The beautiful aroma of lamb ouzi is one of the first things that struck us, as we entered the Sofra Bld restaurant at Shangri-La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri, in Abu Dhabi. This, we came to know later, was because Sofra Bld’s lamb ouzi is so popular that they have set up two stations on both sides of the hall.
The next thing that grabbed our attention was the sheer size of this iftar, which had just about every dish you could think you would want to try at an iftar and more.
These guys have taken the phrase grand iftar, quite literally. There is an extensive salad section, grilled seafood, soups, western selections such as pastas, grilled chicken, and salmon, and Indian dishes. Then you have the grilled meats in Arabic and Iranian style, a bread and manakeesh section, a whole area dedicated to the Moroccan favourites, two lamb ouzi and lamb capsicums tables, lamb harris, live Emirati and Arabic sweets stations and a humongous desert area.
Despite being tempted to start with the sweets we decided to be sensible and begin at the salad bar.
Not only does this area have everything that you expect to find in a salad section such as vine leaves, tabbouleh and fatoush, baba-ganoush variety of hummus but also there’s a selection of pickles. Everything we tried was fresh and spot on.
It was clear from the get go that getting through this marathon iftar required tactics, so we decided to fill the plates with a bit of everything from each section, which meant several trips, but it turned out to be an effective plan.
The lamb ouzi, lamb capsicum and rice dishes cooked with lamb were the stars of the night. The lamb melts in your mouth and has just the right amount of Arabic spices. Even with two stations, there was hardly anything left by the end of the iftar, a testimony to their popularity.
The Moroccan corner was another popular section, the lamb and chicken tagine, presented on traditional Moroccan dishes, were just delicious.
The grilled seafood section had a great selection of calamari, prawns, fish and crab however, it is best to ask the chef to make them fresh as the ones already prepared were cold by the time we reached our table.
The desert section was definitely a hit with children who lined up to get their favourite ice creams or their choice of chocolate fondue, several times over. There are also a big selection of dates, Arabic sweets such as baklava, umali and kunafa as well as beautiful fresh fruit tartlets, pasties and cakes. The chocolate costello cake is a must try.
Sofra Bld is the perfect setting to spend iftar with family and friends, however, don’t be surprised if by the end of the meal, like us, you need time before you are able to move again and leave the venue.
The details:
What: Iftar at Sofra Bld
Where: Shangri-La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi
Price: Dh246 per person
Timings: From 6.30pm to 8pm
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FIVE OTHER IFTARS TO TRY
Where: Aseelaj, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek
What: Live cooking stations are the main attraction at this Dubai landmark, which has transformed its second floor into a iftar venue. All the Asian specials and Arabic dishes will be included.
Price: Dh169 per person
Timings: Sunset until 11pm.
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Where: Fanr restaurant, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi
What: Curated by a team of Emiratis including designer Maryam Al Suwaidi, florist Sumayya Al Miskari and chef Faisal Naser, the iftar here is all about learning as much as enjoying.
Price: No set price. A meal for one would cost approximately Dh150.
Timings: 6.30 to 11.30pm.
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Where: Leopold’s of London, Dubai
What: This trendy restaurant gets traditional with a special menu including a platter featuring grilled harissa chicken, striploin steaks, lamb chops, tandoori prawn skewers, saffron rice, herb-nut couscous and green peppercorn sauce starts the inspiring culinary journey with magnificence.
Price: Dh77
Timings: 7pm until closing time.
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Where: KrisKros, Downtown Dubai
What: The three-course menu at this restaurant comes with starters including lentil soup, traditional fattoush and a main course of taouk platter, beef brochettes platter, chicken shawarma platter, and beef shawarma platter.
Price: Dh100
Timings: Sunset until 3am.
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Where: Leila Restaurant, Downtown Dubai and Mirdiff
What: Also serving a three-course meal, this Lebanese restaurant has put together its best offerings including baba ghanoush, warak enab, hummus, batata bin kezbara, cheese rolls, makanek and fattet hummus. And that’s just the starters.
Price: Dh145
Timings: Sunset until 1am.
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