Written by: Haroon Shuaib
Posted on: October 13, 2020 | 
| 中文
The Grilled Fish (photo credits to Eman Haroon)
The city of Islamabad is fast losing its reputation for being conventional and uninteresting in its culinary offerings. Not only have residents of the capital become more adventurous in their tastes but also international cuisines, new restaurants, and inventive gastronomical ventures are on the rise. The newest player in the medley of eateries on offer, is The Arabian Sea. Located between ‘Loafology’ and ‘Haleem Ghar’ in the Blue Area, The Arabian Sea restaurant serves Arabian and Continental food, from seafood to steaks, traditional to new popular dishes.
The Arabian Sea is a brain child of Sadia Kayani, a Pakistani-American who used to run a catering business in Washington DC, before moving to Jordan for next fifteen years, with her husband Hamid Abugideiri, an IT professional of Sudanese descent, an artist, and a photographer. It was in Jordan that Sadia, who admits to being a foodie, discovered her passion for Arabian and seafood cuisine.
When the couple finally decided to settle in Islamabad about two years ago, Sadia was disappointed that there weren’t many avenues for fresh, authentic, and affordable Arabian or sea food. She convinced her husband to open a restaurant with these unique selling points. With her passion for food, a team of chefs, and a restaurant manager flown in especially from Jordan, The Arabian Sea finally opened its doors to customers in August of this year.
Falafel and Bread (photo credits to Eman Haroon)
The menu at The Arabian Sea is extensive, but carefully put together. The soups section is continental, with Tomato Basil and Cream of Mushroom. Unfortunately, the Cream of Mushroom wasn’t available but the palatable and soothing Tomato Basil soup was delicious. The appetisers section has an interesting list of world cuisine, such as Dynamite Prawns, Beef Tataki, Honey Mustard and Buffalo Wings, Fried Chicken Strips with Fries, and of course some of the most widely recognised Middle Eastern starters, such as Hummus, Mutabil, Labna, and Falafel.
Hummus, Labna and Mutabil (photo credits to Eman Haroon)
Since we were a large group, we decided to order the Arabic Family Platter, which had a small serving of each appetiser and pita chips. The Hummus was lusciously creamy, yet somehow light and fluffy. Labna, another Middle Eastern staple made by removing excess whey from salted yoghurt, resulting in a velvety, cream cheese-like spread, was the most popular. Mutabil, a dip made using eggplant and olive oil, was the only one that wasn’t wiped clean on the platter.
A special serving of some proteins was graciously added to our order, which included the golden fried crispy prawn tempuras and some thinly sliced beef steaks. While the beef steaks were unfortunately rubbery and dry, the crispy prawn tempuras were perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection. We were left almost convinced that Islamabad finally has a good Arabic and sea food option, and ordered our main courses with high expectations.
The main entries had three distinct sections; an extensive continental section with the usual items, such as Chicken with Cashew Nuts, Chicken with Sundried Tomatoes, Chicken Alfredo, seafood offerings such as Chilli Glazed Snapper, Grilled Scampi Colossal Prawn, and Lobster Thermidor; a keto-friendly menu; and a short Arab menu with a footnote assuring the customers that more items will be added to it soon.
The Grilled Platter (photo credits to Eman Haroon)
“I am sourcing my sea produce directly from another entrepreneur, Faiza Khan, based in Karachi. Faiza is a chef par excellence, and has her own trawlers to catch fresh fish from The Arabian Sea. She makes sure to send me the freshest produce as per my requirements, and I am lucky to have formed that linkage. I am also sourcing the desserts from another woman who is an exceptional home based pâtissier. It is important that women entrepreneurs stick to each other and support each other,” Sadia explained.
Coming back to the menu, we ordered Chicken Mandi, Grilled Whole Fish, and Grilled Platter: a combination of Mutton Chops, Kebabs, Shish Tawuk, and Boneless Mutton served with bread, some more Hummus, and Fattoush salad.
‘Mandi’ is perhaps the most talked about and divisive dish to have been adopted by the local food enthusiasts. It is a traditional from the South of Arabian Peninsula, consisting mainly of meat and rice with a special blend of spices, topped with the choicest dry fruits, traditionally cooked in a pit underground. While everyone has instantly taken to this delight, there is always a debate on which restaurant offers the best Mandi in town. Unfortunately, while the Grilled Fish and everything on the Grilled Platter – the boneless mutton deserves a special mention - was tender, succulent and juicy, the Mandi was a bit on the dry side.
The Mandi (photo credits to Eman Haroon)
Conventionally, the rice for Mandi are cooked at the bottom of the tandoor (taboon in Arabic – an earthen pit oven) while the meat is suspended above the rice as the juices drip on the rice. When the rice and meat are cooked separately, of course the process of infusion doesn’t happen, and that seemed to be the missing link in Arabian Sea’s Mandi too. The Grilled Fish was near perfect and impeccably seasoned – coming off bones at the slightest nudge of the fork, and melting instantly on the tongue. From the Prawn Tempura to the Fish, the restaurant definitely carries its promise of high quality sea food.
The special Pina Colada that is Sadia’s signature recipe, is sure to placate your taste buds, so that too is a must try. It will also help to bear in mind that the tab is on the higher side. We were so full by the end of this meal that we decided to opt out of having a dessert, and set an intention to return again. After all, some of the best Hummus, Labna, and the freshest sea food is now on offer in town, and we don’t have to travel 1400 KM for it.
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