Lot 314, Jalan Ampang,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-4256 0678/www.hadramawt.com.my).
Business hours: 11.00am-1.00am (weekdays),
11.00am-2.00am (weekends).
IF you have not tried Yemeni food, it is about time to do so as the Middle Eastern cuisine is pleasing to the palate.
Hadramawt has been touted as the first Yemeni restaurant in Malaysia.
Restaurant managing director Hamza Mahmoud said the name was that of a city and that they have two restaurants in Kuala Lumpur ? one in Jalan Raja Chulan while the latest outlet is in Jalan Ampang.
Hadramawt has an Arabian theme to its interior and serves Yemeni as well as a variety of other Middle Eastern cuisine.
Some will not be completely alien to local palates as the flavours are similar to some local dishes.
One of the popular dishes is the Lamb Mendy.
Similar to biryani, the meal consists of rice with a tender and juicy piece of lamb, with the meat coming off the bone easily.
Skilled hands: Chef Saif Hassan from Yemen making the mulawah bread at Hadramawt?s kitchen.
The secret to the meat?s tenderness lies in the heat used to cook the dish, which is at a very high temperature.
Some of the food is cooked in a special oven using charcoal.
The lamb and rice is a Yemeni specialty. Chicken and lamb are frequently eaten whereas beef is rarely consumed, said Hamza, adding that beef is not served at the restaurant. Another dish served here is Salta, a staple fare among the Yemeni.
Served hot, it is a mixture of eggs, vegetables, meat and spices, among other ingredients.
Salta is hearty and full of flavour, perfect to be eaten with mulawah, a type of bread that is similar to paratha.
The mulawah also goes well with their mixed appetiser, which comes with hummus, made from chickpeas and which is thick and creamy.
The Lamb Zurbian, comprising basmati rice and lamb, is served with spicy tomato and yoghurt. It is another Yemeni specialty that is equally tasty.
Hamza said Hadramawt emphasises on the quality and taste of its food.
The chefs at the restaurant are from Yemen, Lebanon, Egypt and Syria, and prepare dishes from their respective countries.
The restaurant also provides catering services.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.