the mutabbakh is very good but the taste of mandi is on and off. the chicken is cooked very well though and loaction is easy to drive to...
cheap prices but good quality.. all in all a satisfactory experience
A perfect place to have Arabian dishes. Loved the kebabs and shawarma. Finally Chicken mandi is yummy and tasty. And you also get new variety of sweets. Major pro of this restaurant is it opens till late night. So I have planed some night rides with start of Chicken mandi.
Most tastiest Mandi of all the mandi dishes I have tasted in hyderabad absolute favourate place for my friends ro eat mandi when come to hyderabad 😁
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We are regulars at this place. i have frequented the place with roomates, family members and wife.
Ambience
Bachelor's would love it. They have a separate section for family and women but it's not as good as the men's section. While taking family members, please show pictures first. My wife loves the place but some find it not appealing.
Food
Mandi rice is just fabulous. Very fragrant and subtle spiciness goes well with the caramelized onions and dry fruits. The mutton with it is succulent and slow cooked with subtle spices. Chicken is fried and grilled. I prefer the leg and thigh pieces as breast pieces tend to dry out.
Muttabaq quality sometimes dips. Usually the roti is stuffed with eggs, minced chicken and lots of herbs like spring onions and coriander. Very good balance of chicken eggs and greens. However quite a few times I have been served muttabaq with too much salt. Please return the dish in this case.
These are the only 2 things I order here.
Service.
Staff is very friendly.
Only down side is that it only serves non veg. I like a bit of veg on the table.
Well they serve really tasty Mandi both chicken n mutton n Shawarma served here are also a must try they also have a good ambience, good place to hang out with friends ..
The oldest mandi place in tolichowki,they serve a decent quality of mandi and shawarma although the chicken in the mandi is really small.......................................................
Have been here a couple of times, and it was never dissapointing
Muttabbaq was the best, like a folded omelette wrapped with spring onions and minced meat. The mayo served here adds that extra flavour to relish that yummy bite in your mouth.
Mutton mandi and Chicken Mandi served in the Arabic style (huge plate for 4) was delicious and the rice was too good, but dont expect it to be spicy as that's the way Arabic Mandi will be.
The special Arabic shawarma had less salad and more meat with good taste.
The ambiance is okay for a group of friends, but limited tables in the family section.Please carry cash as it doesn't have any Card swiping machines.
Ambiance - 3
Food - 4
Service -3.5
The Chicken mandi was quite good enjoyed the rice more than the chicken, which was a complement to the rice not an insult to the chicken, but the Lamb Mandi was absolutely delicious with the lamb pieces being very tender... the Mutabbaq tasted like a weird omelet, wouldn't recommend it...
Food - 4.0
Ambience - 3.5
Service - 4.0
Mandi is a must try if you visit this place,it is delicious and tasty...ambience is good and the seating is in nawab style...people get a different feeling while eating here
Ambience-4/5
Service-4/5
Price-4/5
Good place for mutabaq ... It tastes really nice..
The Shawarma is also UpTo mark ...
The mandi also tasted good .. a good place ... reasonable on pocket..
Omg how satisfied I am!!!! Arabic food is soooo tasty i never knew that!!Such an amazing food,in each and every bite its feel like heaven.we tried mandi and khabsa both in mutton and shawarma too!! Its too far aways from where i stay otherwise every week i would have dine their!!Service and experience totally wow!!dont expect hi fi ambience but totally cool arrangements ,u can seat in a circle and a small tool above which a big plate will serve with dry fruits,fried onions and amazing chatni!Do try here food lovers!
Superb place. May be the best Mandi in hyderabad. Really tasty. Had both chicken and mutton Mandi from here. They have good Mutabaq and shawarma too
Noor UL Mustafa Khan
+3.5
Went with friends to have mandi. Located on the left side opposite to SBI at Nanal nagar. Parking doesn't seems to be any issue. Coming to food
Mutton mandi was good but was not 100% authentic the mutton pieces were good. The flaw was there were almost no dry fruits sprinkled over the mandi which made it little less tasty. Chutney was ok. No card swiping machine so please carry the cash. Overall an average experience.
