KIBBEH TO KEBAB, LEBANESE DINING SHOWCASED

If you like Lebanese cuisine, there are a couple of new culinary games in Orange County, CA. Dizzy Bird is flying high at the food court in the Shops at Mission Viejo. Meantime a second eatery, called BEI, has opened a casual kabob spot as well as a sit down restaurant that serves a more extensive menu. They’re next door to each other in Costa Mesa.

Dizzy Bird specializes in rotisserie chicken surrounded by mediterranean rice, beet chips, cucumber salad and garlic sauce. Those goodies make up the popular Dizzy Bird Bowl (dark or white meat). Wraps are also a favorite option with your choice of chicken and sauces. Even though it’s in a food court at MV mall, it doesn’t taste like fast food. In fact their slogan is ‘spun, not fried’ alluding to the chicken spinning on a rotisserie not deep frying in oil. One of their better deals is the whole chicken with two sides which is enough for two to share and still have leftovers. The sides are good  Often you’ll eat out and maybe one or two things are good but the chips, cucumbers, sauce, roasted potatoes and other sides are all good. Service here can be a bit slow so be prepared to wait a bit but worth it.

The newer restaurant serving Lebanese fare is actually two separate eateries sharing a kitchen, one is a takeout Kebab stand and next door is BEI (abbreviation for Lebanon’s capitol Beirut), it’s fancier sister, a sit down location. EZ Kebab sits at a former hot dog chain Der Weinerschnitzel, popularized by its slanted roof. The menu at these two locations is more extensive than Dizzy. They offer the usual fare including the traditional kibbeh and kebabs, plus lamb chops, rib eye kebabs, steak shawarma wraps and other familiar dishes. You can get most of the items at either the takeout window or sit-down, but you will pay more at BEI for the same dish. As an example, the EZ chicken kebab plate is $18 while the same dish is $22 at BEI. Ribeye kebab is $28 at sit down, it’s $22 at takeout. There is a small patio next to EZ so if you’re not interested in sit down you can always order at the window and eat at patio tables. The food is good at both restaurants, particularly tasty is the chicken kebab, hummus and appetizer cheese rolls. Falafel is a bit dry. An original selection is their French Fry wrap. Literally, french fries in a pita with garlic sauce, coleslaw and pickles. Not your typical Lebanese dish but their fries are  better than most. The 500 sq ft BEI is open 5-9pm, EZ Kebab serves from 11 am-10pm.