Kiki’s: In Beirut, a place to eat healthy without compromising on pleasure

Behind the faded yellow facade of a 1920s Lebanese building, formerly "The High Lama", a new restaurant opened its doors on Jan. 5. Kiki’s is both a promise and a manifesto: a way of life. Just like its founder, Christelle Aad, the place aims to be both personal and contemporary, in a Beirut where "healthy eating" is no longer a niche luxury but a real market segment."The idea for the restaurant is inspired by my way of living. It reflects my personality, my tastes, my way of eating," Aad explains. As a mother with no previous experience in the restaurant industry, Aad decided to invest nearly $400,000 in the project through her company SAL Soul and Spice. It's a gamble she built far from Lebanon: "I was living in the United States, I came back in 2016, then I lived in Dubai before settling for good...