In case you ever find yourself on the streets of Delhi, India, you won’t have to worry about the chicken tikkas or mutton biryanis:

From roadside kiosks and small eateries to fancy restaurants and lounge bars, Lebanese cuisine is tingling taste buds across the capital.

Apparently Lebanese cuisine is the hottest thing to hit New Delhi since curry powder:

One of the most popular Lebanese food joints is Al Bake in the posh New Friends Colony market. The small eatery is thronged by college students wanting to gorge on the shawarma here, which costs only Rs.25 [US$0.49].

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Another small eatery serving Lebanese fare that regularly attracts food lovers is Arabian Nites in the Basant Lok market in south Delhi. However, the delicacies here cost a little more.

The shawarma at Rs.75 [US$1.48] is on the top of visitors’ wishlists but also popular are the felafel for Rs.60 [US$1.18] and hummus – a dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas – for Rs.35 [US$0.69].

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At Lebanese Point in the PVR Saket complex, the shawarma costs Rs.70 [US$1.38] per piece while the felafel is for Rs.50 [US$0.98].

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For a chic and elaborate Lebanese experience, the well-heeled in the capital head to Shalom Lounge Bar in Greater Kailash Part-I, where a typical meal in the special setting can set you back by Rs.700 [US$13.78] per head.

The majority of the owners of these restaurants are Indian nationals who lived in the Arabian Gulf and worked at Lebanese restaurants. Of course someone has to take credit for this Lebanese culinary invasion, and it turns out to be a Syrian:

Raffi Aslanian, a Syrian national who resides here, claims to have been the first to introduce the cuisine in the country 20 years ago.

Just can’t escape those Syrians!