Anyone who’s spent a little time in Saudi Arabia (not for umrah) or knows anything about the food here will know that the breakfast staple or cuisine loved and adored by the people of this country is the Yemeni breakfast. So much so that it has become part of the cuisine. This probably has a lot to do with the long running amazing relationship between the countries (don’t believe social media – this relationship goes back decadessss) and the fact that many many Yemenis moved here decades ago and subsequently settled down. And when a people settles down, the first impact they have is usually on the food. Just look up the national dish of England for example. Anyway, I’ve done numerous posts on Yemeni food in Saudi Arabia and my love for it, so I won’t repeat myself here. This post is about Shoaib in Madinah. This is a modern and clean looking Yemeni breakfast spot. It’s a modern take on traditional classic food.
Traditional restaurants
This traditional breakfast is loved by Saudis and it’s the first stop of the day for many in the country. Well, the second. After the morning prayer (Fajr), while the sun is rising, you’ll find such spots packed with men enjoying a wholesome breakfast. There are many many such breakfast spots all around the country in each and every city. You’ll find the very local ones, you’ll find ones that have expanded and become a franchise and you’ll also find the more modern ones. From the most famous and most popular and the longest standing names in this field are two: Abu Zaid and Al Qarmooshi. They have branches all around the country and if you want to sample authentic traditional Yemeni breakfast, you should try out one of these (my personal favourite is Al Qarmooshi).
Shoaib: the modern player in the old game
As times are changing, the need for more inclusive, more appealing, more social media friendly spots is rising. And this rise in demand is being met by restaurants. Fascinatingly while keeping the traditional authentic food. Win win! Shoaib is one such modern Yemeni breakfast spot that caught our eye. One glance at their menu and the purists will be more than happy (all the Yemeni classics are there) and another glance at the settings the modernists will be satisfied. They’ve managed to combine two worlds successfully it seems. Let’s divide this review up into two: the food and the setting.
The food
We ordered all the Yemeni breakfast staples. Adas (which is daal or lentils), Fuul (fava beans), Ma’soob, Mutabbaq and shay Adani (tea). I was supposed to order Kibda (stir-fried liver) and shakshooka (scrambled egg and tomato dish), but I just forgot on the day. Never mind. The menu is in Arabic only and the most of the staff only speak Arabic (please don’t give me the they should be able to speak English speech – you’re in THEIR country – if anything, you should be able to speak their language). You order and pay at the till and then hand your receipt over to one of the waiters who will then go and get your food. The food comes out promptly. The presentation of the food is as expected, clean and got that modern classic/traditional look – as you’d expect from the decor of the restaurant itself (more on that below).
The Adas and Fuul were both tasty. You can see why they make the perfect breakfast dish and why they are so common with the different Arab countries around the world. You can certainly tell that good high quality ingredients are used. Some of us preferred the Adas over the Fuul and others vice versa. I thought both were decent and couldn’t really pick between them. For me though, they both lacked slightly in flavour/spice. It could’ve been seasoned a little more to bring out the flavours I feel. I have definitely had better versions of these dishes. For me, these were not memorable.
The Ma’soob is unique and distinctive to Yemen (and maybe now even Saudi Arabia). In fact, it is really difficult to find it outside of certain countries. It is the most popular dish in such Yemeni breakfast spots – you cannot leave Saudi Arabia without trying this – please! The dish is a wild and fun concoction of a number of different ingredients including mashed paratha, banana, honey, nuts, cream, ghee and corn flakes. This was a good version of it. I enjoyed it and so did everyone else. I think we all claimed this was the best dish on the table. I think I still prefer the Makkah/Jeddah style where it is served in a hot little cauldron type of pot.
Mutabbaq is like filled flatbread/paratha. We got the Mutabbaq filled with cream cheese. It was good, but the cheese was a little salty for my liking. I think I probably got the wrong cheese when ordering because there is a variety to choose from. Actually, there’s a wide variety of Mutabbaq to choose from ranging from vegetables, cheese and meat. Or even a sweet version! The shay Adani was very nostalgic. I used to drink this a lot when living here many years ago. This entered my life way before Karak even became a thing. But now, I think I prefer Karak. Shay Adani is like the watered down version of Karak, less creamy and a strong cardamom taste. Still good nonetheless.
The setting
We’ve already spoken about the lack of English and how that is actually more our problem and not theirs. So, let’s talk about the decor. It is a very modern and clean space. They’ve designed it well where they kind of bring the old traditions to the new settings. I love it! Certainly a good way of keeping old traditions alive. The customer service is good, but if you cannot speak the language, prepare beforehand. Know what you’re going to order. Take pictures if necessary.
A couple of negatives need to be highlighted though. Firstly, why is there no bathroom facility? Very strange considering the fact that it is a breakfast place where proper wholesome meals are had and also that they are trying to take this traditional cuisine and modernise it. Surely, modernising it should include including a basic necessity of life within the restaurant space (there’s enough of it!). We had to go to neighbouring McDonald’s to do our thing… this wasn’t the best of starts to this experience. Thankfully, the food made up for it though! The second negative is that while trying to be modern a key crucial aspect of the saudi tradition was lost. There is no segregation. There is no family section (even if there is somewhat of a section upstairs, it is open and in reality people can sit anywhere they like). I know this is the direction the people of this country are moving towards, but it is sad to see such a unique and wonderful aspect of the culture and dining tradition being lost. Shame.
Breakfast break during the hop on hop off tourist bus tour
I’ve done a separate post on the amazing must do activity in Madinah: the hop on hop off tourist bus tour (click here). Shoaib is perfect because it fits right into that schedule. If you come off at the Sultanah stop on that tour, then this restaurant is only a 4 minute walk away. It serves as the perfect breakfast stop while doing that tour. You can do the full tour including this for breakfast and if you set out straight after Fajr, you’ll be back comfortably to pray Dhuhr in the Masjid.
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