Seiyun Mandi Restaurant

“Seiyun is named after the second biggest city in Yemen's Hadhramaut governorate, so the name alone tells you this place is going for real authenticity, and it delivers. The restaurant is always packed, even though it is in a pretty out-of-the-way spot. You walk in and the staff are rushing around nonstop, taking phone orders for delivery and takeaway that never seem to stop. Delivery drivers on the apps are coming and going just as fast. All that hustle is a good sign when a place is this far from the main areas. You sit on the traditional low floor seating in one of their private Arabic-style majlis booths, which feels properly authentic. The menu is huge with plenty of choices, and everything I tried lived up to expectations. They brought complimentary soup and a fresh salad to start, which was a nice touch. I went for the lamb ribs haneeth. The portion was massive, I could not finish the rice, and the lamb piece was so big it completely covered the rice underneath, as you can see in the photos I added. The rice was cooked just right: every grain separate but still moist and full of flavour. The meat was tender enough to fall off the bone and seasoned perfectly. It also came with a side of fresh daqoos sauce on the house. This was easily one of the best mandi meals I have had in the UAE, no exaggeration. Definitely worth trying, and I will be back soon.”