Iftar review: Hanaaya

On any day that ends in y, Mina A’Salam is brimming with Dubai tourists that are shelling out an arm and a leg for costly trinkets and overpriced meals. But this Ramadan, Arabic restaurant Hanaaya is offering an iftar buffet that’s not too cruel on the wallet at Dh195.

It’s easy to get lost in this place, so you’d benefit from a round or two of the cooking stations first to get your bearings and narrow down your plan of attack.

There’s the usual offerings, like the overflowing platter of lamb ouzi that, much like a red carpet veteran, gets its own spotlight. But there’s a few underdogs gunning for their 15 minutes of fame, too — a station of cold cuts here, a platter of chicken wings and spicy makanek (mini sausages) there, a hot cooker of asparagus with mussels and prawns somewhere in the middle. There’s a salad station where fattoush gets made fresh, a section dedicated to every bread you can imagine, and three different corners for both Arabic and Western deserts.

A slow-and-steady winner was the traditionally-made mahashi — tightly rolled vine leaves stacked with lamb the melts in your mouth, cooked in a spicy tomato sauce and tasting more like your parents made it rather than a restaurant.

And after the main meals, the kunafa and luqaimat — crunchy fried dumplings seeped in syrup, a dessert local to the UAE — were a must-try.

The downfall of a buffet dinner is that some dishes will inevitably be a little too cold or a little too stale, but overall, Hanaaya gives you a little taste of everything right in the heart of Madinat Jumeirah.

The details

Location: Mina A’Salam

Cost: Dh195

Timings: Sunset-8.30pm

Call: 04-4323232