Samsung Lebanon were kind enough to lend me the new Samsung Galaxy S4 to try it out for a couple of weeks and return it. Even though I only got it on Monday, I’ve been experimenting on my friend’s S4 for the last week or so and have few things to say about this latest addition to the Samsung’s popular S series.

First of all, let me just say that even though I’ve been an iPhone user for years, I decided to switch to Android and have been using the Samsung Note2 since Christmas without any regret (except for the camera maybe). The Samsung Galaxy S is getting more popular by the year and the S3 has been rivaled only by the iPhone last year, so there were very high expectations set for the new S4.

Design, Build & Screen

The Samsung S4 is an improved version of the S3 whereas it fits a larger screen in a smaller, lighter and slimmer body. The handset feels almost as light as the iPhone 5, and doesn’t feel cheap at all. On the contrary, the S4 feels like a classy and sexy phone. What I don’t like though about Samsungs in general is the back cover as I feel I am going to break it every time I want to take it out. It seems we still have to wait a bit for them to switch to unibody.

The screen is one of the phone’s most impressive features as it is a 5-inch Full HD with quite an impressive resolution (1080 x 1920). I think it’s the best screen resolution and quality currently in the market. Added to that, the screen is so sensitive that you can swipe around it while wearing gloves.

The three sensors and front-facing camera dots look randomly placed

Features

When I first saw the Samsung S4 TV commercials, I was excited to try out the Air Gesture and Air View features as they looked pretty cool, as well as the eye-tracking tool but I knew for a fact that I wouldn’t use them that often. It’s fun to try them out the first few weeks and impress your friends but that’s about it. I tried using the eye tracking tool when reading an article online but it’s not as practical as it seems. In fact, you might look stupid moving your head to interact with a screen but then again that’s a software that will take some time to perfect so there’s no harm in having fun with it until then.

Here are some of the new features in the S4:
Group Play, Story Album, S Translator, Optical Reader, Samsung Smart Scroll, Samsung Smart Pause, Air Gesture, Air View, Samsung Hub, ChatON, Samsung WatchON, S Travel (Trip Advisor), S Voice Drive, S Health, Samsung Adapt Display, Samsung Adapt Sound, Auto adjust touch sensitivity (Glove friendly), Safety Assistance, Samsung Link, Screen Mirroring, Samsung KNOX (B2B only).

You can search with the camera on Google which is pretty cool

As far as the quick access menu is concerned, there are over 20 different shortcuts which I think is a bit too much.

Camera

Even though I am using the Note2 currently, I still prefer my iPhone 4′s camera. The S4 camera is a major improvement from the previous one and is 13 MP with Auto Focus, Flash and Zero Shutter Lag. I noticed some lag when taking pictures sometimes but I haven’t had the chance to experiment it properly and will do so in the upcoming days. I will also try to compare the S4 camera with the iPhone 5 and Lumia 920 cameras.

PS: I will be posting pictures taken with the S4 on my Instagram for those interested (Follow me @LeNajib).

All in all, the S4 is an enhanced version of the popular Samsung S3, with a larger screen, better quality and higher resolutions, a more powerful camera and tons of new features. It’s currently the best Android and Smartphone in the market in terms of performance and specs. The Galaxy S4 is being sold at 850$ in Lebanon (with CTC warranty card) which I believe is overpriced.

I personally wouldn’t buy it because I am addicted to my Note2′s huge screen and looking forward to the Note3.

I know I promised to post the review a couple of weeks ago but things have been hectic lately and I couldn’t finalize it until tonight. It’s my first car review and it’s not as easy as I thought it would be specially when you only have one weekend to test drive.

I’ve never driven a Volvo before and the last Volvo I remember being in was a 1983 model that my friend had during my AUB years. I knew that Volvos were traditionally reputed for putting safety above style, but this perception started to change around 10 years ago with the introduction of the C,V and S series (My favorite was the S40).

Style
Having said that, the new Volvo V40 is all about style and is one of the sexiest cars I’ve seen this year in its category that includes the Audi A3, the BMW 1 Series and the newest Mercedes A-Class. It’s been almost 20 years that Volvo hasn’t designed a five-door hatchback and I must say they’ve outdone themselves, specially with the V40 R-Design model which I looked up online but unfortunately wasn’t available at the dealership.

The car looks great from the inside, the leather seats are very comfortable with plenty of adjustability in the driving position. Don’t expect the same comfort though if you go for the sports seats that usually come with the T5 R-Design. The steering wheel looks nice with buttons to control the radio stations and the volume on the right and the menu items on the left. What I didn’t appreciate though was the small scroll button on the right side in the middle used to change the radio frequency as I would hit it accidentally while flipping through radio stations.

There’s a cool display screen in front of the driver that can be set to three different modes (Eco, Elegance and Performance). I loved how the speeds light up as you go faster. The LEDs light up the cabin at night but can reflect on the front windshield if the brightness is set to the highest level. The panoramic glass roof adds a good feel to driving the V40.

