Flavours of Yemeni Cuisine
There
aren’t many Yemeni cuisine available here in our Malaysian shores. More widely
categorize as Middle Eastern cuisine, Yemeni cuisine is the national cuisine of
Yemen. The cuisine uses spices along with meat in most of their dishes. Staple
vegetables consist of tomatoes, onions and potatoes. The cuisine also has lots
of rice and bread as their daily staples too.
It
was my first experience of Yemeni flavours and I am glad it was at Al Nafoura Restaurant. Located in
Wangsa Maju, Al Nafourah opened
January 2016. Husband and wife team, Rahim and Izana hopes to introduce
authentic Yemeni cuisine to diners here as they both enjoy the cuisine very
much. Rahim learned to appreciate the cuisine while studying in Saudi Arabia
during his younger years.
Everything
from décor to menu at Al Nafoura is
out together by both Rahim and Izana. While the décor may seemed relatively
simple, the ambiance does reflect the culture of the cuisine. Warm terracotta
colors are contrasted with soft white while warm yellow lighting sets the mood.
Pieces of Middle Eastern art, photos and knick knacks completed the interior.
The
menu is decent and filled with photos to assist those who may not be familiar
with the cuisine like me. From Chef’s Recommendation to appetizers, Arabic breads,
tapas, main dishes to fusion dishes and desserts, Al Nafoura tries to bring in authentic flavours of Yemeni food, said
to be influenced from flavours of Africa, India and Turkey. The menu also has
vegetarian options.
Arabic
breads are simply a must in the cuisine. These are eaten with all the stews and
braised dishes. High on the recommended list to try is the Mullawah Bread (RM5 small | RM8 large). The tasty Yemeni bread is a
sort of large flat bread layered and folded with ghee and cooked on flat pan.
The flat bread is deliciously aromatic and toasty with a lightly flaky texture.
It certainly went really well with our dip and prawn stew. This is only
available on weekdays for dinner and weekends only.
Hummus (RM12) is made really well here.
Garlicky and nutty flavours shined through the creamy bean dip. A light tang of
citrus, a dash of olive oil, black sesame and some chopped tomatoes whets the
appetite along with the Mullawah bread.
Prawns
cooked in a thick and rich tomato stew summed up Prawn Salona (RM22). The balance of spices like cumin and cayenne
really added delicious depth of flavours in the stew. This one goes well with
rice or bread.
Oqda
means ‘knot’ in Arabic and so Chicken
Oqda (RM17) is a dish that is tied together with rich spices and vegetables
cooked with chicken. Chunky boneless shredded chicken has well absorbed the
tomatoey vegetable and spiced up sauce so well. Slap on the bread to pick up
the Chicken Oqda for a tasty appetizer treat.
The
first main dish to arrive was the Mandi
Chicken (RM16 quarter| RM26 half). A whole chicken Maryland is marinated
and grilled. The beautiful golden hue denoted the spiced marinade. Served with
fluffy saffron Basmati rice and a special curry gravy, the dish is suitable for
both adults as well as kids. The chicken is moist and tender with a tasty
savory note that is easy to enjoy. There is also a lamb option for this dish.
Another
main dish we had is the Kabsa Lamb Rice
(RM23 small | RM37 large). The Kabsa lamb stew has large pieces of bone-in lamb
in a yellow gravy finished with lots of fresh coriander. Served with a yellow
spiced Basmati rice and also a curry gravy, this one is superb. Not a fan of
lamb, the lamb stew is really very moreish. The lamb is so tender and
melts-in-the-mouth and is well perfumed by spices that there is no meaty lamb
smell that is usually present. The rice is also very fluffy and aromatic,
making the dish a winner in my books. There is also a chicken option for this
one but I highly recommend the lamb.
Do
order a side of Garlic Sauce (RM4)
to go with the main dishes. Creamy pungent garlicky sauce added a spin of tasty
flavours to any dishes at Al Nafoura.
Our
limelight of the evening was the house signature Lamb Maghdout (RM39 1/2kg | RM75 1kg) or Chicken (RM35 half | RM65
whole). Lamb is marinated with lots of spices and pressure cooked to delicious
tenderness. Coupled with the tomato and spice based Basmati rice, the dish also
has lots of raw red onions, fresh coriander and boiled egg.
Al
Nafoura has nailed their lamb dishes to perfection. The lamb in this dish is
even better than the Kabsa lamb. Gorgeously fork tender, the lamb has sublime
spice flavours with a smoky note. The rice is very tasty and fluffy too. The
flavours from the pairing is well balanced and scrumptious. Even though I was
pretty full, I find myself going back for this dish simply because I really
enjoyed the flavours. It takes at least 20 to 30 minutes to prepare this dish
but it’s truly well worth the wait.
Order
the Al Nafoura Salad (RM10) to go
with the main dishes for fresh burst of crunchy vegetables. Chopped tomatoes,
cucumbers, onions and olives are lightly seasoned to keep the freshness.
Sahawiq or a tomato salsa is the sauce that
really pulls every dish together. It has such a hit of heat from chilies and a
pump of robust onions and tomato flavours that had me spooning lots of the
sauce on all the main dishes. Damn shiok sauce!
We
were told that Rahim came up with Maggi
Goreng Kabsa (RM18). Not an authentic one but rather a creative fusion, the
noodles turned out to be decent. Nothing to shout about but still, it makes a
nice single dish for those who are game to try this. The actual noodle comes
with meat while ours had no meat due to our request since we already had so
much meat in our mains.
For
desserts, we opted to try the Areeka
(RM18), a sweet and savory dessert made from homemade wheat flatbread and
dates. It has quite a unique flavour and may take work or not with some. The
thick cream topping with shredded cheese gave the dish an oddness of flavour.
It is also quite rich and heavy so it is best to share this dessert.
I
prefer the Kunafe (RM15), a Middle
Eastern sweet pastry of golden crispy shredded phyllo stuffed with white soft
cheese. This one is crispy and creamy with a luscious cheesy note. Finished
with a thick whipped cream, I like the dessert with its gentle sweetness and
crispy texture.
Order
the refreshing cold Lemon & Mint
(RM8) to freshen up the palate or the hot Adani
Spice Tea (RM6 – cup | RM12 – teapot) to washed down the richness of the
dishes. The tea is similar to our pulled tea except it is spiced with ginger,
cloves and cardamom.
Try
Yemeni cuisine at least once and you will be surprise at how good the cuisine
is. Al Nafoura is a great choice to
try the cuisine as the Rahim has really nailed the flavours well. Dishes are affordable
and prepared very well. Al Nafoura
also does catering for private parties. It may be my first time trying Yemeni
cuisine but it will certainly not be my last as Al Nafoura has really left a delicious experience of Yemeni cuisine
for me.
AL
NAFOURA
9-G, Plaza Wangsa Maju
(Hedgeford Galleria),
Jalan Maju Ria 2,
Wangsa Maju, Section 10,
53300 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-4131 4886
Facebook: www.facebook.com/alnafourakl
Business Hours:
Sat to Thurs 11.30am to 10pm
Friday 11.30am to 1pm | 2.15 to 10pm
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