Al-Sham Arabian Cuisine • Damansara Kim — Restaurant in Petaling Jaya

Al-Sham isn’t just another Middle Eastern joint dropped into the sprawl of Petaling Jaya. It carries the weight of Gaza in its bones. Founded by Chef Ahmed, a Palestinian from Khan Younis with a finance degree, and his wife Rafhanah, a entrepreneur from Sabah, the restaurant grew out of a modest food stall in TTDI into a full-fledged kitchen in Damansara Kim. Back home, Ahmed’s brother Ibrahim keeps the original Al-Sham alive, cooking through the constant interruptions of war. Here in Malaysia, their food is a lifeline: part sustenance, part remembrance, part survival.

The menu reads like a family album. Maqluba, the upside-down rice dish layered with lamb or chicken, fragrant and comforting, lands at the table with enough heft for two. Mandy rice, fluffy, spiced, stained with the richness of slow-cooked lamb or chicken, falls apart in the mouth, soft as memory. The mixed grill is a carnivore’s manifesto: kebabs tender and smoky, chicken skewers moist, lamb kissed with charcoal. Falafel arrives crisp on the outside, green on the inside. The hummus is smooth and creamy, not just filler but with character, a sharpness of tahini, the depth of good olive oil. Then there’s the kunafa. Not a perfunctory dessert, but a showstopper: cheesy, stretchy, sweetened just enough, baked to order, the syrup perfumed but never cloying. The sort of dish people plan return visits around.

Al-Sham’s strength isn’t just flavour, though it delivers in spades. It’s the details: bread hot from the oven, rice crowned with cashews and fried onions, a baba ganoush with a sliver of smoke. Even the kale tabbouleh surprises, bright and fresh, a little Malaysian twist on a Levantine staple.

The place itself isn’t flashy. Cozy, a little tight when it’s full, which it often is. Service is personal, bordering on familial. Martin, the floor man, works the room like a seasoned host, warm without fawning, the kind of presence that makes diners linger. Ahmed often steps out of the kitchen, apron dusted with flour, to explain a dish or to ask about the food.

This is not food for show. It’s food that insists on its roots: Palestinian, Levantine, Arab, yet adapted just enough to make sense in Malaysia. It doesn’t shout authenticity; it quietly embodies it. Reasonably priced, generous, honest.

Al-Sham isn’t just feeding customers. It is funding family in Gaza, while carrying a heritage forward. Eating here isn’t political theatre, but you feel the undercurrent. Each dish is a reminder: resilience tastes a lot like lamb mandy, like hummus done right, like bread torn with your hands and shared...

One of the best Middle Eastern foods we've ever had! 🧆🥘⭐⭐⭐⭐What a gem. Every flavour was unique, flavourful, and simply perfect. Lamb shank cooked to perfection. Tender, juicy, and exceptionally nice. The Chicken mandi is by far one of the best I've tasted with perfectly cooked aromatic basmati rice, that I simply love, with 2 small side dishes of slightly spicy salsa like chilli sauce, and some  aromatic broth. Everything was yummy! Including the cool cucumber yogurt delicious dish.😋

Chef Ahmed and his team are really nice people. Down to earth, kind, humble & friendly. Nothing beats that the chef is a native middle easterner himself, and part of his team too. As well as Martin who explain perfectly what to get to compliment our orders.

Place is simple but cosy, and inviting. Love it when you can see the Chef & cooks at work. Prices are very reasonable given that they took the time to prepared, and whipped up those very nice food. Portions are great too.🤩

Since we live pretty close by, it's no hassle to walk over.👍

We will definitely be back for more! & to try their other dishes. Highly recommended to those who love or enjoy the flavours of the middle east, Gaza, or Palestinian food, or simply good food, and good vibes.

They will be having their official opening tomorrow. Go check them out. Also we would recommend trying their delicious rice pudding,

Located at the previous MENU café, in Damansara Kim.

Update 30/12/2024: We were there the 3rd time. My second. Tried their margarita pizza & mushroom soup today for lunch, it was simply amazing! It was also good to see there were a bunch of younger generation (about 6 of them) trying their food there, and few other women patrons. Not crowded, but not empty either, a good sign. I think they get a lot more people for dinner. One lady was there to book a table for her friends for new Year's eve dinner 👍

I wish there are more people who will be willing to give it a try especially since I saw a number of them passed by, flipped the menu outside, and...

How is this place not packed to the brim every weekend? Did we accidentally stumble upon one of the best-kept secrets in town or is everyone else just making poor life decisions?

We came down on a Friday evening and from the moment we walked in, the staff were warm, attentive, and genuinely friendly. The place is bright and spotless, and I believe there’s even a musollah for Muslim diners, which I felt was really thoughtful.

About the food — man, it’s a flavour vacation straight to the Middle East.

• Mixed Dips Platter We had the mixed dips of labneh, hummus with foul, muttabal, baba ghanoush, along with a fattoush salad. It was served with four steaming, pillowy-soft pita breads so fresh they might’ve been baked by angels. I love dips so honestly, I could live on this every day.

• Lamb Maqluba This was my first time having maqluba and oh my god, we were not disappointed. The rice was so fragrant and smoky; the eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes were perfectly infused, and the lamb? So tender you don’t even need teeth for it.

• Mixed Grill Succulent meats that taste like they’ve been marinated in magic. The kebabs were seasoned to perfection. The chicken cubes especially were juicy, savoury, and smoky like they just came from a culinary campfire. Even the Mandy rice carried that same charmed smokiness, and yet still tasted so light. Highly recommend this dish.

• Kunafa Oh my God. This kunafa might have just set a new standard in my life. Creamy cheese, crispy kataifi, and a rosewater-infused syrup so fragrant I half-expected a poet to appear and start reciting verses. It was the perfect finale to a feast of champions.

Seriously, great staff, clean place, authentic flavours, and even a place to pray. There’s no reason this restaurant shouldn’t be the talk of the town. Go there. Tell your friends. Tell your enemies too (they’ll forgive you after one bite).

My best wishes to this restaurant. Hope they continue to prosper. And may Palestine be free in this...