Yemeni – The new kid on the block

Yemen Restaurant
124 Union Road
Ascot Vale 3032
03 93720854

We knew of this place before the raving review from Matt Preston. It is almost a stone throw away from us. I was curious but I had doubts. So what stopped me?

Most of us are quick to judge on first impressions. We will walk past Yemen (124 Union Road, Ascot Vale) on countless occasions when we walk the dog. I never fail to look in. Hmm… front bit looks empty. A computer is plonked on the left hand side of the dining area. Very simple furnishings. I would wondered if there were any punters in the back. And I will walk away. So what finally made me decide to try Yemen?

Curiosity. I needed to know. I needed to try it for myself. I need to overcome my stupid notions. Mister suggested that we went out for dinner. Yemeni keeps popping back up in my head but I chose to ignore it till Mister suggested that it was close to home and we should give it a shot. And I am glad that we did.

Yemen is part of the Middle East in between Oman & Saudi Arabia. Yemeni are lovers of meat and spices. The common spices used in many Yemeni dishes are cardamom, caraway, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, saffron, turmeric, chillies, garlic and mint. Yemeni cooking uses very little oil and they make use of the meats and its stock well. Nothing is wasted.

The back of the room was very different from the front. The floors in the rooms were carpeted and surrounded with red comfortable cushions. There is a corner where a few Arabic men were having shisha and chit-chatting away. And in the far end of the first room, there was an analog television. It is like visiting a friend’s place. As the furnishings of this place, the menu is kept simple and honest. We ordered 2 lamb dishes to share. It included complimentary Yememi soup and condiments.

Comfortable carpet and red cushions

A piece of white paper was used to cover the carpet before the arrival of food. The Yemeni soup were served first. I could see bits of tomato, potatoes and lamb, a small wedge of lemon and bits of finely chopped herbs. Mint maybe? The soup was sweet with a nice balance of sour from the tomatoes. Despite the deep lamb flavour, this soup is surprisingly light but punchy. I th0ught to myself this was a great start to the meal. The owner, Elias, disclosed that the dish was cooked for 4 hours but never once will he spill the secrets of the recipe

Yemeni soup

We were then introduced 2 condiments – yoghurt and a green chilli paste. The yoghurt is thick and creamy. The green chilli paste was to die for. It was sharp, a good kick of heat and refreshing at the same time. And as usual with Elias, it is a secret recipe

yoghurt and green chilli paste

As explained by Elias, the mulgelgel (tender braised lamb served with 2 pieces of Yemeni bread) had been cooked for over an hour. The meat still held its shape and but when consumed, it was just meltingly good. The Yemeni bread had close resemblance of roti prata. But it isn’t oily at all! Tear a nice chuck of Yemeni bread, add a big piece of mulgelgel, top with yoghurt and green chilli paste and pop into mouth. Perfection in a mouthful. And surprise surprise, almost no cooking oil is used for this dish.

Mulgelgel

Yemeni bread and the perfect combination

The next dish, Mundi (marinated lamb with salad and rice), is my favourite. It has been awhile since I got so excited about a dish. Amazing. The long grain rice was soft and fluffy. It was scented and flavoured with saffron, tumeric, caradomom & dried raisins. We were told by Elias that this rice was expensive to buy and it is of very good quality. I believe him.

The lamb was so succulent. He made us use our fingers to pinch it. It fell apart and the best bit is the taste. Nicely spiced. Not strong but delicate lamb flavour. Melt in the mouth goodness. It was like Bryani minus the heaviness and richness of the ghee. This dish had such a clean taste and all the elements came together in harmony. And I just had to suck the marrow from the bones. Best bits ever.

Mundi Yemeni

As we sat there eating and chatting with Elias, we could hear almost silence in the room except sounds of licking fingers and “mmmmm”. He was attentive and will leave us once in awhile to check on his guests and making sure everyone is enjoying themselves. We sipped on our spiced Yemeni tea and felt really relaxed. We stayed on even after we had finished our meal. This is rare. Very rare.

Yemeni tea

When Elias spoke, I could sense the pride in him. And why not? He and his wife left the country and came here 19 years ago. He promised his wife that he would open a Yemeni restaurant here one day and he did. The only Yemeni restaurant in Australia and I am so glad that he is sharing the delicious food and the rich culture with us.

Will I come back? Hell yeah! I will be back here with a bigger group and have a shisha session. Thanks Elias for your hospitality. You have an inspiring story to tell and I feel humbled.

Double YumUp!

There are a couple of questions this time and I hope you can spend some time to answer one of them

• Is there a Yemeni restaurant in your area and have you tried it?
• If you are in Melbourne, would you like to join me for dinner and shisha?
• Please share your most inspiring place that you have eaten and why