31 Elgin Street, SoHo Tel: 2524 4123 Open: 11am-3pm (until 4.30pm on Sunday), 6pm-11pm Cuisine: Lebanese. Price: About HK$250 without drinks and before adding the service charge. Ambience: The long, narrow restaurant has folding doors that open to the street, which was particularly noisy the night we visited, with honking from cars stuck in traffic, and drinkers at the bar across the street yelling at the drivers to 'shut up!' Our waitress closed the door when things got too noisy. In addition to the main dining room, there's an open kitchen with seats at the rear of the restaurant, as well as an alfresco space and private dining room. Pros: The staff were friendly and accommodating, especially the manager, who was able to answer all our questions about the menu and the restaurant. Cons: The fatayer b'sabanekh - baked Lebanese pastry filled with spinach, onions, pine nuts and olive oil (HK$75) - was bland. Recommended dishes: Grilled halloumi cheese (HK$85, left) came with sliced watermelon - a delicious pairing because the sweet, crisp fruit contrasted in flavour and texture with the firm, salty cheese. A surprisingly large portion of chicken livers (HK$80) was perfectly cooked so they were creamy and slightly pink inside. Mouhamara (HK$80) - a rich, spicy nut paste - was good on its own with the warm, soft pita bread, but even better spread over pita and eaten with some of the meats in the mixed grill (HK$185). While we especially loved the seasoned minced lamb on the mixed grill platter, the chicken and beef cubes were also well cooked, with even the chicken breast being moist and tender. What else? Let's hope Marouche Grill lasts longer than its predecessors in the space, which housed (in very quick succession) restaurants specialising in Canadian and Spanish cuisines.
