How Restaurant Närenj Combines French Gastronomy and Syrian Flavors | Eater

"Opened in 2018 by Syrian refugee chef Nabil Attard, this restaurant marries Syrian home cooking with French gastronomy: Attard insists on high-quality ingredients and French-style technique while keeping the original flavors of his childhood. A signature dish, yabrak — bundles of stuffed grape leaves with rice, saffron flower, and lamb — is presented in a French manner, bundled and topped with a lemon-garlic sauce and a tender piece of lamb, yet retains its family-rooted tradition of everyone helping to stuff it. Other highlights include kubeh served with cooked yogurt and the namesake dessert featuring bitter orange flower with rice pudding and pistachios. The kitchen and menu reflect the chef’s personal story of displacement and determination, framing the restaurant as both a reinvention and a commitment to succeed." - Terri Ciccone