Mind Soup

Many businesses have finally started to realize the importance of social media for their success, but few have relied so heavily on it in Lebanon to promote their concept. A perfect example of this would be Pizza Cups, an all-homemade catering business with a fresh, delicious idea that was launched solely on social media platforms. To know more about Pizza Cups and its social media strategy, I interviewed Wassim El Haddad, co-founder, about this innovation. El Haddad has been working in social media for the past year in Cleartag, while co-founding Pizza Cups with Khajag Apelian and currently handles the communication matters of the brand as they get ready to open their new outlet and expand. What is Pizza Cups and how did you come up with the concept? Pizza Cups are cup-shaped pizzas prepared with fresh quality ingredients and baked with care and dedication. They're available in different savory and sweet flavors, with different crust choices. The starting point of...

M Gourmet and Online Collaborative hosted a sushi tweet-up on October 21, 2013. During the tweet-up, invited tweeps got to mingle of over 60 members of the Lebanese Online Community and experience the different sushi selections at MGourmet in addition to the specialty dessert wraps made with Nutella and fruits. M Gourmet lights up the streets of Ashrafieh with its innovative sushi, pop vibes and upbeat mood. At M Gourmet, you are invited to taste innovative Japanese food overseen by the master chefs of Buddha Bar. Whether you are coming to have a meal with loved ones, or a Martini at the bar, everything about the place is bound to glam up your experience. Spread among three stories, the eclectic decor is highlighted by dim neon lights, frequent nods to pop art and playful notes (think hopscotch on the floors or snakes and ladders on the wall), making it a place that does not take itself too seriously.

Tobacco control legislation will come into effect in Lebanon on September 3rd, 2012. As usual, the Lebanese government will implement random laws without studying the effect it will cause on society and the economy. Don't get me wrong, I am not against the smoking ban, but it should not be like this. This law that was approved is out-dated and comes back from the early 1900s and is technically very strict that I doubt it will even be properly enforced. What's mainly wrong with this law is that it does not allow for smokers to have specialized places to go to. It is also incomplete as it sets the stage for poor implementation, corruption and a non-negligible negative effect on the country’s tourism and hospitality sectors. The figures and infographics below are prepared by The Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants in Lebanon and are part of a study conducted by Ernest & Young in Lebanon. It makes you think twice before following the tobacco ban law blindly. UPDATE...

Since Gino  is looking for Beirut's Favorite Burger , I thought I would share with you three burgers that I believe are the best I've had in Beirut (aside from my mom's homemade burger of course!). Let me know what you think and do suggest some good burgers for me to try! Roadster Diner's Cheese-at-Heart burger Roadster Diner have recently launched their new menu (read more about it by Pearl's Powder ). A new addition is the "Rd Cheese-at-Heart" burger which is made of a special patty stuffed with Swiss and Cheddar cheese (yes! the meat patty is stuffed with cheese!). It also contains lettuce, crispy chips sprinkles (which gives the burger and absolutely lovely crunchy flavor) and the amazing Rd classic sauce (which is the reason why I used to order the Classic Burger before). It's definitely recommended that you try this burger in-store so that you can indulge in the melted cheese and crispy chips. The price is not expensive as well! (I've h...

You may have seen the pictures of starving people in the Horn of Africa on your TV screens. We are all asking: how can this be happening again? Parts of Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia are facing one of the worst droughts for 60 years, and around 10 million people are desperately in need of food, clean water and basic sanitation. Join me in calling on world leaders to save millions of lives - today and tomorrow: http://act.one.org/sign/horn_of_africa/?source=horncrisistafem Despite the urgency of the situation, most world leaders are responding too slowly. Immediate aid is essential. Yet at the same time we must not let them drop the ball on long term solutions as has too often happened in the past. Take action right now at: http://act.one.org/sign/horn_of_africa/?source=horncrisistafem We can help stop starvation now - and stop the causes of starvation. Firstly, we need to make sure funding is provided to pay for urgent help that will prevent people from dying. Secondly, the...

On Wednesday July 13th, a bunch of tweeps and I had the pleasure of attending Feast for Change, the first official food & wine event in Lebanon by the Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Cafes, Night-Clubs & Pastries in Lebanon that took place at Sursock Palace Gardens. The event was hosted under the patronage of Lady Sursock Cochrane who will donate a percentage of proceeds to her foundation for protecting natural sites and old buildings in Lebanon APSAD . The event featured around forty restaurants and drink vendors including attractions such as a live grill, chocolate fountain, ice-cream cart, cotton candy machine, and many other food and drink stops. The event also featured live performances with singers, opera vocalists and bands that made the event very light-hearted and interesting. I'm not going to express my admiration to the beauty of the venue, it was simple gorgeous. With more that 1400 invitees, the event was highly organized and the food was extremely del...

The Standing Committee On Reproductive health including HIV/AIDS (SCORA) in the Lebanese Medical Students International Committee (LeMSIC) at the American University of Beirut (AUB) was holding a campaign to raise awareness for International Women's day which is usually on the 8th of March of every year. That's me :) Their campaign consisted of a photo-shoot of people holding a green board that they can write whatever they want on. Of course it had to be relevant to the topic, though some did go a little out of subject, but that is okay. They also had a very creative idea where they created a bathroom cabin (with no toilet) that people can actually go in and write on the bathroom wall too. There were also purple-green-white handmade bracelets handed out for free to participants. They will be collecting these photos to create an exhibition in AUB to display the statements and people in these photos. Below are just a random selection of photos that I took from the event...

MIND SOUP : Yet another lawsuit launched against a middle-eastern blogger. But this time, the suing side is not a politician or an official, but a restaurant; a restaurant with very bad PR and marketing skills might I add. Mark is a Lebanese blogger who wrote a review of Benihana Kuwait on his blog 248am  after visiting the restaurant a few days after its grande  opening. I have done a huge deal of research on Benihana last summer for a course and I know well that Benihana distinguishes itself from other restaurants by two aspects: The unique layout where customers sit and watch while a chef cooks their food in front of them in a live display of culinary skills. The quality and freshness of their foods, most importantly their meats. In his review, Mark complains of the quality of the food being served, and I quote: ... [T]he Hibachi chicken which is basically grilled chicken, that was the worst. The chicken was very chewy (I could swear it was und...

ENERGY DIMENSION:   We have learned much about our bodies through old wives’ tales handed down from our moms and grandmothers and even in school, but not all of it is correct. Here we look at 10 misconceptions that might surprise you. 1. Warts can be caught from other animals like toads Human warts are caused by a virus that affects only humans, the human pappiloma virus. They cannot be caught by animals with warts and certainly not by toads whose bumps are not warts but glands. 2. Sugar makes children hyperactive False! Twelve controlled, double blind trials have shown that there is absolutely no connection between children’s behavior and their sugar intake. One thing was found, namely that parents rate their child’s behavior as more hyper when they thought they had been given a sugary drink. “The studies included sugar from sweets, chocolate and natural sources. Even in studies of those who were considered “sensitive” to sugar, children did not behave differently after eati...