MEYLAS An Emirati food truck finds a new and permanent home
ne of the biggest surprises about Abu Dhabi’s dining scene is how few Emirati restaurants there are. Curiously, several have opened in the past few months including Meylas, a new outlet situated by the sea at Al Muneera Beach Plaza.
If the name sounds familiar, it’s because the lady behind Meylas, Emirati Shaikha Al Kaabi, has a food truck with the same name that has appeared at Abu Dhabi Art festival events and during National Day celebrations.
The inside of Meylas is a celebration of Bedouin culture that works very well. Old radios, rusted, peeling metal panels
oand tins of ghee lining the walls grab your attention, along with colourful pots and kettles and retro 7Up bottles. It’s classy, a little bit hipster but more than nods at Emirati heritage. A selection of hanging filament bulbs means an evening visit is doubly rewarding – somehow, it feels like you’re sitting outside. The lentil soup starter was hearty and more authentic than most doing the rounds at hotel iftars last month. The rgaag bread with egg, however, was disappointing – the almost pancake style bread and filling were bland, and we’d order the cream cheese or chicken versions on a second visit.
For the mains, the fareed stew was similar to a broth, packed full of potato and carrots and coriander. It had a tangy, zesty taste to it and really came alive when chunks of rgaag bread were added to it. A real menu highlight was tahta rubyan, a spiced dish of prawns and rice cooked in spices not dissimilar to a biryani, and particularly moreish.
For dessert, try the legeimat – these small, round, warm donuts were crunchy on the outside but were as light as air on the inside and served with a date syrup that wasn’t overly sweet. The more ambitious might to have a crack at the khabees, a pud served in a tin that looked like a thick paste, made of roasted flour, sugar, cardamom and saffron. The consistency might put off some, and while the taste is pleasant, a whole tin was too much.
Overall, it’s a good start for Meylas – the restaurant prides itself on serving home-style cooking, and this is a decent introduction to Emirati cuisine.
Al Muneera Beach Plaza, Al Raha, Abu Dhabi, daily 9am to 10pm. Taxi: Al Muneera Beach Plaza. meylas.com