Al-Amar Express @ Fahrenheit 88, KL

Al-Amar Express serves a mix of Arabian and Western cuisine. It is located outside Fahrenheit 88 and is the more affordable sister restaurant of Al-Amar Lebanese Cuisine.

Menu

Menu

Menu

Not bottomless unfortunately

Complimentary pita bread

L-R: Pastries (Lamb Sambousik, Kebbeh Kras, Spinach Fatayer),  Tabbouleh, Moutabal, Fattoush, Labneh

• Lamb Sambousik is like a mini minced lamb curry puff filled with fragrant spices.
• Kebbeh Kras is shaped like a meatball with crunchy pine nuts and minced beef, onion and bulgur wheat mixture.
• Spinach Fatayer had a nice zing of lemon to alleviate the taste of spinach.
• Tabbouleh is one of my favourites but stay away if you dislike parsley.
• Fattoush is another great salad and also one of my favourites as it has a variety of crunchy vegetables such as radish, cucumber and lettuce and is topped with crispy toasted pita bread.
• Not a big fan of pasty stuff but the Moutabal, which is mashed aubergine mixed with sesame seed paste, and Labneh, a type of Lebanese cream cheese, were creamy and decent. Next time I'll definitely order another side of Tabbouleh and Fattoush to replace these.

Pita bread topped with Fattoush and Tabbouleh

Roasted Chicken Sandwich (RM 17.90)

The Roasted Chicken Sandwich came with a juicy half chicken, roasted to perfection with super moist and tender meat, pickles and fries. We had plenty of pita bread to go with the chicken as well as a side of mayo. The thick cut fries were quite good too. Definitely for sharing.

See the huge chicken nestled within the pita bread

Al-Amar Steak Sandwich (RM 22.90)

The Al-Amar Steak Sandwich is like a panini with generous amounts of seared beef tenderloin, onions, capsicum and mushrooms, oozing with melty cheddar and mozzarella. The meat was not tough and tasted just like a Philly cheese steak. Definitely recommended.

Lots of steak

Al-Amar Express is definitely recommended with its quality food and generous portions. Next time I'll try the Shawarma which I love. The only grouse I have is that their non-automatic sliding glass door is too clean, hence I thought the door was already open and knocked into it with a resounding KA-THONG!!! =.=



PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Onion


Al-Amar Express
Lot G-44, Ground Floor
Fahrenheit 88
Tel: 03 2141 3814
Daily: 11am - 10pm

Al-Amar Express @ Fahrenheit 88, KL

Al-Amar Express in front of Fahrenheit 88 is the speedy sister of Al-Amar at Pavilion and the menu leans more towards Westernised dishes and quick lunch sets.
     

         

Drinks

     

Complimentary pita bread

   

L-R: Small pastries (RM 8.50), Tabbouleh, Hummus, Fattouch, Labneh

   
I love the presentation! So pretty! The small pastries consisted of Spinach Fatayer (triangular shaped pastry), Lamb Sambousik  (dark ball) and Kebbeh Kras (mini curry puff look-alike). The Spinach Fatayer consists of chopped baby spinach and onions mixed with lemon zest and deep-fried. The resulting taste is refreshing and really good. Lamb Sambousik is just essentially a fried spiced lamb dumpling which tasted average. Kebbeh Kras consisted of minced meat, onions and pine nuts - a unique take on the common curry puff.
   
The Tabbouleh and Fattouch salads were both good but the Tabbouleh lacked a bit of salt. I'm not a big fan of hummus but JS liked it. The Labneh was quite addictive due to its creamy cheese. The salads and appetizers were all part of a set but the full sized Hummus and Labneh retail for RM 12.90 each whereas the Tabbouleh and Fattouch are RM 16.50 each.
   

