NYC hidden dining gems: Manousheh Lebanese is fast casual delight

Every clip I travel, I instrumentality a nutrient circuit if the accidental presents. It had maine thinking, wherefore not instrumentality 1 successful New York City? So, backmost successful 2022, I signed up for a nutrient circuit passim Greenwich Village, and we stopped astatine a tiny Lebanese spot called Manousheh. I had this level yet fluffy breadstuff stuffed with labneh and topped with za’atar that ended up being my favourite wound of the day.

Manousheh’s archetypal ceramic and mortar shop, which opened successful 2015, closed successful 2024, but luckily there’s a determination connected the Lower East Side, which opened successful 2020.

The sanction of the edifice comes from the sanction of a Lebanese dish, the superior 1 served astatine this fast-casual eatery. It starts with a level achromatic breadstuff with a spot of bounce — deliberation a transverse betwixt a pita and a flour tortilla — and is past topped oregon stuffed with thing from meats and cheeses to herbs and veggies.

“You tin comparison it to a bagel,” proprietor Ziyad Hermez tells me. “It is fashionable successful Lebanon and is chiefly eaten for breakfast.”

Inside of Manousheh connected the Lower East Side. (Kaitlyn Rosati for New York Daily News)

There’s a wide assortment of manousheh disposable to bid astatine their determination connected Grand St. Some are filled with toppings and rolled similar a wrap, others stuffed similar a pita oregon taco, and a fewer others are astir similar a flatbread pizza. The astir enticing options see ijjeh (a scallion and parsley omelette served with hummus oregon labneh), muhammarrah (roasted reddish capsicum and walnut dip), and sujuk bi ajine (Middle Eastern beef sausage prepared with reddish wine, tomato, and aromatics).

But the bosom wants what it wants, and aft 2 years of not having my labneh manousheh from my time connected that nutrient tour, I had to person it.

I besides opted for foul, oregon ful, a dilatory cooked fava legume stew with origins successful Lebanon and Egypt. Ful is 1 of the galore choices from their mezze menu, Others see msabaha (boiled chickpeas with garlic, citrus juice, and parsley — not to beryllium confused with hummus, which is besides available); muttabal (roasted eggplant with tahini); and platters of labneh and muhammara. With truthful galore tempting choices, the champion enactment is the mixed mezze, wherever you tin prime immoderate 3 for $25. Next time, I’d bring a person oregon 2 and spell for that.

Pickled turnips and olives (and foul) astatine Manousheh connected the Lower East Side. (Kaitlyn Rosati for New York Daily News)

So, did the labneh manousheh unrecorded up to my memory? Listen, this is simply a elemental crockery — it’s a wrapper filled with tangy, creamy yogurt-like cheese, astir arsenic no-frills arsenic it gets. But it’s the simplicity that made maine autumn successful emotion with it a fewer years ago, and it’s besides what volition support maine coming back. While I bash deliberation determination are different options connected the paper that supply a much flavorful punch, I would gladly swap my everything bagel with pick food for a labneh manousheh immoderate time of the week. Plus, for lone $6, it’s 1 of my favourite fund eats successful the city.

As for the ful, this fto maine cognize that contempt being a fast-casual restaurant, Manousheh has immoderate superior cooking chops. The beans are cooked down to a creamy texture, and the kicks of ail and lemon, particularly with a wound of the chopped parsley connected top, makes for a earnestly comforting dish. The information is beauteous bully for $12 and tin easy beryllium shared with a person oregon two.

Inside of the labneh manousheh astatine Manousheh connected the Lower East Side. (Kaitlyn Rosati for New York Daily News)

Speaking of cooking chops, I asked proprietor Ziyad what his culinary inheritance is, and was amazed to larn helium doesn’t truly person one.

“I conscionable spent a twelvemonth and a fractional experimenting and baking, and loved each infinitesimal of it. In the beginning, the results were terrible, but I recovered the subject of baking fascinating and wanted to larn however to marque it better,” helium tells me. “Through YouTube videos and forums, I yet got close, and past went to Lebanon to larn the last touches.”

After perfecting the recipe, his friends encouraged him to unfastened Manousheh, and I’d similar to instrumentality this accidental to convey his friends for doing that — now, radical similar you and maine get to effort his unique, delicious Lebanese food.

• Address: 403 Grand St, New York, NY 10002
• Phone: (646) 258-4925
• Hours: Monday-Sunday 8 a.m.-11 p.m.
• Prices: Soup $6-$12; Manousheh $6-$13; Salad $8-$13; Mezze $10-$25; Platters $12-$16; Sides $1-$6; Dessert $2-$7; Drinks $3-$30
• Delivery and takeout available; nary reservations.

Have a proposition for a large hidden eating gem successful your neighborhood? Reach retired to america with your recommendations