Sysaban Restaurant @ Cyberjaya, Selangor

There are so many Arabic restaurants in Cyberjaya that I have been to and Sysaban is one of those. Since this was right opposite my office, we decided to drop by for dinner this evening. 

Most of the Arabic restaurants here in Cyberjaya have a somewhat similar menu. One difference with these guys is that they have a variety of portion sizes. Many Arabic restaurants serve huge platters and most often we are not able to finish those. These guys however have four sizes to choose from; mini, small, medium and large which is just ideal. Most small eaters could go for the mini size and even those who want to try a number of dishes could now order a few mini sized dishes and share. 

Watermelon + Milk Juice @ RM 8.00

Honeydew + Milk Juice @ RM 8.00

Both the drinks were good and they were open to customising it according to our choice. For example, they did not have the Watermelon + Milk. We had asked to add milk and they accommodated. The glass was tall and for the price, it was worth it. My rating for these drinks would be 8/10. 

Lamb Soup @ RM 2.00

Chicken Spaghetti @ RM 9.00

To start off my meal, I had ordered a bowl of Lamb Soup and this was priced at RM 2.00 . For me, it wasn't like the Lamb Soup that I had expected. In fact, there was no meat inside the soup. I guess they must have made it by boiling bone marrow along with some spices and to be honest, it tasted like the South Indian Rasam to me. That was honestly a let down for me and my rating for this shall be 6/10. Their Chicken Spaghetti was decent. Some may wonder why we went for this dish at an Arabic restaurant. It was just that one of us wanted it so badly and we just went along. It was definitely an Arabic version of Spaghetti and my rating for it shall be 7/10. 

Kabsa Lamb (Mini) @ RM 13.00

Mixed Grill (Small) @ RM 24.00

Their Kabsa Lamb was good and the portions were just nice. The rice had sufficient flavours and the lamb was perfectly marinated. My rating for this shall be 8/10. Their Mixed Grill usually comes with Beef too and so if you're one who does not eat Beef, do let them know and they would substitute it with more Chicken. I felt that these were really good and they came with some French Fries and Arabic Bread. The bread was so soft and nice and both the Lamb and Chicken were heavenly. I would definitely rate this at 9/10.  

Half BBQ Chicken + Bread @ RM 15.00

Lamb Kebab @ RM 10.00

We had also ordered a platter of half BBQ Chicken and again, this was served with Arabic Bread and French Fries. Their BBQ Chicken was good. The meat was so tender and the grilling process was perfect. Similarly loved the flavours too. I would rate this dish at 8/10. Finally, I had tried their Lamb Kebab. This wasn't as great as I had expected. The Lamb itself was nice but the choice of ingredients for the wraps were't great. I would rate this at 6/10. 

Bill For The Evening

Overall, we felt that their Grilled items were good and so was their Lamb Kabsa. Prices are reasonable and it is great that they have four portion sizes to choose from. This is great news as you can go for the mini size and eventually try more dishes. Lovely ambiance as well. 

Address: Suite 480-06-07, CBD Perdana 2, Jalan Persiaran Flora, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor.

Business Hours: 1100 - 2350 Daily

Saba Restaurant @ Cyberjaya, Selangor

There are numerous Arabic restaurants in Cyberjaya but Saba Restaurant is one of those most sought after Arabic restaurants. In fact, it get's so busy that people end up queuing outside waiting for a table and this is a common scene for dinner daily. If you're planning to visit them, either you make a reservation much earlier or in the case of walk-ins, it's best to come during non peak hours.  

Cutlery

POS System

They have a very elaborate menu and the most famous dish here is their Nasi Arab or Mandy Rice. Every table would have definitely ordered one of this. We arrived early and I was glad that we got a table almost immediately. Within 30 minutes, there was such a long queue outside the restaurant. Service is a breeze and the number of waiters that they have was impressive. 

Water On The House

Chilli

Lamb Soup

Arabic Style Dhall

Drinking water is provided complimentary and customers would have to get it on their own from the dispensers that are located on the far right corner of the restaurant. Similarly, the Arabic Style Dhall, Lamb Soup and Chilli that goes with the Mandy Rice are self service items as well. The Chilli was good and it had a sharp spicy taste to it and I'd rate this at 8/10. Their Lamb Soup was rather light, perhaps it's one that's suited to the Arabic taste and so was their curry. For these last two items, my rating would be 6/10. 