Gorgeous colours of the salads and appetizers

   

Roasted Chicken (RM 17.90)

   
We were surprised that the portion consisted of half a chicken which is pretty worth it for that price. The roast chicken was beautifully roasted - the meat was really moist and juicy and the skin delightfully crisp. More pita bread were provided as an accompaniment to the chicken. Apart from that, the sides consisted of fries, pickles and garlic sauce. The fries were good, not the usual shoe-string type.
   

Al-Amar Steak Sandwich (RM 22.90)

   
The panini was packed with beef tenderloin, onions, capsicum and mushrooms seared in steak sauce. Lots of mozzarella and cheddar were added to the filling before the panini was grilled. The result was an awesome Philly Cheese Steak d^_^b
   
The bread was crispy and each mouthful consisted of lots of beef and melted cheese. The Al-Amar Steak Sandwich was really really good and is highly recommended. It came with a side salad and pickles.
   

Check out the cheese and beef!

   
All in all, it was a really good lunch and we were really stuffed and didn't feel like going back to work. After paying the bill, we left the restaurant and as we headed towards the sliding glass door, I craned my neck to ogle the other patrons' meals when suddenly there was a loud KA-THONG! My knuckles had hit the glass door which I assumed would open automatically as I walked towards it - it was a good thing I didn't knock my head on it. Turns out, you need to press a button at the side which subsequently opens the non-automatic door. Safety moment there =.= JS was no help as he was busy laughing his head off >. >

      
PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Tomato
       
Al-Amar Express

Lot G-44, Ground Floor
Fahrenheit 88
Tel: 03 2141 3814
Sun - Thu: 7am - 2am
Fri - Sat: 7am - 5am

Al-Amar Lunch Buffet @ Pavilion, KL

What better way to try Middle Eastern cuisine other than going for a buffet to sample all the different salads and kebabs =) The buffet is only available during lunch on Sundays and priced at RM 65.

    

Shop entrance

     

Appetizer Spread

      

Lots of hummus

     

Salad Bar

     

Spot my favourites!

      

...and even more appetizers...

      

Steamed White Rice and Mushroom Soup

     

Main Course Spread

      

Kebabs!

     

Grilled Beef Tenderloin in Gravy

     

Spicy Fried Rice

    

Vegetarian Lasagna

    

Fish in Lemon Butter Sauce

    

Dessert Spread

    

Clockwise from Left: Caesar Salad, Tabbouleh, Spicy Fried Potatoes, Chicken Wing, Fattoush Salad

       
This plate of appetizers is the best ever! I loved all that I took as they were all really yummy.
    

• Caesar Salad was a tad more sourish than usual due to the chef's preference for lemon dressing but it was yummy all the same. The toasted croutons were my favourite which absorbed the lemon dressing really well.
• The smell and taste of Tabbouleh was much stronger than what I had tasted when I was in Oman so people averse to parsley better not take this. It was a little bland, perhaps more salt would have been preferable? I prefer to load this on kebabs as you can see in the other pictures =D
• Spicy Fried Potatoes were really good - bite-sized and full of flavour.
• Chicken wing was bursting with lemon flavour. The citrus dressing moistened the meat further.
• Fattoush Salad was simply refreshing: fresh, crunchy lettuce, cucumbers and baby radishes in a strong lemon-y dressing and topped with crispy toasted pita bread. Yum!

      

Clockwise from Left: Vegetarian Lasagne, Eggplant Appetizer, Chicken Wing, Caesar Salad, Tabbouleh, Centre: Spicy Fried Potatoes

       
JS couldn't stop himself loading on his favourite lasagne when we were supposed to be taking appetizers <tsktsk> He said the top of the lasagne was crispy and the pasta sheets went very well together with the vegetables. Pity it had no meat =P

      

Puffy Pita Bread

      
This super puffy pita bread was average. A little chewy though. Good with the kebabs and condiments.

     

Mushroom Soup

      
The Mushroom Soup was surprisingly very good. Thick and creamy, it was full of huge chunks of button mushrooms. Extremely sinful due to the generous amount of cream. Definitely not for weight watchers.

