Nana Soi Arab (Suk 3/1) Egyptian Restaurant

Last night we headed over to the Arab area of Nana, an enclave full of Middle Eastern restaurants and sketchy looking Sheikhs. Our stop was an Egyptian restaurant called Shahrazad, about 100 meters down Suk Soi 3/1.

The kitchen, located at the entrance of the restaurant, was manned by a friendly Chef charring meat on a very hot grill. 

The waitresses were all dressed in traditional clothing and head scarfs and the eclectic clientele was a mix of Middle Eastern men and African muslims in full regalia. We definitely stood out. The menu had a variety of Middle Eastern, Indian, Egyptian and local Thai food. Here’s what we ate:

 

The babaghenouj was served with a plate of well pickled sour cucumbers, crisp carrots, spring onion and a bitter pickled pepper for dipping. The mashed eggplant was slightly over powered by a strong Tahini. However, the consistency of the dip was just slightly chunky and supremely creamy, especially with the extra drizzle of olive oil.

Verdict: T= Could have had a greater eggplant flavour. /J= Well prepared, but too heavy on the sesame flavor.

 

The Butter Naan, dripping in butter, was good enough to be eaten on its own. The crisp naan was less fluffy than the normal Indian variety and came out piping hot. J said the butter tasted slightly sweet like the whipped butter used on waffles in the US. 

Verdict= Perfect!!!/J= Excellent! A real treat!

 

The Butter Chicken was more soup than curry. The sauce was not at all creamy, lacking any and all texture. The few pieces of thickly cubed chicken were very dry and chewy, a real shame with such a great grill outside. The sauce lacked depth leaving only a mild tomato flavour and a spicy chili aftertaste.

Verdict: T= Nothing to write home about. /J= Disappointing.

 

We opted for the combination mixed rice set, which had tomato rice, saffron rice and white Egyptian rice. The thin grained rice was scattered with raisins, nuts and small pieces of cooked potato. While on its own the rice was standard, it did provide a good accompaniment to the bland Butter Chicken, and was a nice change from the routinely mushy Thai steamed rice.

Verdict: T= Not your average white rice. Good. /J= Solid filler.

 

Our grilled choice, the lamb chops, were charred to perfection on the outside, with a strong charcoal flavour, yet left tender and medium rare on the inside. Being sauce lovers we were surprised that this dish did not need any sauce and was juicy and flavourful on its own.

Verdict: T= Charred and tender. Perfect!/ J= That Egyptian dude knows how to grill!