Join us for a very special night, as our friends Aga and Jad of the beloved London restaurant Lebnani visit Brooklyn to celebrate the US launch of their eponymous cookbook, Lebnani.
Jad Youssef is chef patron of the award-winning Lebnani in Reigate, Surrey which Jay Rayner highly praised in The Observer: ‘one taste of its gloriously zingy Lebanese flavours and you know you’re in the right place.’ Jad was born in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War, the youngest of six siblings. He learnt to cook in his mother Khadija’s kitchen and in his father’s pastry shop before training at the Ecole Hoteliere in Beirut. He worked in Oslo, London and Hong Kong in prestigious restaurants and he is the founder of Yalla Yalla street food chain and owns Lebnani, the restaurant was named Best Restaurant in Surrey by Muddy Stilettos in 2024, awarded two AA Rosette in July 2026 and Be Inclusive Hospitality winner of the Middle Eastern Food Award. Jad's Sawda Djej (chicken livers) became so loved that it was named one of Time Out London’s 100 Best Dishes.
His new book, Lebnani brings together a collection of 84 authentic recipes cooking from his own family’s kitchen in Lebanon and that feature on the menu of his award-winning restaurant Lebnani in Surrey. Here are the secret spice blends, time-honoured techniques and the beloved dishes of his mother, aunts, and grandparents that gather everyone around the table to feast family-style. As Sami Tamimi says “In these recipes, Jad offers more than flavour - he shares his experiences and warmth. This book is true celebration of Lebanese home cooking, grounded in memories and full of heart. Yalla, let’s cook from it. "
Each ticket includes entry and a selection of small bites from the Lebnani kitchen, curated and prepared by Ora Wise, founder of Queer Aperitivo, who will be cooking some delicious apero-appropriate bites from the book such as:
•E'jjeh
•Muhammara
•Salatet Halloum w Battikh
•Hummus b'Tihini
Drinks will also be available, including some special Lebanese wines. Come through to snack, sip, chat with Aga and Jad, and celebrate Lebnani with us!
Accessibility info: Little Egg has a ramp for wheelchair access.