Hadramawt Kitchen, a Yemeni restaurant in Singapore, officially reopened on September 6 at Hotel Boss following its relocation from Lavender Street due to the redevelopment of its former site. Established by Alwee Ahmad Bakahmees, 63, in 2022 as a catering service, the restaurant was later expanded into a 40-seat establishment before moving to its new venue, which accommodates 50 diners.

Alwee, a Singaporean whose paternal and maternal grandfathers emigrated from Yemen in the early 1900s, aims to preserve and share traditional family recipes through his restaurant. The Muslim-owned eatery’s reopening is accompanied by a refreshed menu featuring several new dishes inspired by Yemeni cuisine.

One of the highlights is the Mandhi Brinjal (S$13.90+), a vegetarian dish centered on grilled brinjal. The eggplant is prepared in two ways: a thick slab is grilled until tender, while cubed pieces are oven-roasted with bell peppers, onion, garlic, fresh coriander, and dried mint. This is served atop Mandhi rice, a fragrant, orange-hued long-grain basmati rice infused with spices such as black peppercorns, cloves, fennel, and cumin. The dish is accompanied by sahawiq, a spicy Yemeni chutney made with diced tomato and finger chilies, and a housemade garlic sauce blending fresh garlic, olive oil, milk, and dried mint.

Another addition to the menu is the Mandhi Fish (S$20.90+), which features grilled golden pomfret marinated with tomato, garlic, cumin, and coriander. The fish, weighing between 400g and 500g, is served alongside a separate portion of Mandhi rice. While intended as a single serving, the generous portion can comfortably feed two diners.

The restaurant has also introduced Fahsah (S$17.90+), a shredded mutton dish simmered for three hours and cooked to order with onion, garlic, fresh tomato, cumin, coriander, and turmeric. Served with Yemeni pita in a heated cast-iron bowl, Fahsah has a distinct gamey flavor that may not appeal to all palates.

To conclude the meal, Hadramawt Kitchen offers two new traditional Yemeni desserts. Masoub (S$12.90+) is a comforting combination of mashed ripe banana and crumbled flatbread mixed with butter, cream, and honey, topped with cashews, raisins, and black sesame seeds. Areekah (S$12.90+) is a similar dessert that substitutes mashed dates for bananas. The honey and cream used in these desserts are imported from Yemen; the honey is notably viscous, while the Efemni cream is thick and unsweetened, with no added sugar used in either dessert, relying instead on the natural sweetness of the honey and fruit.