      

Kebab and Condiments

      
Kebabs! Very good with the pita bread, raw onions, pickles, tomatoes and Tabbouleh. The lamb (skinny ones) was the best out of the three, the beef cubes were a wee bit tough and the chicken pieces were a little dry.
     

Clockwise from Left: Curry Chicken, Samosa, Kebab and Condiments

     
Curry chicken and samosa were both average...can skip this.

     

Spicy Fried Rice and Grilled Beef Tenderloin in Gravy

     
The rice had quite a strong spice taste and was quite moist. I wished it was a little firmer sort of Briyani rice though.
   
The grilled beef tenderloin was tender with a nice savoury gravy.

   

My Favourites - Clockwise from Left: Kebab + Condiments + Tabbouleh, Fried Potatoes, Caesar Salad, Fattoush Salad

     
Another round of my favourites! =D

   

Fish in Lemon Butter Sauce

     
The fish was rather plain, not very memorable =(

   

Clockwise from Top Left: Tiramisu, Opera Cake, Middle Eastern Sweet, Cheesecake

      

• Tiramisu was a little dry and sweeter than usual. The abundance of cocoa powder on top of the tiramisu resulted in a slight throat irritation.
• Opera Cake was nice with a thick dark chocolate top and a slight hint of coffee.
• Middle Eastern Sweet was toooooooo sweet >.< JS only had a bite of it.
• Cheesecake was very rich and creamy but JS preferred some toppings on it =P

   

PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Cheese

   
Al-Amar Lebanese Cuisine
Lot 6.10.00, Level 6
Pavillion Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 2166 1011
Daily: 11am - 10pm
Sunday: 12pm - 3pm (Buffet)

Persia Restaurant @ Jalan Ampang, KL

Always wanted to try Iranian food so here's our first visit to Persia Restaurant. Didn't look very tempting when we reached cause it looked more like a cafe with mediocre food but this just goes to show that one should never judge a book by its cover =P

  

Shop Front

      

Restaurant Interior

     

Iranian Style Wallpaper

       

Iranian Tea for 2 (RM 6)

   
Tastes like Teh-O Panas =D Okla, not that bad but it's just average. I prefer the Apple Tea from Ahmet's =)
  

Kashk'e Badinjan (RM 8)

     
This is some mashed eggplant dip mixed with fermented whey (similar to sour cream) and a splash of olive oil. Came with some sort of super flat pita bread as a starter. It would probably have tasted a lot better with some salt...

   

Homus (RM 7)

   
Another starter consisting of mashed chickpea spread blended with tahini (sesame paste), olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. The lovely decorative patterns on top of the spread are sprinkled cumin and some Middle Eastern herb named Za'atar. Tasted slightly better than the eggplant dip but don't think I'll order it ever again =.= Some of my friends love it though so I'm the picky one...as usual.

   

Saffron Rice

   
Fluffy basmati rice, it goes extremely well with the kebabs below. We were supposed to mix butter into the rice as is traditional practice but somehow we didn't. I expect it would only be more fragrant when paired with the kebabs.

    

Special Kebab Set (RM 50)

      

T-B: Beef, Chicken, Lamb

   
The kebabs were grilled nice and juicy - the best was the lamb as it was very aromatic. The chicken was good too as it retained sufficient moisture and hence was succulent. The beef was average in comparison to the others.
  
Forgot to take a picture of the bowl of curry sauce but it was a very good accompaniment to the rice and kebabs. It's unlike Indian curry and Malay curry, and the sauce is rather thin in texture as opposed to thick, grainy types but it was really good.
  
This is a good place to start experimenting with Iranian cuisine but according to my Iranian colleagues, there's another restaurant they prefer, also in the heart of KL. Coming up next! =D

  

PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Tomato

   
Persia Restaurant
The Ampang Walk
G-11 Ground Floor

218 Jalan Ampang

Tel: 2164 4454

Daily: 11am - 11pm