On the Road
If you thought the V40 is a family car, think again as the T5 is equipped with a five-cylinder 2.5 litre engine producing over 250 hp. With this much power, the V40 is a beast on the road and I had a lot of fun driving it. It’s fast and responsive, with a quick acceleration and has a good grip to the road. I wasn’t really comfortable sometimes with the handling when speeding on turns as I felt a slight loss of balance but otherwise it was satisfying enough.

The T5 goes from 0 to 100 in around 6 seconds. It is mated to a six-speed Geartronic automatic with sports mode.

The reverse mode is very practical as you get two cameras showing you on a seven-inch LCD display in the dash the proximity from the obstacles around you and behind you. The two right and left front mirrors are directed towards the floor to prevent you from hitting your car from the front while reversing. You could disable this option if you wish so.

I tried backing the car into the sea and the sensors did not beep at all. I think it is the case for most cars but it would nice if they work on improving those sensors since we now have cameras and all.

Screenshot from the video I took that I will not upload as it will take forever

Safety
The V40 “received a five-star rating in the Euro NCAP tests, with 98 per cent for adult occupant and 100 per cent for safety assist making it officially the safest car Euro NCAP has ever tested. Every V40 comes fitted with the firm’s City Safety system – which uses a laser to detect an imminent collision and automatically brake the car to prevent a low-speed accident – and a U-shaped pedestrian airbag that triggered by sensors in the bumper and pops out from under the bonnet to soften the impact. Volvo finished a solid 10th in the 2012 Driver Power reliability survey, proving that buyers still have faith in the ownership experience and reliability of the brand despite a few problems in recent years.” [Link]

I think this excerpt from one of the V40 reviews I read says it all. Safety is a priority for Volvo and they make sure to let the driver know about that. There are plenty alerts and warnings that you can activate and de-activate to make your drive the safest possible. There’s also the impressive pedestrian airbag that pops out to minimize injury. Check out a demonstration [Here].

There’s one alert that surprised me the first time, which is the distance alert. It is triggered every time you are closing in on another car quickly in order to avoid collision, and makes a loud sound while lighting up the front windshield with a red alert. I turned it off eventually.

Verdict
The V40 is a great hatchback that offers you quality, comfort, safety and performance. It’s a very nice-looking car with a price that starts at $39,900. That’s quite pricey but reasonable when compared to the Mercedes and Audi in its category. Having said that, it is hard for me to say that it’s my favorite hatchback as I haven’t tried any others but it’s definitely a cool car to have and most of the reviews seem to agree with me.

You can check out more details about the V40 [Here].

Iron Man 3 was definitely a major improvement from Iron Man 2 but the first Iron Man is still my favorite by far. In fact, IM3 was fun to watch with a lot of explosions, chases, a very menacing villain (at least at first) and Robert Downey Jr played his role to perfection, but there are few things I didn’t appreciate.

- The trailer built up a bad guy, The Mandarin, as terrifying as Batman’s Bane or Bond’s Javier Bardem but the way he gets caught and who he turns out to be were quite disappointing.

- I don’t think the little boy character was needed in the movie. This part disconnected us from the action and didn’t last long enough to draw us further into the story. To be honest, I thought the whole movie wasn’t very well paced.

- There’s a lot of humor in the movie, a bit too much in my opinion.

Otherwise, Gwyneth Paltrow was great as always and Happy Hogan was hilarious and like I said previously, it’s a lot of fun and is a must-watch. What remains to be seen if it will be the last time we see Robert Downey Jr. as the Iron Man or not.

PS: The movie was in 3D, which I still think sucks in theaters.

I couldn’t resist not taking a nap on these couches

I just got back from Empire Premiere‘s launch in Sodeco and I have to say it wasn’t at all what I expected. I thought it would be a new VIP theater with some additional features and a more expensive entrance but it turned out to be cheaper (20$ the ticket) than the so-called VIP theaters (30$ the ticket) we currently have and comfier. It doesn’t feel like the VIP theaters we currently have, but rather more like a refined place for people aged 35 or more to stay away from the crowded theaters and enjoy a calm and relaxing experience at the movies.

One of the things I loved most is that they joined every two or three seats together, unlike VIP theaters I visited where you are 1 meter apart from the person next to you.

Food-wise, you can either have Sushi with your wine glass from the awesome Le Sushi Bar or just popcorn and soft drinks. I was told they will have a new flavor for the popcorn every week. They were showing the new movie Hitchcock which I highly recommend that you watch.

All in all, Empire Premiere is targeting Lebanese who want to enjoy their movies, avoid crowded theaters and get a little pampered for an extra 10$. There’s nothing wrong with that if you can afford it.

