Wassim Tawbo, on the left, and Samer Mansour in front of their restaurant La Sésalette in Paris, in August 2026. (Credit: Valentine Lemaire/L’Orient-Le Jour)
It was in a half-awake dream that Wassim Tawbo came up with the name La Sésalette, the restaurant he opened with his nephew Samer Mansour in 2025 on Rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière, in Paris’ 10th arrondissement. A simple blend of the words “sesame” and “galette” (flatbread), the name alone sums up the ambition of the two co-founders: to honor the kaakeh, this iconic street food central to everyday life for many Lebanese people, and to introduce the French to the flavors, rituals and ambiance of Lebanese homes.“We weren’t allowed to use the word ‘kaakeh’ in our name, so we invented an equivalent that would be easier for the French to pronounce,” Samer explains. It is a translation the pair even hopes will one day make it into the dictionary. Another taste of home At 'Bar à Formage,' Lebanese zaatar meets brie de Meaux “We both grew up...
It was in a half-awake dream that Wassim Tawbo came up with the name La Sésalette, the restaurant he opened with his nephew Samer Mansour in 2025 on Rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière, in Paris’ 10th arrondissement. A simple blend of the words “sesame” and “galette” (flatbread), the name alone sums up the ambition of the two co-founders: to honor the kaakeh, this iconic street food central...
