This week we had our first experience of Armenian food at Al Mayass restaurant.
Al Mayass’s interior is quaint and cosy, featuring whitewashed walls, rich red and burnt orange décor, with tealights flickering overhead. Al Mayass offers a combination of Lebanese and Armenian food; some dishes were familiar to us, the majority were not.
The menu was divided into three sections – hot mezze, cold mezze and grilled meat, and the Armenian-inspired dishes included many different cheeses, lamb, eggplant with fresh and dried fruit such as pomegranate, cherries and sumac berries, used as either a main ingredient or garnish.
We ordered a selection of starters to share – the Beurek Jebneh, which is a filled pastry pie, the Hummus al Mayass, Itch salad and Labneh Bel Toum.
The Itch was served first – a light and fresh salad perfect for whetting the appetite. We loved the tangy taste of fresh parsley, cherry tomatoes, onion and crushed wheat, drizzled in a lemony dressing. The creamy garlic labneh and fluffy pastry pie were also fantastic, but we couldn’t get enough of the Hummus al Mayass; hummus flavoured with hot chili paste.
The starters were so good that we ate more than our fair share and didn’t have room for mains. Our dining partner had the signature dish, Kabab be Karaz, which is described on the menu as ‘ground meat on sweet and sour cherry sauce’ – an understated description of an incredible dish. A trio of lamb kebabs were served steaming on a bed of ruby red sauce with a smattering of cherries on top. Our friend’s eyes lit up when she saw the dish and more so when she tried it. She described it as: “succulent, amazing and very different.”
After our delicious meal we left the restaurant feeling like we had discovered something new, unique and the perfect place to go for an unusual dining experience.
DETAILS
What: Al Mayass
Where? Sheraton Hotel and Resort, Abu Dhabi
We say: Sweet meat… why not?
Cost: Starters from AED 24, mains from AED 62
Contact: 02 644 0440
Catriona Doherty
