I had heard good things about Arabian Restaurant in Itaweon.
I suppose I should have known better, since the recommendations came from meat-eaters, but I do love middle-eastern food, so we braved a giant monsoon and headed to Arabian for dinner.
Our group of 5 were the only customers of the evening. The advantage being that we received attentive service from the Iraqi owner and his staff. We also were given a few freebies like lentil soup to start out meal, and an Arabian tea to finish our meal. Compliments of the owner, for selecting his restaurant on a rainy rainy night.
Lentil soup to start...
Now, this soup was good. they added in rice and celery to the mix, both of which really helped to bulk it up into a delicious starter for your middle-eastern taste buds.
Was it the best lentil soup I have had in a middle-eastern restaurant in Korea? No. Dubai's soup is superior.
But, I was still pleased with the soup. I only wish the soup had been just the beginning of a wonderful meal.
Not so.
It took a long time for our dishes to come out. I think there were so timing issues going on in the kitchen, because I saw some of our dishes sitting on the counter for at least 10 minutes before they were served to us. As the only customers for the evening, I expected our food a little faster, but the group I was with was very relaxed, so I went with the flow.
My "eggplant salad". Also known as Baba Ganoush, but the menu opted to list it as eggplant salad...
This was very good. The peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant tasted very fresh, and I liked that it was chunky, more salad like. Not necessarily the dish I think of when baba ganoush comes to mind, but their interpretation was good.
The hummus...
Bland, lack-luster. Wasn't even interested in finishing it, and I am normally the one sliding my piece of bread around on the plate to get every last bite.
The Falalel....
Very greasy, way to crispy on the outside, lacked flavor on the inside.
Can someone explain to me why middle-eastern restaurants in Korea serve french fries with so many of their dishes? It seems so out of place and tacky to me. And its not as if the fries are any good either. Tasteless and cold.
And yes, that was pretty much the only vegetarian options on the menu.
My husband (a meat eater) got the lamb steak dish...
He said it was "good", but room temp by the time it was served.
Others at the table got the Lamb Biryani, and I think this is the dish this restaurant is known for as my dining partners gave it rave reviews.
We finished our evening off with complimentary hot Arabian tea.
Fantastic.
The prices were fair, the ambiance was top notch, but the vegetarian dishes were big disappointments.
My favorite vegetarian dishes can be found at Dubai and Ali Baba. You wont be disappointed.