Cream Caramel @ RM 6.00

Custard @ RM 5.00

Basbosah @ RM 5.00

We ordered some deserts and these were served before the mains. Well, I couldn't say much as they were all extremely busy. Their Cream Caramel was pretty bad. It lacked caramel and was quite bland. My rating for this shall be 3/10. The Basbosah and Custard was extremely good. I mean really good stuff. Such a huge contrast between their deserts. My rating for the other two shall be 9/10. 

Chicken Shawerma @ RM 8.00

A Closer Look

Mixed Barbecues @ RM 38.00

Shawerma is one of my favourite Arabic dishes. In fact, when I used to frequent Dubai, this used to be one of my favourite snacks that I used to have daily. Comparing to what I had tasted there and the one that we got from this restaurant, it was an utter disappointment. The chicken lacked flavours and overall it was just a tasteless crunchy wrap. 3/10 would be my rating for this. Their Mixed Barbecue Platter which was priced at RM 38.00  was excellent. It had a mix of chicken, lamb some stuffed bread and salad and each and every item was delicious. One that was totally worth it and my rating for this shall be 8/10. 

Mandy Chicken With Rice (Medium) @ RM 22.00

Mandy Lamb With Rice (Regular) @ RM 22.00

Both the Mandy Chicken and Lamb were good but meat portions wise, you get a lot more value in that chicken dish. As for the meats, I would rate them 7/10. The rice which this restaurant is famous for was heavenly. It had such amazing flavours that I was addictively going for it despite having had a full tummy. The best Nasi Arab that I have tasted till date and my rating for this shall be 10/10. 

Bill

If you're a fan of Mandy Rice, then I would strongly recommend Saba Restaurant. Truly amazing Mandy Rice and it would't be wrong to say that it's the best that I have had. Besides this dish, their Mixed Barbecue Platter is another one that's absolutely good. For desert lovers, I would recommend their Custard and Basbosah. Do make a reservation if you wish to come for dinner or else you'd find yourself waiting in a very long line and it may even take more than an hour before you get a table. 

Address: 4800 Suite 0-2, Ground Floor, Block A1, Jalan Perdana, CBD Perdana, 63000                                Cyberjaya, Selangor. 

Business Hours: Saturday - Thursday 1130 - 2330

                            Friday 1430 - 2330

Restoran Culinary Pleasure @ Cyberjaya, Selangor

It has been a long time since I had Arabic food. There was a phase in my life where I used to be crazy of Arabic food and I would patronise at least two restaurants a week. Gone are those days and after a long time, I had the urge to visit one. Luckily, there are so many of them in Cyberjaya. In fact, after Indian restaurants, the second largest cuisine in Cyberjaya would be Arabic. While looking for a place to visit, I did read some reviews and was told that this place does some of the best lamb dishes. Being a huge fan of lamb, I just could not resist. 

The Restaurant in CBD 2, Cyberjaya

Outdoor Seating Area

A Posh Indoor Seating Area

See Through Kitchen Concept

From outside, this restaurant seemed a little run down but once inside, it was the total opposite. The concept was luxurious and there were sub cubicle like small private dining areas and each one of the had a TV set. The staffs were very friendly and being an Indian, they assumed that I was not familiar with Arabic food and took the time to patiently explain each and every dish. 

Drinking Water On The House

The above are just a few pages from their colourful and illustrious menu. They have an extensive range of dishes and all seemed to be reasonably priced. Another thing that impressed me was that they do not charge for drinking water, be it iced water or warm water. When most restaurants charge for these nowadays, it was just a pleasant surprise that these guys don't. Once we were done with the ordering, the chef got to work and we could clearly see and smell the dishes as he was preparing them since he was behind a semi covered glass partition. 

Lamb Zurbian @ RM 22.90

Lamb Zurbian is one of the top sellers here and a rare dish to find in restaurants. The lamb which is inside the rice is slow cooked over amber for 24 hours and as a result, it becomes so soft and has a cotton like texture. The rice is topped with spices and served with the Arabic version of Chicken Kurma which is what you see in the side bowl. I must confess that it was a heavenly dish. The mixture of rice and lamb was so good and the Kurma was an absolute delight. The Kurma didn't taste like the usual Indian style Kurma. It was slightly salty and tasted something like the Campbell's Chicken Soup, perhaps a cross between that and Kurma. In short, a must try dish here and this deserves 10/10 for sure. 

