Dine and Dish: Al-Hadara in north Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Yemeni cuisine and a taste of the Middle East are enjoyed at Al-Hadara on Blackstone and Shaw in north Fresno.

"We bring the Arabic food because here, a lot of people are Arabic, Yemeni and Muslim," says manager Mohammed Rowaid.

We sat in a private booth.

"This room is special," Rowaid said. "No one else has this in Fresno."

We took off our shoes and ate the traditional way.

"The Arabic way is to eat with the hand," Rowaid said.

The Mandi lamb is cooked in spices for several hours.

"This is the number one in the restaurant," Rowaid said.

The chicken mandi falls off the bone when it comes out of the oven.

Yemeni rice goes with dishes like the grilled half-chicken, which is cooked and plated in one tasty piece.

"It's made with our special seasoning, special sauce and it's served with our Yemeni sauce," says line cook Ghina Khattab.

The Yemeni bread - or malawah - cooks on the side of an oven.

"You can eat it with the fahsa and the liver," Rowaid said.

Fahsa is a savory stew that sizzles in a broth.

"It's the fahsa lamb -- it's a shredded lamb," Khattab said.

We also tasted the fried kibbeh, and it's served with tzatziki sauce.

Baba ghanoush is a favorite of many.

"It's basically roasted eggplant," Khattab said. "It has a little tahini mix, lemon."

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