Nice place for mandi.. spl chicken mandi worth and we had one plate for two people.. we missed mutton mandi as we went early afternoon.. :):)
Chicken kabsa is awesome. good amount of rice,and meat pics is quite small size .and overall kiraak,zabardast ambience is also good.worth a visit.
Romali shavurma is beautiful nd mandi is ok. They should improve inside restaurant and educate the weiter.also menu should be reach.cost are fine
It was a recommended place to try 'Mandi' which will be a change from Hyderabadi Dum Biriyani's. 😄
It was for a dinner with colleagues that I planned it out for. Marharaba. The ambience is the Arabic style of sitting on a elevated area.
Chicken Mandi was a large platter of rice with saffron rice cooked in ghee and dry fruits. It was given alone with 2 piece of grilled chicken. The Mayo was the best accompaniment which is very tasty.
Mustabaq is a kind of stuffed paratha with eggs and chicken cooked together. It was a good snack.
Totally was a good experience and would be going again to have the Mandi 😊
A small place in mehdipattanam , which serves authentic arabic cuisine. We ordered Special Shawarma ,mutabbaq and chicken mandi. The shawarma was fantastic. Mutabbaq was something new and was ok.
The best of the lot was mandi.
The place is value for money. Must have if you want to visit the authenticity of hyderabad.
visited marhaba today.... many of my friends have suggested that restaurant for delicious mandi and shawarma... well they were right... it tasted so damn good... ambience is good... sevice is good... parking... not an issue...had a plate of chicken mandi with mountain dew.... well it tasted delicious.... loved it...
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A serious discussion with a friend of mine who's a super foodie enlightened me on the "Arabian Cuisine". All i know about this cuisine till then was Shawarma and Mandi, but i was in complete awe that he had sound knowledge about so much other stuff and there are a plethora of restaurants in hyd which are known for these dishes. I made my mind that i wanted to explore this cuisine more and touch those old city places which explore another life style.
I was suggested to try out Marhaba and i made a plan along with a colleague of mine on a weekend day. located just inside the starting lane of Nanal Nagar diversion from Mehdipatnam, it's a really cool place with a decent ambiance. This is my second time to an all Arabian restaurant and comparatively this had better ambiance than Al Zaara and it actually represented the Arabian culture more. Instead of mats we had mattress with pillows laid at an elevated height, the color combination and the whole setup really made me feel as if i was in an eastern country.
We sat on one of these mattress and was going through the small menu they had, I've already tried Khabsa Laham, so this time i went for Laham Mandi which actually was claimed by the waiter as a bit sweet in taste compared to Khabsa. Couple of minutes in and a humongous plate with Laham Mandi was served. Visually it was captivating to look at it, rice was widely spread, decorated with dry fruits and 4 humongous lamb pieces. Without any delay we started feasting on it.
The Mandi as claimed was bit sweet may be because of the dry fruits, most importantly it was very light. I absolutely loved it. There is no hard hitting flavor like biryani but it had subtle tastes. The first lamb piece i had was really good, it was very smooth and thankfully there was no bone in it. The biggest complaint we had was the pieces were actually the left out fat from the Lamb which nobody prefers to buy. My colleague who's used to buying meat from vendors was able to easily identify that these pieces served were actually the direct fat from the lamb and will actually be thrown into waste and this restaurant was cashing on it. I'm already super fat and i'm no way supposed to touch direct fat., I was seriously disappointed that we had to throw away the rest of 3 pieces and have only the Mandi rice.
