THE Middle East is home to some of the world’s most ancient civilisations and holds a long history. In addition, their cuisine is also well-known throughout the entire world, and people adore it. Due to the abundance of spices, herbs, and natural ingredients in their culinary heritage, this cuisine is set to take its place among the world’s finest.
Today, the Klang Valley alone is home to various restaurants serving Middle Eastern food, with the majority of it located in the Kuala Lumpur area. In spite of that, the recently-opened Al-Sultan Restaurant located in Glenmarie, Shah Alam is set to stand out due to its unique design, concept, and scrumptious meals that elevate the dining experience.
The fact that the name “Sultan” refers to the “king” or “sovereign” of a Muslim country fits perfectly with the environment as soon as you step inside. Not only will you enjoy their delectable cuisine, but you will also receive the best service, and dine in the most beautiful settings.
Constructed on a corner and intermediate lot, this two-story restaurant offers multiple dining environments for guests to choose from.
The person in charge of establishing the restaurant, Anas Fadhl Abdo Saif Alfaqih, is believed to have an extensive amount of experience in the Middle Eastern cuisine industry.
Anas claims the uniqueness of this restaurant is that it not only attracts local Muslim residents, but also people from other cultural backgrounds.
“Our target market is people of all generations, no matter what religion or race, from the young to old, kids, families, couples, and everyone – we welcome everyone here and serve them well,” Anas said.
Anas then talked about how the goal of this Mediterranean restaurant is to focus primarily on the customer’s dining experiences.
“We are strongly focusing on our quality which I believed to be more than just good food, but also the smiles that we give and also the peaceful environment for the customers. After all, it’s all beyond the food, it’s all about the experiences you have here that make you want to come back for it,” he added.
The menu at Al-Sultan features a wide variety of delicacies, including salads, appetizers, soups, kebab sandwiches, grills, family dishes, seafood, hot dishes, and chocolates, among other things.
For those who are fans of Mandy or Kabsah rice, you should try their best seller which is the Zerbian rice.
Originating from Yemen, the meal is cooked and prepared authentically by the restaurant’s Yemeni chef, with several spices and yogurt, topped with roasted onion and served with chili sauce and gravy.
It comes with two meat options which are chicken and lamb. Its appearance does slightly resemble our local biryani rice, but the taste is different, and absolutely amazing.
Al-Sultan also had a varied menu in the grill section. All of the meats, including mixed grilled, lamb cubes, kebab, and shish tawooq, were charcoal-grilled to a perfect ‘well-done’ level. True Mediterranean flavour from the first bite.
Not forget to mention Kufta, the most popular option in the grill section. This cuisine is now part of their guest recommendations. Minced and marinated lamb cooked in the oven and freshly served with fire.
A wide variety of desserts can be found at the restaurant, including banana splits, baklawa, and fruit platters that consist of a varied mix of fruits.
But the best thing here is the Kunafa (Knafeh). The iconic Middle Eastern dessert is made from shredded phyllo dough, stuffed with cream, baked to golden brown ad topped with chopped pistachios, and also served with burning fire.
While many others used mozzarella cheese to make Kunafa, Al-Sultan utilises pure cheese – cream cheese – in its own Kunafa, thereby making it distinct from other establishments.
I had the chance to witness the chef baking it in the kitchen, which was a completely new experience. Seeing how the Kunafa was made really impressed me, and I was convinced that the rest of their food was also good.
Aside from the usual Middle Eastern dishes, Al-Sultan differentiates itself from other typical restaurants by offering chocolate. There is a decent chocolate menu, including crepes, brownies, pancakes, and waffles. The taste is identical to something found in famous chocolate stores located in various shopping malls, but the price is far lower.
Anas added that Al-Sultan’s lavish concept design is to particularly show the quality they hold for their business.
“People are scared by the appearance of our restaurant and believe it to be an exclusive, super expensive restaurant, but we’re actually not that pricey. We are slightly cheaper than the others because we are located in Shah Alam, [and] the location also plays an important role.
“I just want people to come here for a wonderful eating experience, perhaps to celebrate birthdays or other special events. It’s true that this restaurant may look like a five-star hotel, but trust me, we’ve priced it affordably,” he said.
Al-Sultan Restaurant
36, Jln Penguasa B U1/53B, Kawasan Perindustrian Temasya, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor
Operating Hours: 11am - 2am
