Because Omelettes are so challenging.
I’m not a fan of brunch. I just don’t see the appeal. While some Lebanese spots like Casablanca excel at the tradition, brunches tend to mess up my food plans for the day. Nevertheless, a friend from out of town insisted on it and I obliged. In retrospect, that was not the brightest decision.
I’ve never noticed Ginette before. A charming looking place in the middle of Gemayze, it has a pleasant outdoor area and a spacious interior with a small store in the back. I didn’t take a closer look at what was being sold because the food was my main priority.
The main problem we faced at Ginette was the waiter. While he was perfectly polite, he just couldn’t adapt to a very simple request; my friend ordered an omelette and he insisted the chef could not prepare it. Really with all sorts of complicated egg dishes on the menu, this refusal boggled our minds. When he finally obliged and asked the chef, we heard screams coming from the kitchen (no joke). The waiter returned and surprisingly informed us that an omelette was indeed possible. Lo and behold, he brought us scrambled eggs with cheese! (which I assume is their version of an omelette?) Really the entire debacle was unacceptable.
As for my breakfast (fried eggs, I’m not difficult), I was quite disappointed. The toast was burnt beyond comprehension, and the portions were unusually small. One small sausage, one tiny strip of bacon, two mushrooms, and a useless batch of beans. In fact, small portions seems to be a recurring theme at Ginette. The juice, the coffee, everything felt miniature-sized and that’s not how a brunch is supposed to work. Taste wise, the meal was tolerable, but the quantities were highly depressing.
All in all, brunch at Ginette was an undeniable letdown. With so many other options for a scrumptious meal in Beirut, it’s highly doubtful that I’d ever consider a second visit. A pity…
Nad Rating
C-
P.S. And really when you’re suspicious if your waiter (or chef) might spit in your food, then you know you’ve come to the wrong place.
you forgot the “we can't make an omelette, we don't have flour in the kitchen”… *cakes piled behind him as he speaks* 😉
You're right I can't believe I forgot what was most probably the dumbest thing I've heard all year! Thank you mays 😉 Drop by again soon!
Another place that's overrated, inappropriately pricey, and not even good! Their open-faced tartines are nearly 30,000LL and extremely stingy with ingredients. Imagine: for that price, you could enjoy a steak-frites a few doors down at Couqley.
I just don't understand how places like Ginette stay afloat.
Mmmmmmm you got me craving the steak-frites at Couqley. Truly amazing.