Vegetarianinkorea

A taste of Alsaba

Last week I had the pleasure of dining with Munir Rana, owner of Alsaba restuarant in Itaewon.

 

Mr. Rana also owns the fabulous Persian rug store next door. 

The meal was fantastic, the conversation flowing and the Persian rugs?

One day, I will have one in my house. 

**You can find out more about my evening at Alsaba in next month's issue of Groove, available November 1st. **

Alsaba is located just off the main road in Itaewon. If you are entering the Itaewon arches, it is on your right.

Live or work on Post? Park at the gas station on Post and walk out the gate and across the street. 

Alsaba is open 7 days a week.

Middle Eastern Food- I wish I could quit you!

I love Middle Eastern Food. Be it Indian, Mediterranean or some other Middle variety, I love it all.

Middle Eastern food seems to have the most (and most delicious) vegetarian choices of all.

For our Saturday date night, I wanted to try a Middle Eastern restaurant in Itaewon. I found out about it by reading a review from a website run by an American living in Korea. It's my go-to website for finding great places to eat in Korea.

(dressed and ready to go out)

The restaurant was called Petras, and was known for great dishes including babaganoush and falafel. I had directions from the subway stop nearest the resturant, but we ended up sharing a cab with our friends Jake and his wife Jen, and- well- the directions didnt match up and we couldnt easily find the restaurant.

(Itaewon at night)

(In the back of the cab)

No matter! Itaewon has many resturants of the Middle Eastern variety! After walking about a block, we saw a Pakistani and Indian restaurant by the name of Alsaba and decided to try it out.

What a great find!

The decor was beautiful. Persian rugs, tall plants, ulphostered seating and thick white table linens.

(Jake and his wife Jen, new to Middle Eastern food)

(seriously! look at the fabric! This place is top notch!)

My glass of house red wine. Very good.

Appetizers. On the left is a cucumber, tomato and onion salad, and on the right is a samosa, an Indian potato and veggie stuffed pastry. We got dish of each of the appetizers and shared it.

Bottom dish is saffron rice, diagonally up left is my Chana Dal, to the right of that is Jason's Chicken Ginger, two baskets of nan bread, the big black bowl is Jake's Mutton Karahi, and Jen got Chicken Multani (very top of the picture)

Here is a close up of my dish...

If you dont feel like enlarging the menu picks, my dish was a "split chick peas, cooked with tomatoes, onions and a curry sauce".

SO SO GOOD.

For dessert...

Gulabjaman- sweet milk balls served in a thick sugary syrup, with dates on the side.

Think, soaked doughnut holes. But way better. Very very delicious.

This restaurant, the food, the amazingly service, the ambience, fantastic!

Unlike the first Indian Restaurant we went to in Korea (for V-day) this place was owned and run by Middle Easterners instead of Koreans. The menu was more extensive, the service was much for attentive and helpful and the ambience was far superior is style and warmth.

All that (two appetizers, our two meals, two alcoholic beverages, and the dessert) for $40. AMAZING.

We will definetly go back!

I love Middle Eastern Food. Be it Indian, Mediterranean or some other Middle variety, I love it all.

Middle Eastern food seems to have the most (and most delicious) vegetarian choices of all.

For our Saturday date night, I wanted to try a Middle Eastern restaurant in Itaewon. I found out about it by reading a review from a website run by an American living in Korea. It's my go-to website for finding great places to eat in Korea.

(dressed and ready to go out)

The restaurant was called Petras, and was known for great dishes including babaganoush and falafel. I had directions from the subway stop nearest the resturant, but we ended up sharing a cab with our friends Jake and his wife Jen, and- well- the directions didnt match up and we couldnt easily find the restaurant.

(Itaewon at night)

(In the back of the cab)

No matter! Itaewon has many resturants of the Middle Eastern variety! After walking about a block, we saw a Pakistani and Indian restaurant by the name of Alsaba and decided to try it out.

What a great find!

The decor was beautiful. Persian rugs, tall plants, ulphostered seating and thick white table linens.

(Jake and his wife Jen, new to Middle Eastern food)

(seriously! look at the fabric! This place is top notch!)

My glass of house red wine. Very good.

Appetizers. On the left is a cucumber, tomato and onion salad, and on the right is a samosa, an Indian potato and veggie stuffed pastry. We got dish of each of the appetizers and shared it.

Bottom dish is saffron rice, diagonally up left is my Chana Dal, to the right of that is Jason's Chicken Ginger, two baskets of nan bread, the big black bowl is Jake's Mutton Karahi, and Jen got Chicken Multani (very top of the picture)

Here is a close up of my dish...

If you dont feel like enlarging the menu picks, my dish was a "split chick peas, cooked with tomatoes, onions and a curry sauce".

SO SO GOOD.

For dessert...

Gulabjaman- sweet milk balls served in a thick sugary syrup, with dates on the side.

Think, soaked doughnut holes. But way better. Very very delicious.

This restaurant, the food, the amazingly service, the ambience, fantastic!

Unlike the first Indian Restaurant we went to in Korea (for V-day) this place was owned and run by Middle Easterners instead of Koreans. The menu was more extensive, the service was much for attentive and helpful and the ambience was far superior is style and warmth.

All that (two appetizers, our two meals, two alcoholic beverages, and the dessert) for $40. AMAZING.

We will definetly go back!