Ahlien Arabic Restaurant — Restaurant in Penang

We tried this place for lunch. It had good reviews and we thought that it was worth a go. The restaurant is located at Bandar Perda which is a relatively happening place as the area has lots of government offices, which also means many Muslim eateries. Parking was a bit tricky as we went around twice and could not find a lot nearby and ended up at a street adjacent to the restaurant.

When we arrived, except for two other patrons, there were no other customers, which was rather odd for lunch time. In any case, we went in and were greeted with a cosy setting comprising of comfortable blue chairs and nice ambiance. There were lots of birthday signs on the wall, so we assumed that the place must be popular at night for celebrations.

We were recommended the Turkish Pottery and opted for a mix of lamb and chicken. While we were told that the portion should be sufficient for two, we decided to try the mix grill too. We asked if we could pack the leftovers home and were told that it was not a problem at all.

The Turkish Pottery arrived first and it was interesting to see how the bread/dough was cut and content poured into a big plate. I need to mention that the photo does not do this justice as the chicken was buried under the rice. The rice was very fragrant and aromatic. More importantly, the spices were not overpowering. We enjoyed the lamb which was tender and delicious with just the right ratio of meat to fat. We found the chicken a bit dry though. Overall, this is a meal we are happy to order again, perhaps in the future, only lamb. The Turkish Pottery came with two dips, one which was some soft of dhall/curry sauce (we assumed) and one which is some kind of sambal. Having tried Turkish food before, we guessed that this is the chef trying to adjust to local tastebuds.

The mix grill platter came next. It came with the yoghurt, tomato sauce and presumably minced beef sauce. We thought that the tomato sauce was not necessary but perhaps others may like it. The portions were fair for the price and we liked the variety. There was half a chicken, and other types of kebabs which I assumed were lamb, beef, etc. As we have also tried kebabs from other places/restaurants, we could compare to what we have eaten before. In general, we found that some of the kebabs were tender and well marinated, but some, especially the chicken meat could be improved. We also thought that the salad (onions and lemon) can be improved. As the meal is meat heavy, some more fresh salad can be refreshing to the palate. The pita bread (we assume, sorry if that is the wrong term) which accompanied the grill was superb. It was thin but crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

After the meal, we tried a slice of pistachio cheesecake. That turned out to be a really good decision. The cheesecake was fresh, the base layer crumbly but firm and the cheesecake itself was rich, not overly sweet and oh boy, so very decadent. A huge thumbs up for the cheesecake.

We were pleased with the meal and will definitely return...

I must agree with each review, deserved. Actually my wife wanted to surprise me with the birthday celebration but I guess I played along well. I thought the dance for birthday presentation was something appreciated. It's good how they went out of their way to create that vibe. Kudos

As for food, we did order the premium grill platter, found the presentation well executed, perhaps all that grilling made the chicken dry up, rice smelled wonderful, and my kids enjoyed the beef and lamb meat. We enjoyed the dish no doubt, plus the Cheese Kunafa wasn't too sweet which was good.

Maybe food is slightly pricey, would get better flow of customers if would revise the pricing in the future perhaps it's the premium feel you get that dictates

Overall I must say the place was packed when we got there, well done and it's good to see it being one of the better Arabic theme restaurant in Penang.

Sorry no photos, all were taken in my...

Tried their mandy, taste is okay but can be tastier & better. Gravy are too little! Price wise is a bit pricey to be compared with the portion & taste. The grill platter, the kebab is dry, lamb are overcooked & burn. Their sauce cannot be top up, big let down. The great thing is their juice, ordered a jug of mango juice, it came pure mango without added water & sugar.

I hate the chaos here. It is understandable that a lot of customers celebrate their occasions here but when they played the birthday song etc, it is too loud, i really mean it TOO loud. I even need to scream to talk to my husband sitting in front of me. I came with my 8 months old baby sleeping, she woke...