A hummus recipe and cashier countertop are the only surviving elements of the original 'Beirut' restaurant, which opened its doors in Qatar in 1960 and has since tracked the capital Doha's metamorphosis from dusty outpost to hosting soccer's World Cup.
Jihad Shahin's uncle opened the Lebanese restaurant in the old commercial district of Msheireb but the building that housed it was razed under a development project that produced one of Doha's most modern areas, brimming with hip coffee shops and lunch spots serving high-powered executives.
