Awani Serves Up Levant Cuisine with a Twist

A nearly one year old restaurant, Awani takes the art of serving Levant food to a new dimension. With both indoor and al fresco seating options, we chose to sit indoors due to the windy conditions that day. However, the view outdoors is absolutely breathtaking and overlooks the Burj Khalifa and the downtown Souk Al Bahar area.

The ambiance is quirky-eclectic, with mosaic tiled floors and Arabic music playing. We were greeted with a welcome soup–a warm, pale green creamy concoction of cucumber and herbs. And from the array of fresh juices, we ordered the Awani Special, a Strawberry mojito, and Citrus mix; a refreshing start to the meal.

tabouleh_previewOur cold mezze included the Awani Tabouleh, which had the added twist of lentils and pineapple, and an interesting variation to the tabouleh we had always been eating.

humus_previewThe Awani hummus went well with this, especially with the fresh-from-the-oven bread.

Papaya-salad_previewNext, we loved the Papaya Jar Salad– colorful layers of fresh papaya, cherry tomatoes, corn, lettuce, fresh pineapple, and kidney beans. It’s shaken up at the table by the server and dressed with a special dressing. It had lots of contrasting flavors and textures; sweet, creamy, tangy, and crunchy.

mushrooms_previewThe Awani Mushrooms were one of our favorites— a dish of tender, large mushrooms, smothered in a special marinade and garlic.

halloumi-cheese_previewThe Halloumi cheese encrusted with almonds was another huge hit, with the crunchiness of the almonds complementing the mellowness of the warm Halloumi cheese.

shawarma_previewFrom the mains, we tried their most popular dish: Awani Shawarma, which was completely unlike the usual rolled shawarma. This arrived on a stand with a single skewer holding tender Australian sliced beef and served with the shawarma accompaniments; pickles, onions, and tahini sauce. The meat was juicy throughout and tasted wonderful when dipped in the tahini sauce.

mixed-grill_previewWe had a mixed grill which was served similar to the shawarma grill, and included one skewer of chicken kebobs, one with tender veal, and one with grilled vegetables. The meats were specially marinated in chef’s spices and yogurt. It was a deliciously moreish dish that again was a twist on the usual mixed grill dishes.

kofta-in-tahini_previewThe kofta in tahini sauce was a mix of veal and lamb served in tahini sauce with large potatoes. The tahini sauce lent its flavors to the meat and gave this dish an overall mild flavor. It went well with the Arabic style fried potatoes.

Ghazal-al-Banat_previewFor sweet treats, we enjoyed the Ghazal al Banat or Arabic ice-cream topped with cotton candy. This cotton candy was much less sugary than its Western counterpart and went nicely with the rich, creamy ice cream. Then the Ice Cream Othmaliya, a beautiful plated dish of crispy Othmailiya dough, served with a rich scoop of Arabic ice cream.

Cheese-Knafeh_previewBut my absolute favorite was the Cheese Knafeh; a dreamy warm, comforting cheesy dessert with the perfect balance of sweetness. Sublime!

The Verdict: At Awani, you will enjoy delicious Levant food that is not only unique in taste, but in presentation. Everything is fresh and high quality and every single dish here ticks all the right boxes.

Visit Awani: Dubai Mall, second floor

Phone: 04 243 2758