Madfoon Al Sadda is one of the most famous (and highly rated) Ras Al Khaimah mandi restaurants. Located on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Salem Road, next to Dubai Islamic Bank in Al Dhait North, the restaurant is split into two sections, one for men and the other for families. Its interior is cheerfully dressed in colourful, traditional patterns with cubicles, floor and table/chair seating available depending on your preference. If you have been to their branch on Jumeirah Beach Road in Dubai, you will immediately recognise the franchise uniform.
My son ordered the lamb Mandi with Mandi Rice while I had the Madfoon with Bukhari Rice. FYI, the Bukhari Rice is simply a more spiced rice than Mandi Rice, closer to an Indian Biryani. The meat was fabulously tender and flavoursome, especially the Madfoon.
The traditional, complimentary soup which is served before the main attraction was a decent broth with just enough hint of meat to wet your carnivorous appetite. I’ve had better.
Portion sizes are generous by any standard. This is NOT the place to visit if you are on a diet. I had to call upon my Ramadan willpower to limit myself to the one-third portion I promised I would stop at.
And then there is their sinfully delicious Kunefe, which was made at an open counter right in front of where we were sitting – OMG! That’s all I can say – OMG!
Service was friendly, accommodating and super-fast. All this said, if you are expecting the food at this original branch to be better than in Dubai you may be disappointed. In fact, if you want the truth, I thought the food at their Dubai branch was better. In any case, good as the food at both branches are, they are still not in the same league as my all-time favourite, Maraheb in Al Safa, Dubai. Irrespective of my personal preferences, if you find yourself in Ras Al Khaimah and fancy a really good mandi, Madfoon Al Sadda is definitely an option you should consider.
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Xerxes physically visits each and every venue he reviews and pays full price for whatever he eats and drinks. Xerxes accepts no money, gifts or free meals in return for reviews. What you have read was not influenced in any way by the venue.
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