Restoran Al-Abraj, Bangi

 

Location:

Al-Abraj, Seksyen 9, Bandar Baru Bangi.

We are not really fond of Arabic/Middle Eastern cuisine, but decided one night to try out what the fuss was all about. Joining us, was almost the whole family, totaling 12 of us, so finding a spacious eatery was top on our list.

Joining the many, many food outlets in Bangi is the Al-Abraj, specializing in Arab and Yemeni cuisine. Find your way there (via your SatNav) at No. 40, Jalan Medan Pusat 2C, Seksyen 9, Persiaran Bangi.

Ambience:

Moderate but clean and tidy. Spacious and suitable for large gatherings. The Arab decor was minimal but just nice enough to set you on a mood. There is also a surau for your convenience.

Service:

The staff was fast, efficient and friendly. The waitress who attended our large group was so helpful, that she explained the items on the menu and made some recommendations too. She was patient too as she had to make the explanations a few times. Two thumbs up, and big thank you to Abraj's wonderful staff.

Food:

Being somewhat unfamiliar with Arabic cuisine, we took some time to digest the quite extensive menu. Typically, the main menu consist of lamb and chicken served with rice but only the cooking/serving style differs. Choose from Zurbian (cooked inside the rice - Abraj's specialty), or Haneez (steamed), or maybe you'd try the famous Mandy (oven-cooked). Our recommendation is, always go for the lamb - it is a standard rule when you're in Middle Eastern outlet anyway - and Al-Abraj cooks the lamb tender, moist and juicy and it goes nicely when you have some trouble with the dry rice.

Another thing which makes this main course worthy of its price, is its large serving. A plate could easily satisfy two moderate-eating adult.

My wife went for the dry lamb Akdah, which is tender lamb meat floss cooked with potato and tomato, served with Lebanese bread. This dish was fantastic as the spices blends well and gives you a myriad of tastes. The rest of group had kebab, sandwiches, fool (kacang pool) and Yemeni bread. Again, the Yemeni bread was so large it could easily feed two adults too.

As for the beverages, you could try the Yemeni lime if you could take the extreme sourness. But you must try the bottled non-alcoholic malt drink which comes in a lot of flavours.

Overall:

There are plenty more items on the menu which looks appetizing, and perhaps the more adventurous among you would like to try the equally adventurous items. The lamb is a must-try, and if you can skip the dry rice, try to have the lamb with bread instead.

Moderate ambiance, clean environment, large portion and tasty food makes Al-Abraj a recommended place to visit, even if you don't really like Arabic cuisine.

A definitive eight marks out of ten.



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