Al Shami Restaurant - Dubai

Al Shami Restaurant – Near Emirates NBD, Al Muraqqabat - Dubai

Cuisine: Arabic, Middle Eastern, Lebanese, Seafood

All reviews will be based on the Cuisine and Fare the restaurant/outlet is known for / specialised in.

This review is based on inputs from myself as well as fellow foodies who have accompanied me to this restaurant.

ALL RATING ARE IN THE SCALE OF 5. A rating of 5 mean Excellent while 1 is Poor.

FOOD: RATING 4 OUT OF 5.

Item 1 – Appetisers – Hummus with Meat: Hummus is a very staple dish of any Arabic Cuisine and hence the flavour profile tends to vary from each Cuisine. I always believed the Syrians and the Lebanese made the hummus because of their skill in ensuring the right mix of Tahini and Chickpeas.

Al Shami hits this mix to perfection and top it off with the meat, it is just brilliant.

Mind you there is 2 variants for this dish. I opted the normal Hummus with Meat. The other variant is Hummus with Meat Cubes.

Item 2 – Appetisers – Hummus: The regular hummus with a drizzle of olive oil. The Taste still lingers!!

Item 3 – Appetisers – Falafel

Once there was Lebanese

He made Falafel with ease

Served it with a great pride

With a Tahini dip on the side

Al Shami knew the Lebanese & the Falafel

I ordered a few for a thrill

Oh! It was indeed a treat

For it is destined to be a great

Item 4 – Main Item – Shish Tawook – Shish! It was not what I expected. The chicken pieces were a little dry and bland. The hummus saved the Tawook.

Item 5 – Main Item – Half Grilled Chicken (charcoal): He who fails to order a grilled item from an Arabic Restaurant is worthy of being called a loser.

That being said, I am easy bait for grilled items.

One look at the Menu and you wonder “why the hell do they have only Half Grilled Chicken?”

The answer to that lay on the plate of half grilled chicken served on my table. Me, my wife and my son had a pretty decent meal with it.

I presume the word “half” here meant HALF a tray and not Half a chicken!

The chicken “charcoaled” to perfection and served with some French fries & a slice of bread that has one heck of a sauce spread on it. Tangy, spicy and creamy!

My advice is that you take piece of bread and rub the sauce on to the chicken and then much away the bread without feeling guilty of not having enough sauce for the chicken!

Item 6 – Main Item – Arayes: The Syrians make the best Arayes but then Al Shami just rewrote my taste bud preferences with their version of the Arayes.

Hands down, this was the star of the show! A brilliant pastry of meat filling that just kept me wanting for more.

The best part of the Arayes was that the meat was not overcooked.  It had a good succulent kebab feel to it.

Item 7– Main Item – Plate of Chicken Shawarma:

Shawarma – My Wife’s Opinion - Always good as a Wrap or a Sandwich.

Shawarma – My Opinion – Just Serve the meat well. The bread and fries can wait.

Shawarma – Our joint Opinion – “Museem! Order the Sandwich!”

Shawarma – Al Shami Version – We serve you well

It was a very risky affair trying to order a plate shawarma knowing that your better-half has already geared up with enough ammunition of criticism to blow you huge appetite away.

Al Shami seemed to know my predicament and dished out a plate worthy of my better half’s accolades.

The meat was moist and fresh of the “shawarma tower”.  The sauce was something very different, not very garlicy nor very “tahiniy”

Being a self-confessed “plate shawarma expert” the plate was not the greatest of them all for me but it was surely one among the best.

Item 8– Desserts:

We had to skip the desserts because we were too full. But the Kunafe served at the other tables looked wow!

Item 9 – Ayran: Do not miss this drink. We got to know about it when were about to exit the restaurant after a hearty meal. There was a drinks machine that was churning some white juice in it. Upon enquiry, the staff explained it was a yoghurt drink and he gave a sample cup.

SMACK! It was good!

SERVICE – 4 OUT OF 5

Arabic is the preferred Modus of Operandi but the menu is Bi-lingual so all you have to do is point to the menu item and mention your serving size.

The waiters were really friendly and well mannered.

LOCATION – 3.5 OUT 5

It is in Muraqabbat. Right in the centre of the hustle & bustle.

Easy to find.

The parking can be a pain during peak hours, hence the rating drop a little bit.

PRICING: 5 means cheapest while 1 means expensive.

I RATE THIS PLACE 3.5 (Good for the Wallet)

For the serving size and quality of the food that is served, I must say the price is worth it.

AMBIANCE: 3.5 OUT 5

It is a huge place that is serving almost at full capacity most of the time. The noise levels can be a little high at times but the food makes up for it.

I must say though, if you are planning a fun banter of family or friends gathering over a good meal of Arabic dishes, then this is the place.

DECOR AND SEATING CAPACITY – 4 OUT 5

The décor is the standard Arabic restaurant theme but not that gaudy and “elaborate”

The seating capacity is huge and can cater to large groups as well.

OVERALL RATING: 4 OUT OF 5.

The legendary foodie, Le Consumptions De Foodus, once said “When in Rome, Dine like a Roman!”

The foodie in me, Gastro Mallu, always say “When in Arabia, Dine like a Shiekh!”

I presume, Al Shami Restaurant always believes “When we meet, We will serve you Meat”

This Restaurant does justice to the taste buds of an Arabic food lover.

If one feels that there is an utmost need to have a good serving of Arabic Food with a light wallet, then this is the place to be.

For me, Al Shami has become one of them must visit places Arabic Places when you have guests in town!

Note : All Arabic Fare is best when eaten hot and served fresh.