Saudi Arabia cuisine

[hungry08]

I actually lived in Saudi Arabia when I was a kid and haven't had it in 20 years. Are there any authentic restaurants in the LA area?
The item I remember the most is a dough that was flatten out like a pizza then minced lamb and herbs or banana and sugar was folded inside then I think baked-I was 5 so I exactly know. What is this called and is this available in the States or is there a recipe?

[Chandavkl]

This is probably the most recent thread.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/436276

[ralsarra]

I really doubt you're going to find an authentic Saudi restaurant anywhere in the States, much less LA. I lived in the Gulf too and I miss the food. Your best bet might be to find a book that's a collection of recipes from Saudi and hope that your pizza thing is in there.

[Cicely]

Don't know about Saudi food but you might want to try something that sounds like its cousin: lahmajoun. It's Armenian (tho I think neighboring countries also have a similar thing).

[JBC]

Never been in that part of the world, but I do like the food from the eastern end of the Mediterreanan. You might like to explore the menu at Sham in Santa Monica. Their #28 Arise snadwich appears to be similar to what you described (there is a picture of it beneath #36 on the #29 platter). There is also a picture of their "Arabian Breakfast" if you scroll down far enough:

http://sham.la

Also, Magic Carpet on Pico has some dishes from various countries from around that area of the world:

http://losangeles.menupages.com/resta...

[epop]

i would google saudi recipes and stop there as you're not going to find this cuisine in LA. these other restaurants are levantine (magic carpet= yemeni israeli)--- that's apples and oranges.

[The Chowhound Team]

We've split a recipe that was posted here into its own topic on our Home Cooking board, where such things belong. You can find that topic here: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/511719

[suvro]

I just returned from my first visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
While there, I was told there is little that is authentic Saudi cuisine. Most of the food served is Lebanese in origin. At the Sheraton Riyadh, both the excellent breakfast and lunch buffets would have a Lebanese section and a Western section. The Sri Lankan chef who prepared the eggs for breakfast and one or two dishes for lunch told me that most of the items were prepared by chefs from South Asia and Phillipines since most Saudis did not work in the service industry.

During our workdays at their national lab (King Abdulazziz City of Science and Technology - KACST) their cafeteria served Lebanese and western style items. Of the 3 restaurants we visited near our hotel, 2 were Lebanese (one sit down, one fast food) and the third was Indian.

One of the scientists we met was getting married the day I was flying out (otherwise I would have loved to have attended his wedding). When I asked what special items would be served at the wedding, they scratched their heads and said "Nothing" - same lamb kebabs, pullao, and traditional Lebanese dishes.

[hrhboo]

That's not true at all. There are tons of traditional dishes that are particular to Saudi Arabia and many more still that are shared with neighboring Gulf states. These foods are mostly served in the home and a handful of restaurants. They bear little/no resemblance to Lebanese dishes and the Mediterranean-inspired foods more commonly found in restaurants. The national dishes are actually more similar to Persian stews and pilafs, although the spices used are very different.

Saudi Arabia is a huge country (about 1/4th the size of the US), so naturally it has not only a national cuisine but many regional specialities as well. Traditional Saudi "wedding food" usually consists of a whole roasted lamb or camel served on a bed of spiced rice. I have never heard of kebabs being served at a wedding, as these are street foods that are more appropriate for a light meal than banquet fare.

To my knowledge, there is nowhere in Los Angeles serving this kind of cuisine. I'm from that part of the world myself and would love to find some of my favorites here, but resort to making them at home instead with spice blends (baharat) purchased from Middle-Eastern markets like Jordan Market in Westwood.

[aventinus]

This seems right. I've never been to Saudi Arabia, but there are many Saudi restaurants in Bangkok. These restaurants had some Lebanese influences, but the cuisine were far closer to Persian, with different spicing as you say.