Almost a year ago, I was having a talk with a restaurant owner that we need in Lebanon small shops that sell Shawarma the same way Kiosks are selling Hot Dogs and Crepes everywhere these days. He told me back then that it’s a good idea specially that there are very few decent Shawarma places but its only inconvenience is that you can’t keep the Shawarma “Sikh” for more than one or two days which could prove costly in the early stages if business doesn’t pick up.

Having said that, the people behind Shawarmanji seem to be confident that such a concept will pick up quickly and decided to open in 5 key areas in Lebanon as a start, in Hamra, Achrafieh, Sin el Fil, Zalka and Kaslik and are planning to expand later on in Lebanon and in the Arab world.

The idea behind Shawarmanji is simple: “Bringing The best Shawarma closer to you!”, but when it comes to Shawarma, I honestly don’t think anyone could compete with Boubouffe and after trying Shawarmanji for the first time last week, I still think Boubouffe is the best.

However, it’s really hard to compare both as one is a 30 year old restaurant in Achrafieh that sells very expensive Shawarma sandwiches among other things and with no plans to expand while Shawarmanji is only about Shawarma and is a new brand opening all over Lebanon. Aside from the convenience, Shawarmanji is very clean and the people working there are very professional from what I saw, and this is a very important feature specially when most Shawarma places in Lebanon are not that hygienic.

Picture taken from Shawarmanji’s Instagram

Price-wise, sandwiches range between 5500 and 6250 Liras (4$) for both meat and chicken while platters cost around 13,000 Liras (8$) which are very affordable prices in my opinion. There are other items on the menu, such as Sambousek and Rolls, Hummus, Salads and even desserts.
You can check out the whole menu [Here].

All in all, it’s a place worth trying and the best alternative to Boubouffe for me at the moment.

You can read more about Shawarmanji [Here].

One of the coolest features that I’ve been wanting to try on the LG Cinema 3D TV is the Dual Play. I’ve been playing PS3 games for years on a split screen against my two brothers and it really sucks even if you have a 60 inch TV. As much as you try not to cheat, there’s always someone eyeballing your part of the screen to check your location, specially in shooting games like Call of Duty.

Well all of that has changed with LG’s 3D Dual Play where each player sees a full-screen image simply by wearing the Special Dual Play glasses. I thought at first that the 3D glasses you get with the TV are the same ones you use for the Dual Play but as it turns out, there are different ones. I asked LG if they could provide me with the glasses and they were kind enough to do so. In order to understand why they are different and how LG’s passive Dual Play mode works, I did some research and posted below an excerpt from a website that explained it best in my opinion.

3D is achieved by tricking your brain into seeing “depth”. In order to see depth from a 3D TV, each eye has to have a slightly different image. Just like if you were to alternate closing one eye at a time, the image you see with your right eye, will be slightly different that what you saw with your left eye. This is the basis of how your brain is “tricked” into see “depth”. LG achieves this with their polarized TV panel and 3D glasses. Each lens of the polarized glasses has built-in filters that block lines of resolution; normally the left will block the even and the right the odd lines. When Dual Play is activated you’ll see two full screen images on one screen with the naked eye. While viewing through the special glasses made by LG for Dual Play (essentially two left lens in one pair and two right lens in the other pair). One of the images shown will use all even lines of resolution and the other will use all odd lines of resolution. Yielding full screen game play for everyone. All LG Cinema 3D LED with Smart TV have this feature built-in. Each player can see the full game from their own perspective. [Source] [Video]

Dual Play is very easy to set up as you can turn it on and off from the TV’s remote control. There’s one thing I noticed though is that you need to be sitting on the same level as the TV to get an optimal picture. If you are looking up or down at the screen, you might see a bit from the other player’s screen but they are not visible enough to annoy you. I uploaded a small video while playing Black Ops II to show you the different image each Dual Play glass is showing.

Last but not least, the great thing about Dual Play is that it works on any passive 3D TV, which means that you can use it with any console game that supports a split-screen mode, not just a few selected games. I think that’s pretty cool as more people will be able to enjoy this feature.

I know many of you are waiting for the competition to kick off to see who’s gonna win this awesome TV. I will be announcing it on Monday when I post the full review. Until then, I will be enjoying Dual Play Gaming and testing other features.

I got a call from LG a week ago asking me if I was interested in reviewing their 42″ Cinema 3D TV. I haven’t bought a TV in years but I’ve started looking for one lately as my house will be finished in 6 months time so LG’s call came at the right time. To make it even better, I asked them if I could give away the TV to BlogBaladi’s readers as an early Christmas gift instead of returning it and they were kind enough to accept!