Wraps For The Fajitas

Lamb Fajita @ RM 29.90

Chili Dip

Do It Yourself Wraps

The Lamb Fajitas were served on a hot grill and the wraps were served separately in a cane container. Along with that, there was some chili dip just in case you wanted it to be spicy. The lamb itself was heavenly. I could go on eating this forever. Seriously, it was that good. The lamb tasted very similar to corned mutton and came with the perfect blend of capsicum, onions, garlic, carrots and herbs. Wrap it yourself and you're done. This was the fastest dish to finish. Each one of us were so much into this dish as it was so good. If I were to rate this, I would give it 10/10. 

Chicken Parmesana @ RM 20.90

Their Chicken Parmesana was another good dish. Rich in tomato sauce and a blend of other ingredients. In fact, the grilled chicken was huge too and it was so tasty. You can't see the full size here as it is mostly covered. 8/10 for this!

Bill For The Day

If you're into lamb and Arabic food, then I would suggest you to give this place a try. Their lamb dishes were simply amazing. Heavenly stuff that's cooked with perfect skills. Even their Chicken dish was good but nowhere close to their lamb dishes. Lamb Zurbian and Lamb Fajitas are two must try dishes here!

Address: CBD Perdana 2, Jalan Perdana, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1100 -  2300 Daily

D' Luscious Arabic Sandwich Fusion @ KL Sentral, Kuala Lumpur

Here I am again at Kuala Lumpur Sentral and unlike my visit late last week, this time I had all the time in the world to have a slow, non rushed meal. Having not exhausted all the new outlets in the food court, I decided to head there again and try out another place. 

The Food Court Located On The Ground Floor

Quite A Number Of Eateries Here

Trying Out This Arabic Place For A Change

Other Available Dishes

Aha Sawarama!

And my chosen place of meal today was a new Arabian place that sold fusion meals. This outlet is located not too far from the entrance and is located on your left as you walk in. Just a simple set up selling a number of dishes including Sawarama. It's been a long time since I had my Arabic fix and gosh, I miss my days in UAE where I used to feast on these. 

Burgers

Chicken Wraps

Beef Sandwiches

Vegetarian Dishes

Set Meals

They had a good variety of Burgers, Chicken Wraps, Beef Sandwiches and even vegetarian items. Impressed to see that the serve the latter as well. But it was strange that they did not have any Mutton on the menu as Mutton is their staple food. Perhaps, the menu has been localised to suit our taste buds. Prices were very reasonable as well. Having had my glut mode turned on, I ordered one Chicken Burger and one Chicken Wrap. It's all self service here and I had to wait for them to prepare the dishes. After all, burger's are simple to make and it took me less than a ten minute wait. With that, I headed off to one of the tables to indulge.

Chicken Kebab @ RM 9.90

Sides

Chicken, Tomatoes, Salad & Onions

Quite A Huge Meal

For the price, I had expected them to just serve a small piece but these were quite huge and came with a decent amount of sides. I wonder why they call them Kebab here. The meat is Kebab but once it goes into a wrap like this, it is called Sawarama. Anyway, the preparation was slightly different. They had Chicken Kebab slices, onions, tomatoes and cabbage but the key ingredient of pickled gherkins were not added. The Kebab itself was quite dry and lacked flavours. The bread too was very dry and that turned the entire dish to be quite unpleasant. It hurt while chewing and all that I got was some bland taste. I really needed the Chili Sauce to go with this. I wonder how an Arab is making such bad Sawarama. Even those Arabic places in Cyberjaya serve anytime better Sawarama's than this. Edible but not one that's exciting or tasty. I would rate this at 4/10 .

Laziz Burger @ RM 9.90

Similar Sides

Anytime Juicier Meat Cuts With Cheese

Yummy

Same Chicken Kebab Cuts

The next one that I tried was this Laziz Burger. This again was prepared using the same Chicken Kebab but fortunately it came with a twist. The burger bread was horribly dry and I ended up discarding it later part of my meal when I just could not tolerate the dryness. The meat however was good. This time, they had added more sauces and some cheese into it and that gave it a different dimension altogether. Hated the bread but absolutely loved the meat/sauce/cheese mixture. As a complete package, I would rate this at 4/10 but the meat factor alone, I would rate this at 6.5/10. 

In short, didn't enjoy the meal. The Kebab itself was not quite up to the mark. A road side stall in UAE / Kuwait / Saudi Arabia would taste anytime better than this. Well, even those in Cyberjaya are world's apart. Perhaps.... if I have not been exposed to real Arabic food in the native country, I may have liked this. Just an afterthought. 

Address: My Foodloft, KL Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 0700 - 2300 Daily