‘Zaroob” is a restaurant chain based in the UAE serving up food from the ‘Levant’ (Syria, Jordan, Lebanon & Palestine) and the name literally translates to ‘Alleyway’ and the food takes inspiration from traditional street food vendors from the region.

The restaurant has been open for a few months now and I had the opportunity to review the establishment along with @thefoodies.sa.

I would define the interiors as captivating and colourful with plenty of artwork and memorabilia from a time long past. It is well lit and the seating spaced and from the main seating area, you have a view of the spotless kitchen and the chefs in action. Food is prepared fresh on order and we were more than ready to order.

The menu is quite extensive and it can be quite challenging to decide on what you would like to eat. We ordered the ‘Stuffed Falafels’ (SR. 19), ‘Beef & Nuts Hummus’ (SR. 30), ‘Beef Shawarma Fatteh’ (SR. 32), ‘Chicken Shawarma Fatteh’ (SR. 30), ‘Zaroobian Angus Burger’ (SR. 39), ‘Kibbeh in a Pan’ (SR. 38), ‘Chicken Shawarma Platter’ (SR. 32) and ‘Laban’.  

The outright favourite had to be the ‘Beef & Nuts Hummus’ with traditional hummus mixed with tahini, lemon and ghee and topped with tiny cubes of beef tenderloin cooked to perfection. The scent of well cooked meat mixed in with the hummus acts like seasoning for the beef and coupled with their Saj bread, makes for a delectable combination. 

The Fatteh (Beef & Chicken) were also top notch with the pine nuts adding much needed  crunch. The flatbread croutons got soggy quite quickly and I wouldn’t blame the restaurant since we took quite some time to take pictures of all the food. 

The ‘Stuffed Falafels’ was my next favourite plate of food with it’s crunchy onion sumac and a side of tarator sauce that adds a bit of zing. The portion is quite limited though making it quite expensive at SR. 19. 

The ‘Zaroobian Angus Burger’ wasn’t exceptional in terms of savour but it brought back memories of burgers made at home with buns from the local supermarket. It isn’t value for money but a decent burger nevertheless. The fries that come with it are well made and crunchy. 

The ‘Kibbeh in a Pan’ was a big disappointment. It had absolutely no salt and tasted quite bland and dry. Keep it for too long and the hot pan will drain out what little moisture remains. Everyone in our group agreed that this was quite tasteless.

The ‘Chicken Shawarma Platter’ is quite like the ones you find at your local middle eastern restaurant with tons of garlic and fries. The saj is toasted and the garlic keeps the chicken moist inside. At SR. 32, this is really quite pricey and not worth the price paid. 

A great experience overall and I would definitely consider dropping by again to try the Mansaf and Musakhan. 

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Menu: http://www.zaroob.com/ksa_menu.pdf

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/ES8KrcyvqGy1rQE37