Mandi Rice With Fries @ Madinat Zayed Al-Sha’bi Restaurant, Liwa

mandi rice served with with fries?

we were in madinat zayed, liwa – the largest town in al-gharbia – in the western region of abu dhabi, near rub al khali desert hangin out at a desert hotel ‘tilal liwa’. (click here for my post on ‘tilal liwa hotel’) we’re desperate for rice (orang malaysia musti mau makan nasi! haha) so we left the hotel and did some cruising around town.

it would seem like madinat zayed is a small town, but then we saw the big ‘city mall’ and stumbled upon this restaurant nearby. when you take risk like stopping in the middle of somewhere for lunch, you’d just hope and pray that the food is edible, if not good.

but the food at madinat zayed al-sha’bi restaurant is not only good – it’s mighty delicious! served with fries!

 

 

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maidinat zayed al-sha’bi restaurant is very near ‘city mall’ at madinat zayed city. just drive around the area and you definitely will not miss this peach-colored building at one corner.

 

very spacious, clean and comfy. the seating area is very homely too.

 

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we finally found mandi rice in liwa! the moment the big plate came we were salivating. looks GOOD! also, it’s unusual to see mandi rice served with potato fries and mixed veggie together so we were very curious too. interesting, and it works, because I love fries!

 

the grilled chicken is absolutely delicious. well marinated and grilled to perfection – leaving the chicken still tender and juicy on the inside.

 

one of mr. khairul’s favorite meat style is madfoon – which is cooked in layers of aluminum foil to hold all the delicious juices. once its unwrapped, you can bet its aroma hits you right up the nose and into your grumbling tummy! tantalizing!

 

delicious meat madfoon unwrapped~

 

served with fattoush salad~

 

mandi rice is served with a plate of veggie. some mandi restaurant offers plate of just cucumber and rocket leaf; some has cut-up cabbages and carrots or lettuce.

now THIS is the best complimentary veggie ever because it’s my favorite fattoush salad – arabic salad made up of cut-up cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce and cabbage mixed with ‘sumac’ powder to give it the yummy sour taste. there’s usually toasted pieces of pita bread which is the ‘fattoush’ itself. though this fattoush salad is incomplete, it’s still in my top 5!

 

 

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next time you’re in LIWA, western region of abu dhabi, try getting lost at madinat zayed and see if you stumble upon the madinat zayed al-sha’bi restaurant!

Homely Feel @ Indian Restaurant ‘Katis’ in Sharjah

if you ever need to eat out while still feel you’re eating at home with friendly faces and personalized service, I would recommend ‘katis restaurant’ – an indian restaurant serving north indian food in sharjah. they offer chinese cuisine too. the food was good and the staff welcomed us with warmth and smiles.

how did we find ‘katis restaurant’? we were thinking of mandi restaurant, but later decided to go for indian food. browsed ‘zomato’ and looked for the highest-rated indian restaurant in sharjah. bam! it brought us to ‘katis’.

 

here I am with mr. khairul’s family in front of ‘katis restaurant’ – his aunt maklang, me, my sis-in-law tina, and mr. khairul’s mom. they’re here in dubai for a 1-month visit. ‘katis restaurant’ is situated opposite ‘safeer mall’ at al-khan street. it’s easy to spot with its big red font and a funny cartoon of a chef holding a hot pot.

 

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for starters, we tried the popular ‘momos’ – which was regularly mentioned positively by patrons in their review of ‘katis’. ‘momos’ is a type of dumpling with filling. the one we got at ‘katis’ was steamed fresh and filled with chicken. mr. khairul loves dumpling, but me not so much. however, I can always try at least one!

 

our plate of hot steamed momos came with a delicious spicy chili dip. though I would’ve preferred pan-fried momos, but this tasted good. the crescent-shaped dough was soft and light, while the filling is tasty, with a nice portion. when you dip it in the hot chili – saucy! I would order the momos again – and this time, fried ones!

 

for the main course, we ordered the ‘chicken handi briyani’, served exotically in a claypot, covered with bread; like a lid. adorable! (if I’m not mistaken, ‘handi briyani’ means that the briyani is cooked in an earthen pot – ‘handi’ being the cooking pot for the rice – hence, the presentation). the briyani presentation looks so traditional that it beckons our hungry tummy even more!

 

mr. khairul cut-up the top of the bread to reveal the delicious briyani inside the pot.

 

the chicken handi briyani

 

the steam came up and I see soft beads of rice with wonderful color and aroma. so inviting! the chicken is hidden somewhere inside the rice, like a tasty treasure waiting to be unearthed. the combination of chicken and rice – delicious.

I’m always cautious when eating indian briyani because sometimes the spices can be a bit too much for my mild taste buds but the ‘handi briyani’ at ‘katis’ seemed just right to satisfy my tummy. highly recommended!

 

my sis-in-law fancies having fried rice so we got this ‘shanghai fried rice’ which was, funnily enough, rice fried together with noodle! interesting! this dish is simple, yet satisfying. the key is its freshly fried! (also, because I love anything with capsicum in them!)