When I picked up the TV, the first thing that caught my attention was how light it is. The TV without the stand only weighs 28.9 lbs (around 13 kg) and is 35.5 mm thick. After I took it out of the box and set it up, I went through the menu quickly and noticed it has a considerable number of in-built apps and online tools, including a web browser, and shortcuts to various social media tools. While having so many services may sound like a good thing, it’s sometimes hard to toggle through those options using the buttons on the TV remote but the LG remote is very practical and has a “Home” button as well as “My Apps” and “Settings” buttons that make it very easy to access the various features. The “Home” button is the most useful one as it takes you to an LG Dashboard that contains everything you might need to access. I read online about a “Magic Remote Control” that usually comes with LG Smart TVs but mine didn’t have any.

I tried next connecting the TV to my WI-FI network but I wasn’t able to as it asked me to insert a WI-FI dongle into the USB Port. I connected using a LAN cable for now but I am sure there’s a way to do it wirelessly without a dongle as I’ve read it on some reviews. I will hopefully have an answer for that when I post the full review.

Using the browser or social media tools is not very practical using the Remote Control but you could easily plug in a keyboard and use the internet and all the features. You don’t have to worry about empty slots as there’s a handful number of AV Inputs/Outputs, including 4 HDMI™/HDCP Inputs and 3 USB 2.0 ports.

As far as the picture and sound are concerned, the quality is superior and there’s nothing much to say about that. I’ve already watched movies and tested the sound quality and 3D in one of LG’s showrooms and it’s more than you could ask for. For those of you who like to make changes, there’s a lot of flexibility in enhancing the picture and sound capability.

One of the best things about this TV is the 3D. I will not go into the details at the moment but LG uses passive 3D technology that is based on cheap polarized 3D glasses, the ones that are given to you in movie theaters today. It’s almost as good as active 3D and is a cheap and user-friendly solution. To make it even better, LG gives you 6 pairs of 3D glasses that don’t need to be recharged, which are more than enough and far better than other TVs that require 100$+ glasses.

Having said that, the question that comes to your mind is: Who’s gonna watch 3D everyday? Well I most definitely won’t be doing so but what I am dying to try is Black Ops II using LG’s Dual Play Technology. Instead of having a split screen, you can now play on the full screen. I’ve already tried it with a car racing game and it’s amazing!

To cut it short, there are a lot of features that I haven’t tested yet but my first impression of the TV is a very positive one. Here are some of the stuff I will be testing thoroughly in the next few weeks:

- Watching 3D movies every 2 days or so to see if I could get used to it.
- Call of Duty®: Black Ops II Dual Play
- Linking storage devices/PC/Tablets or Smart Phones to the TV
- Trying to play around with picture/sound settings.
- Installing and Using LG’s SMART TV Remote App

As far as the competition to win the TV is concerned, and given that it’s a a big prize this time, I am thinking of making it a bit more challenging and complicated this time and will be posting about it soon.

Marion – Atelier de Gourmandises

I passed by Le Mall Dbayeh last Thursday to have lunch but had no idea where to go. I walked across Level2, which is packed with all sorts of restaurants, before I finally got to Marion Bistro and decided to give it a try. Marion is a French Bistro located at the best possible spot on Level2, with an outdoor terrace overlooking the highway and Marina Dbayyeh. It serves brunch, lunch and dinner and has one of the best salad bars!

What I liked most about this place it that it’s spacious and situated in a relatively calm corner of the mall. It’s the ideal place for families but also for couples to hang out away from the overly-crowded diners, pizzerias and burger places. It also overlooks the mall, the highway and part of the Marina Dbayyeh, which I know is not that great but better than not having any view at all.

As far as the food is concerned, you can choose from a large selection of salads, appetizers, sandwiches, pastas, hot dishes and of course their list of desserts all at reasonable prices. I’ve been to Marion 3 times already and was pleased with most of the dishes I ordered. I liked their Club Saumon, the “Australien Black Angus” steak, Coq au Vin and the Vitello Tonnato appetizer. The quiche however wasn’t that great and overpriced.

Filet de Boeuf Bresilien

Added to that, I am a big fan of salad bars and Marion has one of the best salad bars in Lebanon. The display is great, there’s a decent selection of ingredients and the salad dressings are put in small pitchers on the side, which is better and neater in my opinion than those large bowls and ladles.

Salad Bar

Moving on to my favorite part, which are the desserts, I strongly recommend the Mi-Cuit Au Chocolat and the Creme Brulee. I didn’t like their Tiramisu though.

Mi-Cuit au Chocolat (Using Belgian Chocolate)

All in all, Marion is my favorite type of restaurants, as it’s spacious, has a decent salad bar, some good desserts and fine dishes. Price-wise, the majority of items vary between 15 and 20$ (excluding desserts) and the salad bar is priced at 22,000 which I think is a reasonable price.

If you wish to know more about Marion, visit their Facebook Page [Here].

I’ve been to St. Elmo’s four times already, twice with friends, once on a tweet-up and the last time on a personal invite and I’ve enjoyed my meals and drinks every single time. I was planning to review the place earlier but they have so many items I wanted to try that it was hard to post about it after a single visit.

