Halal Food Guide: Beijing Ramadan Iftar — Five International Buffets (Part 6 of 7)
Reposted from the web
Summary: Halal Food Guide: Beijing Ramadan Iftar — Five International Buffets is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Every year during Ramadan, having an Iftar buffet at one of the foreign restaurants in Beijing is a regular tradition for me. The account keeps its focus on Beijing Iftar, Ramadan Food, Halal Buffets while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
5. Palestinian restaurant Al Safir
I had the Ramadan iftar buffet at the Palestinian restaurant Al Safir in Sanyuanqiao. This is the fifth iftar buffet I have tried, following La Medina, Taiba, Dardanelles, and Khan Baba.
I make sure to eat at Al Safir's iftar buffet every year. Their 15 types of Levantine appetizers, known as meze, are their biggest highlight. The owner is also a very kind, hospitable person with strong faith, which makes dining there feel very comfortable. They have plenty of outdoor seating. It would be great to eat outside once the weather warms up next week, but we were worried about the crowds, so we specifically chose today because it was windy and less busy, which made the meal feel more relaxed.
For a traditional Arab iftar, you should follow the Sunnah by eating dates first, then having soup. They usually serve lentil soup or chicken soup. This year they added broccoli soup, which I am not quite used to, but you can give it a try. After the prayer, the main meal begins. Here you can eat sambousek, the classic lamb-filled fried pastry that Arabs enjoy during Ramadan.
The classic Levantine way to eat is to stuff falafel and various sauces into pita bread, or simply dip the pita bread into the sauces. Among all the meze, my favorite is the red qalayet bandora. Al Safir might be the only place in Beijing that serves it. This dish is made with tomatoes, onions, chili peppers, and olive oil. It is said to have originated in the villages near the Dead Sea, where the hot climate of the Jordan Valley is perfect for growing tomatoes. They also have muhammara, made with walnuts, red bell peppers, pomegranate molasses, and breadcrumbs. This meze is said to have originated in Aleppo, Syria.
Their main dishes are stewed lamb and roasted chicken. The lamb is tender and fragrant, and it tastes great with long-grain rice. I could not stop eating it. The roasted chicken is a bit tougher than the stewed lamb, but the flavor is still good.
Summary: Halal Food Guide: Beijing Ramadan Iftar — Five International Buffets is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Every year during Ramadan, having an Iftar buffet at one of the foreign restaurants in Beijing is a regular tradition for me. The account keeps its focus on Beijing Iftar, Ramadan Food, Halal Buffets while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
5. Palestinian restaurant Al Safir
I had the Ramadan iftar buffet at the Palestinian restaurant Al Safir in Sanyuanqiao. This is the fifth iftar buffet I have tried, following La Medina, Taiba, Dardanelles, and Khan Baba.
I make sure to eat at Al Safir's iftar buffet every year. Their 15 types of Levantine appetizers, known as meze, are their biggest highlight. The owner is also a very kind, hospitable person with strong faith, which makes dining there feel very comfortable. They have plenty of outdoor seating. It would be great to eat outside once the weather warms up next week, but we were worried about the crowds, so we specifically chose today because it was windy and less busy, which made the meal feel more relaxed.
For a traditional Arab iftar, you should follow the Sunnah by eating dates first, then having soup. They usually serve lentil soup or chicken soup. This year they added broccoli soup, which I am not quite used to, but you can give it a try. After the prayer, the main meal begins. Here you can eat sambousek, the classic lamb-filled fried pastry that Arabs enjoy during Ramadan.
The classic Levantine way to eat is to stuff falafel and various sauces into pita bread, or simply dip the pita bread into the sauces. Among all the meze, my favorite is the red qalayet bandora. Al Safir might be the only place in Beijing that serves it. This dish is made with tomatoes, onions, chili peppers, and olive oil. It is said to have originated in the villages near the Dead Sea, where the hot climate of the Jordan Valley is perfect for growing tomatoes. They also have muhammara, made with walnuts, red bell peppers, pomegranate molasses, and breadcrumbs. This meze is said to have originated in Aleppo, Syria.
Their main dishes are stewed lamb and roasted chicken. The lamb is tender and fragrant, and it tastes great with long-grain rice. I could not stop eating it. The roasted chicken is a bit tougher than the stewed lamb, but the flavor is still good.