The Mandi was finished in like 10 mins and we ordered mutabbaq which is a traditional arabian snack. Couple of minutes in mutabbaq was served. Visually it looks similar to bread omlet. It was super hot and we had to wait for a while to actually start tasting it. It was mashed chicken and eggs fused together. The outer part was omlet and had chicken stuff beneath. It tasted good, a bit salty and we really didn't get any chicken until a couple of pieces in. We ordered a cup of mayo to chew down the rest of the mutabbaq and any thing tastes great with Mayo in it and specially these mutabbaq pieces.
Overall a good experience, i got to experience the arabian cuisine the real way. I absolutely loved the Laham mandi and i'd prefer it over Khabsa laham any day. The only disappointment was the absolute fat meat pieces, we had to throw them away. Mutabbaq was also equally impressive. The ambiance is very decent, Service is alright and prices are completely economical. My journey into the Arabian cuisine still continues and i'm curiously exploring more authentic dishes from this cuisine. If you are into this cuisine, then Marhaba is a must try.
My friend got me to this place after a cricket match when the whole team was kind of starving and this was my first time tasting Arabic style food. Wow it was good. Tried both chicken as well as mutton mandi but I liked the chicken more. Their shawarma is also equally good. My friends liked their desserts but I would not suggest them. Overall it was a new & wonderful experience for me
Been here more than couple of times. Pretty decent place which maintains Quality and Quantity of the food all the time.
My all time favorite is Mutton Mandi which is classic and love their flavors.
Chicken shawarma is Ok kind which is very common in taste when compared to other regular shawarmas I never tried chicken mandi but will try it when I go next time. The only thing which annoy sometimes is service time. As this place is crowed, there is always a delay in service but it is always worth waiting here for Mandi :)
This is a go to place for Mandi. Pretty decent place to go. Had the shawarma and mutabaq as well. Was really taken aback by the Mutabaq, but the Shawarma is mouth watering and so is the Mandi. It has just the right amount of spices and tender meat that just falls off the piece. Would definitely go back to axe down calories.
This is one of those few places that are open till 2 am or even beyond, at times. Hence, a must visit for all the nocturnal beings.
Coming to the mandi they serve, the rice is very well seasoned with just the right flavour of masala with which its cooked. The meat is so tender and falls off the bone. The quantity is sufficient for two people and makes it quite VFM.
The gravy served along, complements the Mandi very well.
Their Shawarma is one of the best in Hyderabad, thanks to the home made Mayonnaise. Muttabaq is another speciality here. Similar to a Mughlai Paratha with chicken, egg and spring onions this definitely makes a good snack. And the good thing is that it's not too oily.
The Ambience is just above average. The service is Quick. Totally a place worth every buck you spend.
Amazing place to have Laham Mandi. Just the right dish to have with your gang on low table ground sitting. Taste will get you there again again.
This is my favourite place to have mandi. Though I rarely eat non vegetarian food, the taste of the rice along with garlic-mayonnaise paste is simply out of the world. The ambience is ok, it isn't an upscale restaurant which is good. Great food, cheap price!
Was here for eating Mandi...the taste was decent..one of few restaurants where arabic food tasted good...the mandi and qabsa were good...shawarma was avg...give this restaurant a try if u are a mandi lover...!!
We visited this place today. Place was not decent place to go. But we have to go for good food. We ordered mutton laham qabbsa and mutabbaq. Laham qabbsa was good and mutabbaq was simply great.
This is one of the finest places to have mandi and mutabbaq , the shwarmas here are not that good comparative to other places in the city but mandi does well...
This is one of the good places to have arabian foods. we went here for mandi and khabsa. we ordered mutton and it was too good. we have also tried shawarma which was good
A great place to eat non veg, the place is a bit small with two rectangle shaped space and usually has a bachelor crowd. The food is really great. The shawarma Varieties and murthabak are a must try out snack here, followed by some mandi Biriyani. They usual serve the mandi in a large plate and guests are expected to eat from the same plate. It's a different experience to try out. Place is usually crowded on weekends. Make sure to pick a pan from the adjacent pan shop after dinner. They have some really good varieties of pan.
I visited this place for the laham especially and it was worth the expectation! It's one of the famous place in mehdipatnam for good Arabian food and meat cravings!