Located on Beirut’s Zaitunay Bay, St. Elmo’s owes its name to St.Erasmus of Formaie, the patron saint of sailors, and is decorated with nautical vintage stuff to offer a retro-urban seaside setting [Taken from Website]. The restaurant is divided into three parts, one outdoor area overlooking the Zaytounay harbor, an indoor lounge/pub area overlooking a more formal dining area suitable for lunch and dinner.

Before you order any food, there is a long list of drinks and cocktails that you can choose from, ranging from a rich selection of white/rose/red wine, beers and champagne to Sangrias, Mojitos, Bloody Marias and House Elixirs. I am not a big fan of Bloody Marias but one of my friends had the Bloody Mess (see below picture) and he loved it. I recommend trying the Sangria Pitchers, Lynchburg Lemonade (Sour drink), and the Caribbean Shrub.

You can check out the list of drinks and cocktails [Here].

BLOODY MESS: Vodka, Elmo’s clamato juice, giant shrimp & fresh oyster

Moving on to the starters and salads, I recommend the fresh Summer Rolls, the Black Carpaccio (see below picture), the Grilled Calamari and the Tataki Tuna Nicoise salad. All are healthy and delicious choices. The Smoked Salmon Bagel is a must-try in the Sarnies section. It’s a real shame that we don’t have any bagel shops in Lebanon, or at least none that I know of. The only one I used to go to was Euro Deli on Bliss Street during my AUB years but last time I checked, it was closed.

If you want to start with something rather unhealthy, I recommend you go for the Mac & Cheese as a starter. Just don’t have it by yourself because you won’t have any space left for the main dishes.

BLACK CARPACCIO :Cold-cured Black Angus Tenderloin topped with arugula, fresh artichoke hearts, fennel & shaved parmesan with truffle oil

Speaking of main dishes, St. Elmo’s is the place to visit if you are a Fish & Chips or Lobster fan. I haven’t tried the Poached 750g Nova Scotia lobster yet but heard good reviews about it, but I can assure you that the Fish & Chips are the best you can have in Lebanon. The dish is big enough for two people and is awesome! For those of you who don’t drink alcohol, watch out though because they are beer-battered. (All items that contain alcohol are pointed out in the menu).

Fish & Chips: 275g of Beer battered Mediterranean bass served and our home-made tartar sauce & parmesan fries

Last but not least, the desserts offered at St. Elmo’s are the perfect ending to your lunch/dinner. If you are feeling full, order an apéritif and take a small break because some of them are not to miss, especially the Chocolate chip cookie and Nutella Cheesecake.

SOFT CENTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE Oven baked & topped with vanilla bean ice cream

All in all, St. Elmo’s is Beirut’s only English SeaFood Brasserie and is located at the most suitable place, the Zaytounay bay. It’s a new concept that I encourage all Lebanese to try and is rather affordable given its location and when compared to some restaurants around it. (30-50$ per person for a full meal)

If you wish to read more about St. Elmo’s:
[St. Elmo's Facebook page]
[St. Elmo's website] [Menu]

The outdoor area overlooking the yachts and boats

PS: St. Elmo’s also serves brunch from 10am till 1pm, check out their brunch menu [Here].

I’ve had the Nokia Lumia 900 for a few days now and so far I must say it’s been more than a pleasant experience. With its Windows-powered OS, its great build quality and gorgeous design, the Lumia 900 is one of the best smartphones out there and a strong contender to Apple’s iPhone 4/4s, Samsung’s S2 and S3. Its release date was a few months back but the Lumia 900, 800 and 710 models will be available for sale in Lebanon this week. The Lumia 900 will be priced around 600$ from what I’ve heard.

There are a lot of technical and detailed reviews of the Nokia Lumia 900 online that you can check on [CNET], [TechRadar], [Engadget] and [T3]. So, not wanting to come about this review in the same way I will pinpoint the key features, advantages and disadvantages that I noticed and are relevant to me.

Operating system & Performance

The Windows Phone OS is quite intriguing and very different from the iOS and Android systems. It provides easy e-mail access, social network integration, task-switching, office tools, and voice and Bing searches among other things and organizes the key functionalities in big shiny and colorful tiles. What surprised me the most is how quick and smooth the phone is despite the fact that it’s running on a single-core 1.4GHz processor clocked with a mere 512MB of SDRAM. I thought the tiles were a bit too big and there’s a lot of wasted space around them, but that ought to be fixed with the 7.8 version. Nevertheless, the two big advantages of the tiles are that you can pin not just apps but specific features and even groups of people as well, and the personalization is very easy to do. I downloaded and used Wiztiles to configure the Batman theme and organize its tiles as shown below.

Last but not least, if you are worried about piling up more than 50 apps on the main screen, Microsoft has figured that out and displays letters of the alphabet (Once you reach 45 apps) to separate the lists. [7.8 version]

Note that you need a valid Windows Live account to be able to log in to the “People” tile and setup your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Outlook, and Google) and other email accounts. You also get 25 GB of free cloud storage (SkyDrive).

