be my most favorite taste or texture-wise when compared to . However, it remains one of my most memorable, representative of the time where I got to indulge in another area of the world's rich culinary traditions.

(Those who would like to see the process used at Bakdash to produce their unique ice cream can reference this video taken at their new location in Amman, Jordan.) 

Bakdash Ice Cream Parlor
Souq Al-Hamidiyeh
Damascus, Syria

Al Madeenah Al munawwarah Street
Amman, Jordan
Website

Survivor Story: Little Lebanon Bistro and Bakery

My familiarity with Arabic-Mediterranean cuisine grew substantially several years ago during a two-month work assignment in Damascus, Syria.  I had not ventured too much into that cuisine prior to my trip, but I enthusiastically dove in full bore during my stay.  From the kebabs and kibbeh, the falafel to the freekeh, and the soup to the shawerma to the sweets and so much more, I don't think I ever ate so well as I did those eight weeks or so.

I had heard through the grapevine there that the Lebanese versions of the dishes I was tasting were the gold standard for the region.  I kept that in mind when I got back to the States, but with the choices being somewhat limited I left myself open to all comers to match the tastes I had experienced.

Forward roughly five years later - I had now been living in the Columbus area for one full year and had grown very familiar with the metro area in general, as my job required a lot of travel.  A bonus point of all this travel was the opportunity to explore restaurants for lunch all over the metro area.  I was due for a trip through the Polaris business area in North Columbus when I caught a story on the local TV 10 newscast about three smash & grabs in that area.

This type of incident, while tough for any business, is especially so for one just starting like the Little Lebanon Bistro and Bakery.  This particular victim of the smash and grab incident had been only in business for one week at the time of the incident, and I could sense the frustration of the owner during his interview.

It was like all the stars had aligned for a visit.  I wanted not only to help them out by giving them some business, but also to sample and compare their wares against those that I had back in Damascus.

I remember my kibbeh wrap that I ordered was tasty enough, and both my spouse and I enjoyed the variety of maamoul cookies (a Lebanese shortbread with a variety of fillings) that I brought home that day for sampling.  I also had a friendly chat with the owner who had been interviewed.  He talked about the attempted burglary, how the business got started, and his Lebanese spouse, who was in the back cooking away.

Upon leaving, my impression was that while it didn't quite match what I had in Damascus, this restaurant's offerings were appetizing nonetheless and matched up favorably with similar restaurants in the area.  Little Lebanon would be worth a visit in the future...

...if they survived, that is.  The seating in the dining area was sparse, with paper cups and plastic plates for dine-in customers.  During my visit, the peak of lunchtime, only one customer had stopped by to eat.  And while the thief was unsuccessful in accessing their moneybox, the cost of cleanup, window replacement and other repairs could not have been cheap.

Forward roughly one more year - my spouse and I were looking for something different from our usual brunch spots on a trip up the Polaris area for some shopping.  My mind flashed back to my visit to Little Lebanon and I asked my spouse, "Well, how about Mediterranean?"   Before my spouse even flashed her agreement, my mind got to thinking, "Hmmm, are they still open?"

I did a quick search, and yes indeed, they had not closed.  Thus, I made my second visit to Little Lebanon.

On this visit, the main counter area seemed a little more fleshed out in its display cases of desserts and salads; this also was the case with the amount of seating in the dining area.  The menu board was now joined by a high definition TV screen, where a slideshow of what seemed to be new restaurant offerings cascaded by my eyes.  Also, silverware was evident and our order, a shawerma and falafel wrap plus two fatoush salads, came out on more standard restaurant serving plates.

My spouse and I again stuck with the simple and ordered wraps, which range between $6 to $7.  I found their version of falafel one of the better Columbus-area versions, with a nice crispy exterior and a pleasantly spiced interior.  My spouse's shawerma was also something we would order again if the mood struck us.

The whoa-factor for me, oddly enough, was in the fatoush, a salad that to me was typically filled with cucumber, tomatoes, mint, parsley and pita chips laced with a lemon/olive oil dressing and lots of sumac, a tangy spice omnipresent in many Mediterranean dishes.  Back in Damascus, one of my favorite and most simple meals was a fatoush salad with either a side dish of lentil soup or falafel.  I have a decent mint-heavy version of this salad I can whip up at home, but I've never been able to find a restaurant version that really hit my happy spot.  I was surprised by the presence of radishes in this version, but their crunch and tang melded well with the mix of green pepper, cucumber, mint, lettuce, and sumac-laced olive oil dressing.  This combination made this my favorite restaurant version of this salad in the States to date.

We again ordered some maamoul cookies to take home and sample.  As much of a sweet tooth as I have, I enjoy these exactly because they are not too sweet.  While we have enjoyed them all, we have found the date-filled version to be our favorite.

On this trip, we got to speak with the female half of the couple who owns the restaurant.  When I shared the story about my very first visit, she seemed to laugh and sigh at the same time as she related how close the restaurant actually was to closing.  Associates of theirs had tried convincing them to put in a dinner menu, but she and her husband resisted until it looked like the business was almost certain to close. As it turned out, she said the dinner offerings did the trick in turning things around, adding that they had just recently been able to upgrade and own some of their own restaurant equipment.

I asked her about a shirt she was wearing related to an event related to the "Be The Match" program, a cause near and dear to my heart (I was fortunate enough to have been found a match for someone in need of a marrow donation.)   She stated that a relative of hers had been diagnosed with a condition treated by donations and was doing well.  Because of this experience, she was hoping to start training to participate in their local walk/run event in the summer to further show her support for the cause.

Obviously, the scope of a business' economic survival pales in comparison to the survival of a human being over a difficult circumstances.  Nevertheless, it's encouraging to see and hear about survival in both of these instances.

Little Lebanon Bistro & Bakery
8495 Sancus Blvd (Polaris - Google Maps)
Columbus, OH 43240
(614) 781-1814
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