noose pleasant: A holy feast : Postnoon

Breaking your daily fast with delicacies from Arabia at The Dining Room, Park Hyatt, is a true delight this Ramzan. With a promise to leave you?asking for more, the two-week food?festival is worth your wait and money.

What: Iftaar food festival |?Where: The Dining Room, Park Hyatt

Who knew that a period of 40 days of fasting would bring so much joy, especially to our bellies. The traditional haleem, kebabs, biryanis, paya and many more dishes exclusive to the holy month of Ramzan are usual suspects. But, most of us haven?t had a chance to savour Ramzan flavours from the Middle East. Park Hyatt?s The Dining Room brings that chance to Hyderabad with its two-week long tryst with traditional Arabic Ramzan buffet at `1,500 plus taxes. That?s just the good news, what?s better is that the festival will conclude with a lavish, carefully selected spread for Eid al-Fitr on August 9.

As per tradition, the Arabs break their fast with raw vegetables and refreshing drinks. Though we didn?t fast all day, we did the same. A bowl full of vegetables which included capsicum, cucumber and tomatoes was served along with pita bread, garlic and olive dips. The olive dip, similar to the one you get at most Italian restaurants blends perfectly with pita bread and hummos ? it?s a must-have. Among the drinks were the apricot and rose water mix, the whipped yoghurt and mint drink (just like butter milk) and jaggery water.

?After a long day of fasting, Arabs drink these special concoctions to create an appetite for the main course,? says Shady Anees Abdallah Yared, executive sous chef, Hyatt Regency Baku, who has been especially flown in from Hyatt, Jordan.

We then warmed up to the feast with a variety of salads or cold mezzeh. Out of which, the Waraq enab (vine leaf rolls with tomato, onion, lemon, parsley and rice), the Muhammara salad (bread, walnut, chilli paste, olive oil) and the Samboussek (deep-fried minced meat pastries) are must-haves.

From the main course section, you can order the mixed grill ? a selection of lamb and chicken kebabs served on thin bread ? with your eyes closed. For those with a sweet tooth, the Baklava, the Mohalabeh (milk pudding, rose water, coconut, pistachio) and the chocolate mohalabeh are simply delightful.?So, go on and indulge. You still have time.

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