Design & Hardware

Almost all the reviews mentioned how beautifully designed is the Lumia 900 and I can’t agree more. It feels wonderful when held in your hand and is tougher, yet heavier, than the iPhone and Samsungs. The 4.3-inch screen is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass which has passed the Hammer test. [YouTube]

One thing I did not feel comfortable with at first was the arrangement of buttons. In fact, there are only buttons on the right side, two for controlling the volume, the power/lock button in the middle and below it the camera button. When you hold the phone with the right hand, you need to twist the phone in your hand a bit to hit the power/lock or the camera key which is a bit annoying.

In terms of size, it matches the Samsung S2, is smaller than the S3 and bigger than the iPhone 4/4s. [Iphone 4s vs. Lumia 900] [Samsung S3 vs. Lumia 900]

The Lumia comes in three colors, black, white and blue.

Apps & Maps

Since the Lumia 900 is a Windows phone, you get the Bing-powered Nokia maps instead of Google maps, however there’s an additional free of charge navigation app provided, the Nokia Drive which could come in very handy and offers a wide variety of languages and worldwide maps in 2D and 3D. The good thing about Nokia Drive is that it doesn’t require a data connection to render maps, and could save you some time and precious Mbytes especially with the lousy mobile connection and low cellular data quotas in Lebanon.

I downloaded the English navigation voice and tried the turn-by-turn navigation system between Jounieh and Beirut and it wasn’t bad at all considering that we don’t have proper road maps. I will try uploading a video later on showing how it works maybe with the Arabic navigation voice.

Read the rest of this entry »

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I went to check out yesterday this Junkyard/Pop-up restaurant my friend told me about. I was told it’s on Mar Mikhail’s street some 100 meters after Chez Sophie’s restaurant to the right but I could not find it at first. I called him to ask for more directions and as it appears, I had passed right next to it twice and didn’t notice the place.

Parking lot that gets you to the Junkyard

Looking at the second picture, you would never think there’s a hangout place behind those small trees and around those old buildings but the truth is this open air restaurant/bar is the coolest thing I’ve seen yet in Lebanon. It has no name, a unique design with tables/chairs/bars/toilets made out of junks down to the smallest detail, a container as a kitchen and chill-out music.

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Path to the Toilets

Added to that, the place is surrounded by old residential buildings with some balconies directly overlooking it. I noticed many were sitting on their balconies drinking coffee or smoking arguile not bothered one single bit by this sort of pop-up restaurant and pub. It felt like it brought life to the whole neighborhood.

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The kitchen is run by Thomas Reger, the executive chef at Le Sushi Bar and The Jasmine Room. To add to the place’s originality, there’s no set menu but daily dishes picked up by the chef. I had 3 appetizers, couscous with tomato, fresh tuna with peppers, Halloum with watermelon and all were good and refreshing dishes.

[High-Res]
The Bar

The man behind all that is Mario Haddad, who’s always investing in new and innovative ideas in Lebanon, seeking more self-satisfaction rather than just profits. You can read more about him in this article by LorientLeJour [Link].

Now the sad part is that the Junkyard will only open for 2-3 months and then close down before winter as it is not a viable nor sustainable project on the long-run. Nevertheless, if the idea were to work, I am sure the concept could be implemented in various locations on a yearly basis. After the Junkyard is closed, a group of restaurants also managed by Mario will be set up on site as of next year, offering a unique experience to the Lebanese. I will unveil more details about them in future posts.

In order to get to the Junkyard, go to Mar Mikhail’s street (As if you are heading to Burj Hammoud), turn right 100 meters after Chez Sophie restaurant right before the gas station (facing the bus cemetery), and then right again 20 meters into the corner.

Before I begin my review, you should know that Tannoura Maxi has been banned officially from theaters following a request by the Lebanese Catholic Information Center. I am of course against this ban because 1) it’s cultural terrorism and 2) the movie didn’t disrespect the Church nor Christianity in anyway.

Moving on to the review, let me just say in few words that Tannoura Maxi is like a badly prepared Tabbouleh. It has all the basic ingredients for a fine Lebanese Tabbouleh but some ingredients are put in excess, while others are missing and inappropriate ingredients are added. I personally found the movie long and boring, the plot a bit silly and unrealistic (despite being inspired from a true story), the characters dull, and the whole sex and religion themes very badly expressed.

Despite all that, I can understand why some people might like it from an artistic and poetic point of view. Indeed, the movie is very nicely filmed and has special features unseen before in a Lebanese production. The visuals and art direction are beautiful, especially the close-ups on pretty things and nostalgic items. I particularly loved the part where they play the old Ray-o-Vac ad. Nevertheless, all those positive aspects are not really appealing to the average or non-artistic viewer which pretty much explains the overwhelming negative feedbacks Tannoura Maxi received so far.

