Iftar

Iftar is the time when Muslims break their daily fast during Ramadan. This year, that time ranges from approx. 6.39pm on the first day to 6.10pm on the last day of the holy month. Many families and friends eat together at eachother's houses, but many others go out to hotels for Iftar meals. Whether you are Muslim or not, the Iftar feast can be a sumptous and delightful experience. I try to have one Iftar meal out each week during Ramadan to share the experience with those who fast, and also to enjoy the great dishes produced at this time of year. The meal consists of a buffet of various types of food, though mostly Arabic fare. In the first week of Ramadan, a couple of friends and I went to the BLD restaurant in the Shangri-La hotel.

We arrived about 5 minutes in advance of the Maghrib prayer, so we had enough time to eye the displays of food before us. They looked fabulous, and throughout the evening they didn't disappoint. There were 3 different types of soup available - vegetable, potato and leek and lentil soup and they looked piping hot and tasty. I skipped the soup as I wanted to have the Arabic mezze to start with - I wasn't disappointed. In addition to the vast array of salads, there were samosas, sambousek, kibbeh, hummous, moutabel and a huge range of seafood. It was delicious.

For the main course, there were many areas to choose from. There was an Indian section with a variety of curries, vegetables and breads, a Moroccan area with tagines, couscous and a wide range of vegetable and lamb dishes, an Arabic section with meatballs, lamb on the bone, bechamel, and many more dishes all as tasty as the next. There was a man at a pizza station who would make any kind of pizza you desired, and another station with kebabs, lamb kofta, lamb chops, salmon pastry and steak. The choice was vast and I'm sure that every tastebud was catered for.

The desert counter was an absolute delight to the eye! There were three chocolate fountains; a white, a milk and a dark chocolate with marshmallows and tiny tea cakes to dip into them until they were completely covered in chocolate and dripped all the way to your plate. There was lots of fresh fruit, ice-cream (in addition to a man making ice-cream pancakes), small cakes and gateaux of all types, and small packets of sweets for the children. Once again there was something for everyone.

When the bill came, it was 169dhs each. Our water with the meal which was included in the price, and we could have had any number of juices throughout the meal. Alcohol is not served until after Iftar time so there was none included in our bill. Not a cheap evening, especially as it finished about 8.30pm, but it was most enjoyable to share the experience with many who were fasting on the day. And of course it was a fabulous buffet!