My wish is granted! Got my first Iftar. We went to Cafe' Arabia yesterday to celebrate Kuya Willie's birthday. I am overwhelmed by the place. It's a 3-storey Villa on the 15th street. When going there be sure to drive slowly so that you will not miss the place. Outside you will see a sign "No picture taking inside" since according to Hassel there are some paintings that are conspicuously on display. And true enough the place is a haven for arts enthusiasts! Paintings are displayed in every wall, photographs, and books while the place is bursting of a modern interior mixed with mid-eastern ornaments. One will be a little dazed at first what with comfortable sofas and tables casually and comfortably arranged everywhere. It's a villa after all turned cafe'.
Our group seated beside the glass window on the second floor overlooking the street. Since 15th street is not a busy one, outside just seems to be a quiet night. Hassel told us that aside from the buffet she has ordered something special on the menu. Since the guys doesn't want the hassle of going down, Hassel and I helped ourselves on the buffet table. The buffet is all Arabic sweets, breads, salads, and some starters. I specifically loved their dried apricots, sweetened figs with walnuts, and small biscuits coated with dark chocolates. We heaped two plates each with some and brought it upstairs for the guys.
Our first serving is a creamy vegetable soup. It's made of squash. I remembered my mom used to make a similar recipe back home and hers tastes richer. Anyway, we weren't yet done with our soups when our orders came. Six big plates more! Our table was overflowing with food. We had 2 pastas - one is a seafood pasta in tomato based sauce and the other one is a chicken pasta in cream sauce, 2 grilled chicken,1 salmon,1 beef kofta all served with salad and potatoes on the side. Really a feast made for Iftar!
Since it was not only Iftar and we are celebrating a birthday, the staff gave a surprise birthday song with a mini-cake to Kuya Willie. Really made us all smile...
When we had our fill, we ordered coffee and black tea (with mint) while chatting the night away until past 2AM.
So we called it a night and walked our way to hail a cab. The guys were ahead of us but I saw Mario talking with an Indian guy. He was given a tray full of dates. Ramadan Kareem!
It's a glorious night having shared dinner and stories with friends. It's the essence of Iftar after all =)
P.S. Luv to be back here!
Note: To the respect of the cafe', i have limited my pictures due to their policy and to the artists who's paintings and photos are in display. It would be nice visiting the cafe' in person. ☺
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