Digging deeper into the movie, and given that it’s inspired from a true story on how the director’s parents met, here are few things that I thought were inaccurate or did not like:

1- No one wears high heels to go to the well or “3al 3ein” as they say in Lebanese villages.
2- Women were way too overdressed for masses in the movie. That’s not accurate specially that most of them live in the village and are not coming for a visit and we are at war.
3- The music played in parties and on weddings is weird and has almost nothing to do with old traditional Lebanese songs. Unless I am missing something, this music is new to me.
4- I’ve been to masses in many villages and never heard women talk loudly and in such an offensive way about others. It was way too exaggerated and offending to Lebanese women and Lebanese in general.
5- Public signs of affection were not common in villages, even during war time. They are not even that common in the cities in Lebanon. Oh and Priests didn’t dirty dance and kiss at the time.
6- The scene where the priest is cutting some wood and showing off his muscles is really bad.
7- There’s at least 10 minutes of footage where the main character is walking towards the church, her house or to the well and you only hear the clacking noise of high heels. That’s where I felt like walking out of the theater.
8- I didn’t really understand the role the mentally challenged characters played in that movie. They are given way too much importance but it’s like the director focused more on how good they were playing their part rather than make it a significant one.
9- There’s a whorehouse in the village. Show me one village in Lebanon that has a whorehouse or had one back in 1982.
10- I did not sense a real connection between the various scenes of the movie. It’s like you jump from one scene to the other.
11- The monologues are confusing and seem out of place. There’s way too many as well.

In regards to the movie themes and controversial scenes:
1- Director Joe Bou Eid is portraying the Lebanese Forces as being thugs and criminals while Leftists are the good guys. I don’t care who’s wrong or right historically but taking sides does not send out the right message to younger generations.
2- The scene where the LF guy is the only one dancing with an Arak glass in one hand and a cigarette in the other is pure cliché and unoriginal. Leave those clichés to Comedy shows ya Joe!
3- The two key characters in the movie barely talk to each other and all of a sudden have sex and get married. When I first heard him talking about the movie on TV, and saying that it depicts how his parents met, I thought I was in for an original story. However, the movie makes it look as a one night stand where the girl got pregnant and had to marry the guy.
4- The sex scene did not occur in the Church but in a convent. It’s still a holy place but I still don’t think that’s a valid reason to ban the movie.
5- The movie shows the priest as a weak and vulnerable person, one not worthy of becoming a man of God, and does not really insult the Church or Christianity. There’s nothing wrong with falling in love with a girl and stirring away from priesthood, but going against your own beliefs by sleeping with the girl and then marrying her the next day is not something I would go out and tell, or at least not tell in the way Joe Bou Eid did.

There’s one review on IMDb by Sarah Zebian which I agree with and pretty much says it:

Poor story-line, poor scenario, poor performances.

The movie is full of eye-candy. Very little else, except quick-wins like the Rayovac commercial, the traditional dough-making scene, etc, obviously added in to trigger nostalgia without having any real role. Close-ups of the main characters and colorful scenic shots, despite their beauty, are excessive and quickly turn into a nuisance – a failed attempt to overshadow the lack of substance in the movie.

The love story fails to come across as genuine – as the rest of this movie. The two main characters never utter a word as far as I noticed! Generally, presumptuous and a waste of time!

On a last note, I understand that we should be supportive when it comes to Lebanese movies but I think we should point out a bad movie when we see one. Moreover, I strongly believe Lebanese directors need to come out with original ideas and stop digging old civil war stories.

IMDb Rating: 7/10 (From 56 users only)
My Rating: 4.5/10

A a friend of mine contacted me around two weeks back asking me if I wanted to review his McLaren and of course I said yes. After spending the day with it this weekend I can easily review the car with 3 words… “I want one”. Seriously I want one. I can’t afford to buy it but that doesn’t change the fact I really really want it.

There are a lot of reviews of the McLaren online and Top Gear have a great one which you can watch on YouTube. So, not wanting to come about this review in the same way I decided to look at the car differently. It’s obviously a fast super car and everyone already knows that but I was curious to how the car would perform as a daily driver. I would hate to spend this much on a car and then only drive it on weekends. I’d want to drive the car to work, to the gym or even to TSC to pick up some groceries.

First thing I looked for after getting into the car was cup holders and I ended up finding two right behind the center console. Cup holders are great for holding your drinks but they’re also more useful for storing items like your phone or sunglasses. The McLaren not only has two easy to access cup holders but there is also a 12v socket inside one of them which means you can plug in your phone charger as well. That’s practical. Another practical feature is the AC, both the driver and passenger have separate control panels which is a feature you usually find in large cars but not super cars.

