Today I am going to write a very happy food story. While living in Malaysia, I got to know many Yemeni friends and encountered Yemeni food for the first time. And I can’t forget the time when their heartwarming words and thoughts melted all my worries.
So, I am very happy to be able to write these precious moments through this blog. So, now with the introduction of Saraya Restaurant in an area called Serdang on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, I begin with my Yemeni friends and the truly captivating Yemeni food they introduced me to. Saraya Restaurant is located about 20 km to the south of Kuala Lumpur in an area called Seri Kembangan
Not particularly famous, one of the things that stood out to me was its large Yemeni population, and where you have a large population of foreigners of a particular nationality, you can bet there will be a restaurant or two to cater to their needs – and that it will be authentic.
Saraya is exactly that.
Barely anyone who isn’t Yemeni has even heard of it .
Yet if you are from Yemen, chances are it’s your go-to restaurant as long as you live within half an hour’s drive or so.
Of course, we too found out about this place courtesy of our Yemeni friends, and it’s highly unlikely we’d have discovered it on our own.
What a stroke of luck!
We’ve been to Saraya quite a number of times now but I’ll never forget my first impression as we pulled up at the car park.
It felt like we were in Sana’a for the evening!
Hordes of Yemeni men, plus a few families were gathered outside chatting and smoking shisha.
Some of them seemed slightly surprised to see us, as if we had stumbled on some sort of secret hideout. But the atmosphere was not at all intimidating and we were welcomed inside.
The restaurant itself had no neon lights, no fancy exterior, just an old building that blended in with the row of shops on the side of the road and didn’t stand out in any way.
Saraya means “palace” in Arabic but to look at, it was anything but. “Are you sure this is the right place?” – I asked my friend Tina. “It’s the food that you came for, right? Just wait!”
We sat down at the family table upstairs and the children played in a nice cosy carpeted area in the corner while our friends ordered a selection of dishes.
I glanced through the menu wondering what we were going to get.
The menu items at this restaurant are written in Arabic first. And underneath, usually an attempt at an English translation.
Sometimes the “English” doesn’t make much sense at all, in which case I end up asking my Yemeni friends what exactly the item is.
On the menu was a mixture of regular dishes we’d heard of and that you can get in most other Arabic restaurants, plus quite a few more rare and exotic ones!
I was hoping we’d get to try some of the latter, and sure enough 30 minutes or much later I got my wish. Mofa fish is one of the must-try fish dishes in Yemen. It uses siakap or pomfret fish and is cooked in a traditional Yemeni oven similarly to a tandoori oven.
The fish is sliced in half, spread into a butterfly shape and brushed with a red, moderately spicy, salty chili sauce.
When you taste it, the taste of the red chili sauce is strong, and the seasoning is just right for eating it wrapped in Yemeni malawach bread, Yemeni rice like kabsa rice or mandi rice. The whole fish is heavily charcoal-grilled, but the white fish fillet is really juicy, so soft and delicious.
Rather, I think the briquette flavor makes this fish more unique and very exotic. ????
In fact, it takes more time to prepare and grill the mofa fish compared to other dishes like aqda(fried beef liver or lamb liver), salta, fahasa, or kebabs variation etc. before being served to the table.
So the fish is usually served well past the midpoint of our meal. So when the mofa fish came out we were pretty full. Nevertheless, to my surprise, when I taste this delicious fish, my appetite is rekindled in no time. ????????
If you come here, be sure to try this amazing Yemeni-style mofa fish, as well as a variety of warm foods that Yemenis eat. For example, it was really interesting and surprising for the first time to know that a black stone pot like the similar heavy stone pot(??) for Korean dol-sot bibimbap(?????), eaten in Korea, is also used in Yemen.
In other words, fahasa, salta cooked in this black stone pot is really one of my favorite Yemeni food. Because it is cooked in a stone pot, it is very warm and makes a sizzling sound throughout the meal.
It is based on a thick tomato-based sauce, and includes shredded chicken, lamb or beef. On top of that, the sticky texture of foaming with fenugreek is added to the top, adding a moderately bitter taste to the salty and spicy flavors.
Additionally, salta and fahasa are cooked with vegetables, usually tomato, onions, okra or eggplants. And, even in the menu, where the majority of main items use chicken, beef and mutton, there is a seafood dish that you must try other than the mofa fish mentioned, it is a dish made by sauteing shrimp with lots of tomato puree and onions in a black stone pot. It is really delicious and flavorful! ????????
Yemeni people get through these malawach breads like there’s no tomorrow. When the first one is half gone, they order the next one so that there’s no time spent without any. Then the next, and the next.
I like to stuff my malawach with a bit of everything, fold it over and in it goes. Well, everyone (except my hubby Bryn obviously) is full. It’s time to go. We pay the bill and sneak back down the dark, winding concrete staircase and make our way through the shisha gatherings back to the car.
To be honest, I think I could eat all these delicious Yemeni dishes every day.
To me, I always look forward to going to Saraya restaurant to enjoy the biggest, savory, nutty, and crispy Malawach bread I have ever eaten. It is good to serve with hummus, mutabal, and fattoush, which are commonly seen in Arabic food.
Of course, no Yemeni meal is complete without a pot of Adani tea (milk tea), which is essential after a heavy meal. And masoob(banana-based dessert made from overripe bananas), eaten as a dessert, is also delicious.
And last but not least, “Lemonade” made from freshly squeezed lemons is a must-try drink in Saraya. I have no doubt my son Berry was only 2 years old at the time but probably would have finished off the whole jug if I hadn’t stopped him.
These delightful and delicious Yemeni Feast memories have been a great motivation for me to travel to Yemen someday. ????
We leave with the satisfaction of knowing that we’ve stumbled on a truly authentic eatery not many people know about, unless you’re from Yemen and living in Malaysia of course.
Or unless you are lucky enough to have Yemeni friends who can take you there. Thanks Tina and Ramze! ??????
Saraya Restaurant
Address: 4, Jalan SP 4/1, Taman Serdang Perdana, 43300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor
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