ilili

I love palindromes. "ilili" is a pretty one to look at, right?

This was the first time I was seeing R since she left Manila, and as she is very much a New Yorker by now, I let her take the reigns and choose a restaurant.

Although R admitted that she was unsure if it would be good or not, ilili was an intriguing restaurant she supposedly passed by frequently. I realized this was the perfect time to stir things up a bit and remain in the dark myself, so I resisted any sort of research. Besides, as long as I'm with R, it's bound to be a great time.

Such a storyteller

Upon entering, we were both in awe of the vast bar/lounge area that greeted us. It was almost as if the high ceiling and posh decor left me in a bit of a trance. ilili turned out to be a pretty fancy Lebanese restaurant.

We both wanted a light dinner so we opted for a bunch of small plates to share--as suggested by our waiter--which turned out to be a smart move as we weren't even able to finish everything we ordered!

Beef shawarma - beef & lamb, tomato, sumac onion, tahini

ilili's beef shawarma was so flavorful. I don't think I've ever known it to taste so rich -- it hit every type of taste known to humans -- sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (love that word).

Brussel sprouts - fig jam, grapes, walnuts, mint yogurt

The brussel sprouts were to. die. for. I would return everyday just for them. Everyday. Twice on Sundays. They were the perfect balance of sweet and salty.

Warm, puffy pita bread

Hommus - pine nuts, tahini, olive oil

I'm a sucker for Mediterranean food and ilili was definitely the most pleasant surprise I came across thus far. R agreed profusely and even gave herself a pat on the back in the middle of our meal.

ilili
236 5th Ave, New York