The seats are also fully electric and have 3 memory positions which is convenient if the car is being shared between say a couple or family members. The sound system is naturally located in the center console and is made by the high end audio guru’s Meridian. The sound system control panel is a large touch screen that is more than double the size of the iPhone and is 100% iPhone/iPod compatible. Once you connect your iPhone or iPod to the car you can then navigate your music by touch and even view album art beautifully all on the center console screen. I think it has the best iPod integrated system I’ve seen so far. The car boot is a lot bigger than I expected. I wouldn’t take the car to Khoury Home if I need to get a 50inch screen, but it’s definitely supermarket friendly.

The McLaren is very comfortable to drive. I actually found it more comfortable and forgiving on worn out roads when compared to say my old Z4. I’m also pretty tall (6’1) and I didn’t feel claustrophobic or cramped in the car neither did I have problems finding my correct seating position (the seats are incredibly adjustable). Driving the car I was actually impressed by the fact I could cruise in it at 80km/h and not feel like I should be driving it a lot faster. Of course once you step on the gas the car is breathtakingly fast but as a daily driver you want to be able to drive on regular roads at regular speeds and the McLaren does that really well. Even the car’s gas mileage is pretty good at 15mpg which is similar to my FJ Cruiser. I did find the brake peddle a bit too stiff to press but it’s something you would get used to after a few hours in the car.

The only two things that hurt the car as a daily driver is the ride height and the doors. It’s a pretty low ride since it’s a sports car which means the majority of the speed bumps you’ll need to take sideways. The second issue is the doors, they swing open upwards which means you can’t park in very tight spots. If the parking spot is tight you won’t be able to open the doors so you always need to make sure you have ample room on the sides. But again if you’ve paid this much for the car, I doubt you’re going to be squeezing it anywhere. Valet wouldn’t be an issue on weekends since it’s a car that every club would love to have parked right at the main entrance. Just drive up and point to the valet where you want to park and they’ll move whatever car is in that spot for you.

I love the car but then again who wouldn’t? The thing is I don’t only love it because it’s a super car, I love it because it’s a super car you can actually use every day. I wasn’t kidding when I said I want one, I do I just can’t afford it. But, if anyone from McLaren is reading this, give me a fat discount (like 75%) and you’ve got yourself another customer.

I went to visit February 30 yesterday and it is by far Hamra’s funkiest and most original venue. The chairs, tables, toilets, bar, roof, walls are all unusual and the whole place feels like it’s upside down. There’s an indoor space which could fit up to 50 people, maybe more, and a small outdoor space in an adjacent alleyway. I can’t be a judge of the drinks being served there as I always order Vodka (Russian Standard) on the rocks with a slice of lemon (you can’t really go wrong with that) but the Strawberry Margarita my fiancee ordered was fine. As for the food, we ordered Nachos and a goat cheese salad and both were good!

February 30 is located on Makdissi street in Hamra, close to Olio Pizzeria and Le Rouge Restaurant.

I tried to take as many pictures as possible to show you how original the venue is as it’s easier to look at pictures than describe it in words.

[YouTube]

I’ve been to MAD twice in the past 2 weeks and I must say it’s one of the best indoor clubs I’ve been to lately. It’s spacious and very nice from the inside, has good music and its location is adequate for all.

In fact, I used to worry about its location (Nahr el Mot seaside) as there’s no parking space and I hate giving my car to the Valet, but I was informed by a friend that I can park my car on the side of the road and pay the Valet 5000LL (There’s some agreement between MAD valet parking company and the police). Added to that, they opened a new parking lot next to MAD where anyone can park and it fits up to 600-700 cars if not more. Traffic-wise, there’s not much at the moment but things will get worse during the summer.

The club from the inside is divided into two main areas, with the bar in the middle surrounded by small tables and high chairs, and then on the left and right sides small lounges on a more elevated level. Once it gets crowded, you can barely stand though and it could get a bit uncomfortable but that’s how it is in all night clubs in Lebanon with few exceptions such as Buddha bar where you really have your own space.

I had a funny incident the first time I went there. It was around midnight and the place was already full. My friends’ table was on the left side overlooking the middle area, so I headed there and put my stuff on the small couch. As I was talking to some friends around the table facing the couch, I thought of pouring myself a drink, but then I saw a guy giving me the weird looks. Turns out I was pouring from someone else’s table even though all my friends were around it! I apologized to the other table but that’s just to tell you how crowded it could get. We were around 20-25 on a table that could barely fit 5 seated people.

The music is a mixture of house music, followed by commercial pop & RnB songs remixed, with old remixed songs in between. Things pick up around 12:30/1am up until 4/5am. Added to that, and similarly to White, sexy female dancers entertain the crowd for around half an hour by dancing on the bar. [See Video above]

Money-wise, you will end up paying between 75-100$ per person if you have a table and around 50$ or maybe less if you find a spot on the bar without reservation.

Mad club is located on Nahr El Mot-Seaside Road, right before Pier7 if you are heading towards Jounieh. You can reserve by calling this number: 03 060090.