One of the burgers at Buco in Saifi Village. (Credit: Cordon Courtine/L'Orient Today)
When I first heard that a former sous-chef from Noma was opening his own joint in Beirut, I could not believe the rumors. After all, Noma is a renowned three-Michelin-star restaurant that was voted five times as the best restaurant in the world. It is one of those experiences where merely getting a reservation is a “mission impossible,” even with its hefty price tag of $900.To my delight, in December 2023, Chef Tarek Alameddine opened Buco, the name being a syllabic abbreviation for Burgers and Cocktails — just like Noma, being an abbreviation for "nordisk" (Nordic) and "mad" (food). He partnered with his two sisters, as well as two of his friends, Sami Khoueiry and Azzat Traboulsi, and finally ventured into his own place. The name of their company says it all: This is “Not Another Burger Joint.” Indeed, it is an upscale diner where you...
When I first heard that a former sous-chef from Noma was opening his own joint in Beirut, I could not believe the rumors. After all, Noma is a renowned three-Michelin-star restaurant that was voted five times as the best restaurant in the world. It is one of those experiences where merely getting a reservation is a “mission impossible,” even with its hefty price tag of $900.To my delight, in December 2023, Chef Tarek Alameddine opened Buco, the name being a syllabic abbreviation for Burgers and Cocktails — just like Noma, being an abbreviation for "nordisk" (Nordic) and "mad" (food). He partnered with his two sisters, as well as two of his friends, Sami Khoueiry and Azzat Traboulsi, and finally ventured into his own place. The name of their company says it all: This is “Not Another Burger Joint.” Indeed, it is an upscale diner...
