YEMEN 🇾🇪
If you have never been to Yemen, at the very southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, Hadramout might not be familiar in your vocabulary. While currently the region of the same name (often spelled Hadhramaut) now encompasses over half of the nation, when the restaurant opened in 1996 it simply referred to one large province in the eastern part of the country. This area remains very low density but of high value because of its oil production, and like many parts of Yemen it contains people and cultures that would love to see less power wielded centrally from the capital.
New York City has a diverse Yemeni and Yemeni American population, with all ranges of folks fleeing the troubled country in recent years joining an already established community. A younger second generation mostly raised here now fluidly coexists, but for those from the namesake eastern province or with ties to it, the promise of back home must be a strong calling.
A falafel ($6.95) appetizer served with hummus.
A recent stop here with a group of five rewarded us a night with a full house of Yemenis coming for their iftar meal. This special dinner, eaten after sundown during the holy month of Ramadan, is not only a way to gain strength after a day of fasting, but looked forward to by practicers of the faith for its time of community and celebration. Those outside the faith often perceive this practice of fasting called sawm, as hardship, and while it does take willpower and determination many Muslims look forward to this most holy of months in the Islamic calendar.
Even for outsiders it is a joy to join Muslims during the iftar meal. Sitting down about 20 minutes before the sun went down, our group witnessed the restaurant (and the others on the block) fill up fast as friends and family got together and prepared to eat.
Foul moudammas ($8.95), stewed fava beans.
Never say no to an order, or even multiple orders, of their delicious flatbread referred to here as Hadramout home bread. This is malawah, one of many types of bread eaten in Yemen but the standard here at Hadramout. It is layered and slightly stretchy, folded over itself with ghee and bubbled and slightly burnt from the oven.
Coffee and tea are both very popular throughout Yemen but different areas drink them at different rates. In the capital of Sana'a you are more likely to see groups enjoying coffee together, but in Hadhramaut black tea is preferred. They have a self-serve tank of it in the back but you can also ask for a cup, which comes full of cardamom and cloves but is blanketed almost completely by an (un)healthy portion of sugar.
The meal and evening swirled by, dishes arrived when they were finished, and everyone enjoyed themselves. Below is a sampling of what was on offer for one meal on one particular night:
Haneeth ($17.95), traditional Yemeni roasted lamb.
Selta, meat and vegetables stew with fenugreek froth.
Deep fried salmon steak with rice ($20.95).
Kebsa chicken ($15.95)
Chicken maslook ($10.95)
On an earlier solo meal, a shawerma lunch was procured. The sandwiches come standard on a pita but for one dollar extra ($8.95 total) you can enjoy it with their malawah, which is highly recommended and shown below.
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