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We were at Al-Sanawaber Lebanese Restaurant for Iftar yesterday. We had been thinking of going there from a few days and we ended up going there on a Thursday night which was a bad idea because the place was completely full. We got there a little late by 7.15pm and good thing I had made reservations so we had a table waiting for us.

I have been to Sanawaber Restaurant before with my sisters and friends and we like the food there but this is the first time I tried out their buffet.

We settled down and then headed to the buffet, there were the mini Fatayers and Sambosas for starters, Kibbeh Bel Labnah, Kababs and Shish Tawuq, Chicken with Rice, another rice dish with fish I believe, Qouzi, a few vegetarian dishes and some stew so we took a little bit of everything.

We got to our table and the waiters brought the Hummus, Mutabbal, Fattoush, Tabbouleh, Bread Basket, couple of Lentil soups and Vimto drinks for us. The food was quite good and we got so full that we had no place for desserts. But then by the time I went to get some, they had picked up all the dishes but the manager asked the waiter to bring some to our table. The Basboosa was good but the cheese Kanafa was very heavy so I couldn’t have more than one spoonful.

Overall everything was quite good but if you go there for their Ramadan buffet, make sure you go ahead of time and make reservation from before. The buffet is for KD 10 per person + 10% service charge and is until 8pm.

For reservations, contact 25715123.

Today we ordered the Kabab Platter from Dawat Restaurant for iftaar. It looked tempting in the flyer and we thought about giving it a try. The platter came with 4 pieces each of chicken sheesh kabab, three kinds of chicken tikka and lamb chops. It also came with two plain naans, papad with the coriander chutney, labans and dates.

We weren’t so impressed with the food, first of all the platter was covered with few layers of cling wrap and foil on top of that which made the kababs soggy, the tikka lacked flavor and should’ve been a bit more spicy and the lamb chops were bland. Overall the food had no aftertaste and wasn’t satisfying. We had ordered extra naans because the two naans that come with the platter are hardly enough, but they forgot to get it with the order and they took almost 35 minutes to bring them even though we live in the same area and by then the food had gotten cold and we lost our appetite.

The Kabab Platter costs KD 5.250 and 0.500 fils for the extra naans plus 0.250 fils for delivery so our bill came to KD 6.000 in total. I had a look at their menu and found it a bit overpriced compared to other Indian restaurants while their food tastes just average.

[Flyer] | [Menu]

This weekend we had our iftaar at the Affendim Turkish Restaurant which is located in Maidan Hawally right at the Shaab Park roundabout. The restaurant is divided into 3 levels – the ground floor is just for dining, second floor is dining and sheesha and on the third floor they have the sheesha cafe.

We ordered the set iftaar menu of the day. For starters they had a choice of Lentil soup and Potato soup so we both ordered Lentil soup since it’s our favorite and it tasted as good as it should be.

They had Mixed Vegetables with Rice as the main course of the day and we thought it would be all vegetarian but we were relieved to find that it was a meat and vegetable stew which was cooked home-style and tasted quite good with the rice.

We also ordered the Lehem Bel Ajeen with the Yogurt and Pomegranate dip and the Chilli Kabab Orfalli with Garlic and Tomato sauce, which were not on the set menu. They also brought us some Turkish bread with three different types of dips, one was a green apple with chilli chutney, a laban with pomegranate and a zaatar dip. The Lehem Bel Ajeen was very good and so was the kabab but just that it was a bit too spicy.

About the restaurant interior, what’s really lacking is that there is nothing Turkish about the place. The walls were bare with no art at all, the lights were too bright and there were no Turkish decorations anywhere. The place is quite spacious with a good seating area and they can easily tweak it up by adding more ethnic Turkish touches.

Yesterday Hash and I had our Iftar at the Layali Al-Khayyam Persian restaurant. We had received an invitation to try out their Ramadan buffet and it turned out to be a very pleasant experience. The restaurant is located in Dhiafa Village next to the Kuwait Towers and they have been open for a few years but we had never been there before. It is named after the Persian poet, Omar Khayyam.

Once we got there we were really taken by the cozy atmosphere and the ethnic Iranian touches to the lovely contemporary interior.

I really liked the round sofas with the comfy brown and gold cushions and the golden chandeliers.

At the entrance they have placed two beautifully illustrated books of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam which are small quatrains of his poems in five languages.

The buffet was set up with a good variety of rice dishes, stews and mixed kababs.

For starters, we had the Lentil soup, salads and Hummus and they brought us a basket of soft Iranian bread. The soup was really good and probably the best tasting I’ve ever had.

Hash and I both had the Chelo Gosht (Rice with Meat) and I tried a little bit of the Zereshk Polow ba-Murgh (Rice with Barberries and Chicken) and it had a nice tangy taste. We took each of the four kinds of mixed kababs and they were very soft and juicy, and tasted really good. There were many different kinds of stews and what I really liked was how the chef stood by the buffet to explain the dishes to everyone.

For the stews, Hash went for the Aab Gosht Bishbas or was it the Khoresht-e Aloo (Meat Stew with Potato)? I tried to remember the names but I am a bit confused now. I took a little bit of the Aab Gosh Kashke (Meat Stew with Whey and Potato) and it also had small bits of rice in it. It was not bad but I liked Hash’s stew better.

It was time for my favorite part – desserts! I have a weakness for sweets and desserts but Hash isn’t too keen so I went ahead and got a plate with two of everything I liked on display. The baklavas were really good and I liked the tiny Creme Caramel and Muhallabiya mounds.

The food was delicious and we liked everything we tried and the atmosphere was great and not very crowded. The service was excellent and the staff were very polite, most importantly the restaurant manager and chef were passing by everyone’s tables to make sure that everything was fine and if they needed anything.

We are surely going back there again and we definitely recommend it as the perfect place to enjoy good Persian cuisine in a serene and cozy ambiance.

The Iftar buffet is KD 8 per person + 10% service charge. For reservations, contact: 22475987