Hidden Gem

“Inside it’s bijou, with just five tables, a private family dining room and two Bosnian waiters in traditional dress.”

The taste of the Balkans reaches Abu Dhabi

City walks are our favourite at Yalla, especially now the temperature has a respectable air. Confession time, no we didn’t walk from Abu Dhabi to the Balkans; we didn’t need to. For tucked away on Hazza Bin Zayed the 1st Street, known locally as Defence Road, and where a number of new eateries have opened their doors, you’ll find Bosnian Hut. You can’t miss the Balkan-esque façade decked out like a truly authentic Bosnian cottage, or the kind of hut found on the lake shores in Bosnia. Inside it’s bijou, with just five tables, a private family dining room and two Bosnian waiters in traditional dress. Again, Bosnian interior design rules, with Bosnian motifs adorning the walls.

Teufic Nesic is the manager and his wife Amela, the head chef, who has been cooking up goodness in 5-start hotel restaurants worldwide for 17 years. But what’s Bosnian fare? It’s a mix of East meets West, Turkish, Lebanese and traditional dishes from the Austro- Hungarian Empire days, and further back to the Celts.

The menu has just been updated and is based on authentic traditional classics. There are no modern fusion dishes here! Everything is delicious, but we say start with a Bey soup, an okra delicacy simmered in a chicken based broth, finished off with a simple roux, then sprinkled with lemon juice or a tasty pumpkin soup.

Next, try Sitni Kebab, small pieces of meat with a special rich sauce in somun bread. Or tuck into the historic Haji Kebab, whose name derives from Haj, when pilgrims would wrap kebab meat for the long and arduous journey by foot to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Try Bosnian pita, thin dough that is presented in a rather pretty swirl or the spinach, cheese or meat pita, a type of delicious pie. There are plenty of Bosnian sauces for dipping too.

End with Hurmašice, a syrup-drenched pastry, and a traditional Bosnian coffee, which, while it looks similar, is neither Arabic nor Turkish coffee. Head over there today and find out what makes it different.

Bosnian Hut, 923 Hazza Bin Zayed Street, open 1pm till 11.30pm daily. Walk-ins only. Call 02 566 6215