Sam Hadramawt Groupon Review - 5-Course Authentic Arabian Meal

This is a review of the Groupon deal for Sam Hadramawt's 5-course Authentic Arabian Meal in Kelana Jaya, at RM 16 per pax, inclusive of bottomless blackcurrant drinks.

[Up to 75% Off] 5-Course Authentic Arabian Meal + Free Flow of Drinks at Sam Hadramawt for 2 (RM32) / 4 (RM58) People. From RM14.50 per person. Halal.

Where you spend RM 32 to save RM 50!

I wanted middle eastern food but was almost broke. And you can't beat RM 16 per pax for a 5 course meal. It's equivalent to the price of 3 large meals at a hawker centre, except everything is middle-eastern!

Hummus

One should always order hummus when eating in a middle-eastern restaurant. It's something that's quite different and unique to middle eastern cuisine. Sam Hadramawt's hummus had an overpowering olive/sesame oil taste which I didn't quite like, but was still good nonetheless.

Hummus - blend of chick peas with tahini sauce (RM 16 of value)

Naan to go with the hummus.

Vegetables

Would have gladly traded in the watery concoction of Salad and Mixed Vegetables for more hummus. I think both vegetable dishes were made from the same ingredients, except that one was put into a blender.

Mixed Salad of Japanese Cucumbers, Parsley, and Tomatoes (RM 16 of value)

Mixed Vegetables (RM 12 of value) - the dry chunky version of the above watery version.

Main Course

I dig Sam Hadramawt's rice. I nom'ed 1/3 of my rice without any sides just to savour the fragrant spices in each spoonful of rice. Lightly coloured, soft and fluffy, middle eastern rice is awesome as usual. Why do we eat plain unflavoured white rice when there are much better alternatives out there, like nasi briyani, saffron rice, middle-eastern rice, nasi lemak and chicken rice?
Although oily, the lamb was much better than the chicken, which was just meh. I too can make chicken that looks meh and tastes totally meh, so I probably don't want meh chicken at a middle-eastern restaurant.

Would have liked my chicken on a skewer, ala Kebab style that is boneless and easier to eat compared to a winged drumstick, but the waiter skipped the Kebab option from the Main Course choices.

In my opinion, if a Groupon deal says you have a choice of lamb or chicken meat in Kebab, Haneeth or Mandy style, then you should be asked if you want lamb or chicken in Kebab, Haneeth or Mandy style. We ended up with 1 chicken and 1 lamb, which I'm still not sure prepared in what way. However all is forgiven since were given a RM 10 voucher afterwards.

Dessert

I did not expect dessert to be served in a plastic container. This custard tasted like a close cousin of instant jelly, masquerading as custard. Can you believe it is supposed to be RM 10 of value? I can't. Creme brulee, a slice of cheese cake, an ice-cream chocolate brownie, or a souffle can be RM 10 of value. This doesn't even make the RM 5 cut. Being a big fan of dessert in general, I was disappointed with the effort put into making the dessert.

Custard with milk and blackcurrant toppings (RM 10 of value)

Overall verdict : If you can afford it, I'd recommend that you pay full price to have a proper main course meal and the hummus, then skip the rest. Your tummy will be full by the time you're halfway through nomming the main course anyway, especially with middle-eastern serving portions. But if you're almost broke like I was (and still am), don't pass up the opportunity to eat a meal with this much variety at such a price. Despite my nitpicks, it was a steal.

Visited on 25th November, 2012.