It was 8.30 in the evening and the Flatmate and I were at Souq Waqif and I was positively starving. Walking down the lane of restaurants and cafes, we saw Al Adhamiyah. It was an Iraqi restaurant, one of those I’ve chanced upon on Zomato  a service like hungrygowhere for Singapore’s restaurants. There were not many patrons in the restaurants, it being past break fast time and all, so we were seated in a nice, air conditioned corner upstairs away from the hustle and bustle of the Souq.

The restaurant was dimly lit, making it a comfortable place to dine in, and at the same time lets diners feast their eyes on the well placed traditional Iraqi decor, which includes old pictures of the functioning cities in Iraq.

I wanted to try something traditionally Iraqi, so obviously I asked for the waiter’s recommendations. Maskoof or Masgouf is a traditional seasoned, grilled carp dish. It was also full of bones, hence not my cup of tea. I went with his recommendation of the Roasted Lamb Qouzi (54 QAR/ ~ SGD 20). He hinted that we should share.

Of course, before the dish came, curious me was Googling what on earth had I just ordered. There were no such things as Lamb Qouzi. But Lamb Ouzi however, was braised lamb atop spiced rice.

My Lamb Qouzi/Ouzi came and the waiter was right; the rice portion was for like two or three persons. The dish came with two sides: traditional okra stew and white bean stew. I skipped past the white bean stew because it tasted like baked beans, and I am not a huge fan of baked beans (but my best friend Rasyidah eats it with baked rice once upon a time). But the tiny okra cooked in tomato paste was flavourful.

I couldn’t stop gushing about the lamb though. It was tender; the meat slides right off the bones and was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Mildly spiced, making the two kinds of rice and noodles, plus the okra perfect accompaniments to the lamb. Rice and noodles somehow reminds me of a story Ummar told me about his Dad mixing rice and noodles and I have yet to grasp the concept of that.

Complimentary dessert and Iraqi tea was served after the meal. Dessert was Mahalabiya, a Middle Eastern milk pudding with almond shavings and walnut bits. Creamy and not too sweet. Traditional Iraqi tea was served in mini cups, smaller than the Turkish tea cups and tastes of Cardamom. Unlike Turkish tea, where they served them plain with sugar cubes on the side, Iraqi tea was known to be super sweet. Since the attentive waiter realised we are not fans of super sweet stuff, he left the sugar unstirred at the bottom of the cup.

An overall lovely experience, and the food was great. Will definitely come back when I have cravings for good meat. Our total damage for the night was less than 100 qar, just a little under SGD40. For two people. Need an introduction to Iraqi cuisine, here’s one in Doha!