Taste of Yemen restaurant — Restaurant in Temple Terrace

Its been a while since I have had a good Yemeni dish - and thank God I tried Taste of Yemen because they hit it out of the ball park with their cuisine!

We of course had to try the Mandi [basis of testing a Yemeni place - if they don't cook a good Mandi then everything else is not going to be worth it either] - its a simple looking dish, but the flavors are super complex and layered. For our second item, we wanted to try something different - we ordered Fahsa [lamb stew]. This would be our first time trying it, so this would really be a good taste test.

Prior the the Mandi/Fahsa coming out, the staff brought out Salad, spicy chutney, and lamb broth soup. If you haven't had Yemeni lamb broth - you don't know what you are missing! I could have drank a whole gallon of this stuff, with a quick squeeze of fresh lemon - it was amazing - as was the salad.

As far as flavor goes, the mandi was hands down cooked perfectly - the lamb was fork tender, and you get a decent amount of it (4 pieces). The rice was fragrant and super flavorful (you can taste the spices it was cooked in, individually) and it was cooked perfectly - each grain stood out on its own! My wife initially thought she might want a yogurt sauce to add to her plate, but realized how soft and moist the rice was and that nothing needed to be added to it. Both of us would rate this a 11/10 - just sheer perfection.

As for the Fahsa with Lamb - it was served in a super heated clay pot and was served with two nice sized pieces of fresh baked bread. This dish is more of a stew with shredded lamb in it, it was took us over 10 minutes to finally be able to eat it because its served that hot! While the meat was super tender, I honestly did not care much for this dish. The flavors were subtle and basic, I was expecting a burst of flavor from the fat, a kick from spices and a follow up burn from spicy peppers - none of that really happened, so for this dish I would rate it a 5/10 - would not get it again. I do have to preface this by saying, this is my first time trying Fahsa, so maybe my judgement of how it should be cooked is off.

Overall the atmosphere is nothing special, its a nice clean place, but the hospitality of the staff is super. The food, the salad and the broth soup are on point. I will absolutely be visiting again to try the other dishes - the Lamb Haneeth is calling my name! The entire experience I will rate a 10/10 - and I am super excited that I can finally eat Yemeni Food again. Pricing wise - its not the cheapest food, most dishes are 20+, which puts it higher than the other Arab restaurants in the area - you do get a good amount of food but I think a fair price would be 15-19 dollars but 25 for a lamb/rice dish is high.

Family friendly 10/10 Staff 10/10 Food 10/10 Atmosphere...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Taste of Yemen, and it was truly an exceptional experience from start to finish. The restaurant immediately gives off a warm, inviting atmosphere with traditional Yemeni touches that make you feel like you’ve entered an authentic cultural dining space. The staff is extremely friendly, attentive, and welcoming — they make you feel at home, whether it’s your first visit or you’re a regular.

The food is the real star here. Every dish I tried was packed with flavor, perfectly cooked, and carefully prepared. The Mandi rice was fragrant, fluffy, and infused with spices that balanced perfectly with the tender meat.

Overall, Taste of Yemen is more than just a restaurant — it’s an experience. Whether familiar with Yemeni cuisine or trying it for the first time, this place delivers authentic flavors, excellent hospitality, and a memorable dining experience. I will definitely be returning and highly recommend it to anyone who loves Middle Eastern food or wants to try something new and delicious. The woman, whose name is Ghizlane, was invaluable and explained more about the food when I tried...

The Taste of Yemen is a restaurant that you need to go to. A beautiful restaurant, with almost lantern-like lighting, stone walls, adorable radio napkin holders, mellow music, and tv’s with peaceful birds. The service was kind, and welcoming, not feeling like you are rushed out. The cook, Mo, came out talked with us for a bit as well and got to know us since it was slow which was quite special. And oh, the food. The. Food. Was amazing. I’ve never had any of this kind of food and I couldn’t choose what was my favorite, nothing was too overbearing or plain. The Fasha beef was amazing (highly recommend), the Mandi rice melts in your mouth, the chicken shawarma was so crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside (highly recommend), Haneed lamb and chicken was splendid . The Aden tea was just perfect, not too sweet and not too bitter, getting one of those and for sitting and talking with a loved one for a while is beautiful. The pricing was just right too, for what you are getting, you are getting your money’s worth. I would recommend...