Enjoy Lebanese Cuisine With A Side Of Gaming At This New NYC Concept
Have you ever eaten kebabs over Mario Kart or watched Twitch with some tabbouleh? Lebanese food may not be the first food that comes to mind for gamers but New York City’s Café Mish Mosh might change all of that.
A contemporary Lebanese concept centered around cultural traditions set inside a gaming and experiential venue, the restaurant is the brainchild of Chef Allen Dabagh, owner of Brooklyn’s Boutros, and Samer Asfahani, CEO of OS NYC.
Dabagh and Asfahani, two entrepreneurs of Lebanese heritage who met through a mutual friend, were raised with the knowledge that food is always at the heart of the household. Realizing this shared passion for Lebanese cuisine and its importance, the concept for Café Mish Mosh began. They designed the menu together to appeal to both guests at the venue and those looking to experience Lebanese food.
“Lebanese food brings people together,” says OS NYC CEO Samer Asfahani. “It brought Allen and I together. And that understanding is the passion behind this pop-up. We’re weaving the threads of Middle Eastern culinary heritage into the fabric of New American cuisine — a somewhat new experience for American diners — and helping to share the incredible power of Lebanese food.”
For Dabagh, the Executive Chef at Café Mish Mosh, creating a menu that features modern takes on Lebanese classics, while appealing to all patrons, was critical. The menu is divided into four sections: mezze, kebabs, sandwiches, and desserts.
On the mezze menu, visitors can sample hummus with homemade pita or Pork Shawarma Eggrolls. For kebabs lovers, they have staples like chicken as well as a more experimental shishito pepper. The sandwich menu includes several shawarmas, including a Cauliflower Shawarma with garlic confit tahini, pickled turnips, and cabbage. They also offer interpretations on traditional Lebanese sweets as well as a full bar with signature cocktails.
“In Arabic, Mish Mosh means apricot; it’s a fruit often associated with optimism and hope for the future, traits synonymous with Lebanese people, even in the face of adversity,” Dabagh says. “We believe this feeling is felt most over a meal, with friends, old and new. And that’s the feeling we want our guests to have when they dine at Café Mish Mosh.”
Café Mish Mosh is now open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, 12PM-10PM.
