Ad - Food Review: Hadramawt KL at Chulan Square

Hello dear readers! So sorry this blog has been a little quiet, and I apologise for not updating my segment as often as I should. Things have been really hectic (as usual). I'm doing my final semester now, so I'm trying my best to juggle everything without tripping haha. Anyway...I hope you like Middle Eastern cuisine, because that's the subject of the review today.

Earlier this year, my boyfriend and I decided to check out Hadramawt KL at Chulan Square (located on Jalan Raja Chulan). There is another branch located in Johor too if I'm not mistaken. We drove there and found it without any trouble (it was pretty easy to spot) and found a parking immediately. I think they charged RM3.00 per entry for the Chulan Square parking. 

It is a two-storey restaurant that is decorated elegantly, but still has a Middle-Eastern feel to it. I loved that, because I always believe that culture should not forgotten. There was a lot of wooden decor and neutral colours.The decor created a warm, homey atmosphere. 

Anyway, we both had a four-course meal - arabic salad for the appertiser, mixed vegetable stew, the lamb mendy rice and the chicken sheesh tawooq as the main course, followed by a serving each of the arabic tea and mohallabiya for dessert. We also got free-flow of iced lemon tea to go with our meal :) Are you drooling yet? lol I know, it sounds fantastic right?

The arabic salad was very refreshing. There were lots of tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce (I think), which were drizzled with a citrus salad dressing. It was a nice combination and the portions were rather generous, but not too much that we wouldn't be able to enjoy our following courses. We were served almost immediately after we ordered - now that's quick service!

While we were perhaps halfway or three-quarter-way through our salad, the mixed vegetable stew and our main courses arrived. We told the waiters that we wanted to share the main courses, so they put the dishes at the centre of our table and gave us additional plates. For those who aren't familiar with middle eastern food, mendy is rice that is cooked together with meat and spices. So if you order a chicken mendy, the rice is slow-cooked together with the chicken along with some spices in a special oven. This method of cooking mixes the flavour of the chicken in the rice, which makes the rice more full of flavour. It also results in very soft meat that literally falls off the bone.

I loved the lamb mendy at Hadramawt. As you can see, it came with some lamb, rice and a sauce which is a blend of tomato and chilli and other spices. The lamb was so tender and succulent..it was just so packed with flavour. You could really enjoy the taste of the lamb. For lamb lovers, I highly recommend this dish! The rice was good too, but I thought that it was a little dryer than what I usually prefer. Also, it was not as hot as it should have been. Perhaps that affected the taste/dryness of the rice, but overall it was still good. I have to say I have had better, but I still enjoyed it. 

The chicken sheesh tawooq on the other hand is basically marinated boneless chicken meat on a skewer. Hadramawt serves this dish with a piece of flatbread, garlic sauce, chips and onions. This dish was fantastic. The sheesh tawooq was served while it was really hot, so it was still tender and we were able to enjoy it fully. I can't really explain what it tastes like, but you can really taste the marinade. Even by itself it tastes amazing, so imagine how it tasted when it is dipped with garlic sauce. It was, in simple terms, epic. I know my boyfriend really enjoyed this dish, a lot more than the mendy. I think the mendy came pretty close, but it could've closed the gap if the rice was still hot when served.

Oh I almost forgot about the mixed vegetable stew. I really liked it. It had very subtle flavours. I could taste a hint of tomato, the vegetables, some peppers and spices, and onions. The taste wasn't overpowering and I thought that it went complemented the mendy rice very well, even the sheesh tawooq too. The stew helped make up for the dry rice. 

After we finished the main course, it was time for dessert! I did not know what to expect, because I've only had baklava as dessert and I had never had mohallabiya before. They served us each a piece together with the arabic tea. The mohallabiya has a rather crispy outer layer and is stuffed with what seemed like a paste made from dates (kurma). It was interesting, but not exactly my cup of tea, as it had a rather spicy taste to it that I usually do not like. The tea was nice; it had a hint of mint. It might be a little bitter to those who are not used to drinking tea, or even to those who only drink lightly-flavoured tea. This tea is rather strong, so not everyone can enjoy it. I quite liked it, although it was a little bit too strong compared to how I usually have my tea. Oh I know I forgot to mention the iced lemon tea. Hahah this is because I guess it tastes like most iced lemon tea (it is a very common beverage here in Malaysia)..not really worth mentioning :P

 

When we were there, we sat on the 1st floor, where around 5 other tables were occupied. There was indoor and outdoor dining even on the first floor, so that's a plus. We had our meal indoors, because the weather was rather hot outside. The service was great; the staff was friendly and efficient. I also loved that they had beautiful, clean washrooms, and espsecially loved that they had a surau (prayer room) too. Also, as previously mentioned, the atmosphere was lovely, so all in all, I say it was a great dining experience and I would love to come back again.

Till next time,

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Verdict: 4 out of 5

P.S. I did come back again recently, but I'll make that into another blogpost. This one comes with a big surprise ;)