 

my boys had their favorite ‘paratha’ and enjoyed their meal. to me the texture of the paratha at ‘katis’ is more to capati than the fluffier version of paratha that I’m used to. nevertheless, my boys had no trouble finishing up the whole basket of paratha, and that’s just fine by me! oh but I just love their dalcha, tasty and complements the paratha well.

 

my sis-in-law tina enjoying her meal with a smile. huhu. beside her is mr. khairul’s aunt mak lang – not saying a word while eating – that means the food is good! haha

 

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when I first entered ‘katis’, it seemed gloomy and cramped because of the bold wallpaper – but slowly I find the pretty wallpaper welcoming, and the gloominess was actually comfy and cozy. especially when we received personalized service from the staff at ‘katis’, including the owner himself who was very friendly and always suggests good food we might like to try.

 

beaded curtains separate our eating area with the door to the washroom which is a nice touch. and hygienic too!

 

welcome to ‘katis restaurant’!

 

this photography was taken from its facebook page. click here to go to katis restaurant’s facebook page. thank you for the memorable picture!

Mandi Rice & Sweet Kunafah @ Noor Al Mandi, Al Qusais

we went a little further from our usual makan ‘playground’ to find this pretty little gem of a place that serves the usual mandi rice with chicken, meat and fish. plus this fantastic arabic delight called ‘kunafah’ – sweet, and delicious!

we found it at ‘noor al mandi’ in al-qusais.

 

my eldest son, the mandi rice-freak. yeap, that’s my boy alright!

 

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the first thing that caught my attention (apart from the huge light-up signboard NOOR AL MANDI outside) is the beautiful interior. the other mandi rice restaurant with really beautiful interior that we’ve been to was ‘turath al-mandi’ (click here to read my review), and personally to me, ‘noor al mandi’ could be second in comparison.

however, noor al mandi could be a winner because while turath al mandi charges more for its dishes (a plate of mandi rice cost about dhs40 or so), the dishes at noor al mandi are more affordable. so you get to dine at a pretty place, without paying more!

 

classy hallway, with wooden carved sliding doors. curtains in majlees give that authentic feel, but these sliding doors give extra privacy.

 

beautiful!

 

this is IN the room. gorgeous!

 

this is the main majless. gorgeous and so classy! complete with a tv. (taken from noor al mandi fb page – click here)

 

comfy as any majlees would provide. satisfied with the comfort, and awed by its loveliness.

 

this is the family section with tables and chairs. also with sliding door, and instead of the mosaic wall décor, there is a picture of cities in yemen with the signature building, that fills up an entire wall. I like it!

 

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there are so many types of cooking-of-the-meat to choose from – the meat muqalqal, meat burmah, meat madbee, meat zorbiyan, meah madfoon and meat mathgoot – the list seemed endless! but mr. khairul’s favorite is the madfoon and zorbiyan.

 

we got the meat madfoon – a favorite of mr. khairul. the rice is soft, and the meat so tender and juicy. what else to say? it’s well-seasoned, cooked to perfection and delicious to taste.

 

a must for the boys – chicken mandi. as delicious as it gets.

 

now lemme talk about THIS dish. this surprisingly satisfying dish! this seemed to be a specialty – ‘farsh fish’, to be eaten with the mandi rice.

 

I must say I’m not much of a fan of fish mandi, and I don’t like to ratah lauk (eat fish flesh without rice). but this amazing ‘farsh fish’ dish from noor al mandi is VERY DELICIOUS! it’s well-marinated, resulting in the fantastic taste of the fish down to the core – which makes it so good to eat on its own (which I will never do when it comes to fish). the flesh is super soft and juicy too.

me, a non-fish fan, eating this ‘farsh fish’ dish at noor al mandi on its own. that says a lot about the tastiness of this dish.

 

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I’ve been searching for a mandi restaurant that serves kunafa or kanafeh, and finally found it. noor al mandi, I thank thee!

 

in layman’s term, kunafah is simply the arabic cheesecake. haha. it’s ‘cheese pastry soaked in sweet sugar-based syrup’. the type of cheese they usually use is called ‘nabulsi cheese’, spread on the pastry before the thick sugar syrup. describing it now makes me really WANT IT! it’s THAT good. especially when served hot!

 

I think that the person making this must be really careful not to overdo the sugar syrup. a little too much, and the dessert is spoilt; being too sweet, or soggy. the syrup must be just right, to give it the awesome sweet taste and the great crispy-chewy texture of the pastry and cheese. a sinfully delicious dessert – and I like it a little bit burnt!

 

 

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we ate at the family area. this is the entrance to the common dining area.

 

mr. khairul making friends with the waiting staff. most of their staff are from yemen and are so obliging and friendly. mr. khairul had the pleasure of sharing his experience visiting their beautiful country countless times; and in turn they were so excited to know someone who has been to their country.

 

 

‘noor al mandi’ is highly recommended for the good service, ‘fish farsh’ dish, and its kunafah is worth a second and third helping. remember to eat it while it’s still hot!

it’s situated at burj al noor tower, amman street, al nahda 2, in al quasis. it’s in the stretch of shoplots opposite the large madina mall.