We ordered first the Mutabbaq which is a piece of roti stuffed with egg and palak, it was very tasty! And then we ordered the laham mandi, mind blowing! I didn't want it to finish! It's the best mandi till date! The mutton was so well cooked and very nicely flavoured rice!
The only negative point about the place is the sitting places and the place itself is not quite neat and zero ambience!
Overall amazing food!
I mean if you. Wanna try a typical Arabian dishes you have to visit this place once Best Mandi ever tasted and sitting place will add more flavours and feel of saahi andaaz
Were headed out for Mandhi- and the auto guy said check this place out! So we did:-) and I must say it was worth the visit. Its a small basic place with traditional seating where you sit cross legged and eat off a communal plate- a concept I have experienced before and enjoyed. It might freak some out but they go elsewhere. The chk mandhi is what we went with as Quabbsa was long gone. And it did not disappoint. Lightly flavored rice with tender half chicken and a spicy sauce (think fine salsa) and I was in heaven. If shiny cutlery and fancy decor is your thing, stay away. If you believe cheap food is sometines the best food, must try.
Taher Syed (www.palatejournals.com)
+4
(Food Category - Veg/Non-Veg, Status - Halal)
One of the few good restaurants that serve Arabic food and have managed to maintain the quality and standards required to deserve a loyal fan following.
Have been visiting this place since it started , there are some items which are my favorites.
Muttabaq - A stuffed pancake kinda dish which has chicken, egg, spring onion and other items. This is then cut into smaller pieces and served with garlic sauce and lemon. A tasty dish which is recommend to be had at this place
Arabic shawarma - The traditional shawarma making process of cutting the meat from a giant rotating roll of chicken/mutton is the same, difference is that the meat is taken and then placed in roti (made from Maida flour) and cut into small pieces like spring roll.
Mandi - Chicken and mutton variants available - Both are amazing to taste , served with a tomato based spicy chutney as the rice is less /negligible in spices , you can increase or decrease the spice levels accordingly.
The seating section is divided into two halves, one is the common dining area with tables and chairs, another is the one with the traditional chowki style of eating .
Overall : recommended to try the chowki style of eating the Arabic food .
Came by this place reading reviews by other foodies ..
And I must say, apart from the service,which I don't think is the case always,the food was good,I can only say so based on the mandi we had as there was nothing else available ..
The mandi is enough for 2-3 people at Max and it comes with a a leg piece (big one)few cucumbers and the classic tomato chutney .. I was so engrossed in eating it u forgot to click a pic :p
It serves arabian dishes.
Conjusted seating but good to go with college friends.
Price: average
Probably you will worth your money.
Sriram Raju Bhupathiraju
+4.5
Its a small place tucked into a by-lane of RetiBowli/LangarHauz.
If you have to eat real shawarma... It is here that you get the MOST AUTHENTIC/AMAZING SHAWARMA IN HYD. Unlike the rest of them in HYD, they serve it in the original PITA BREAD/KHABUS.
Coming to Mandi... yes, this is another awesome place. And their Mutabbaq (Sandwich of herbs/Egg/minced meat) is also a real treat!
Went there for Shawarma,The Romalo wasnt ready and i couldnt wait and ordered Chicken Mandi,which again needed 10-15mins time.
The waiter said,Chicken Qabsa was ready..i ordered it for myself.
The portion was alot of a single person and enough of two.The chicken was perfectly grilled.The rice tasted good with fried onions sprinkled on the top.
The Tomato Chutney was freshly prepared and was tangy.Overall i had good experienxlce at this place.
Would visit again to try other item. Its VFM.
Place is little less but a decent environment....I had a chicken mandi and it tasted fabulous and I also had a chicken shawarma I loved it . Mandi was like awesome, it had perfect taste, smell and essence...overall nice place to fill your tummy with Arabian meal....
The food here is really good mandi is best here most off the crowd come here to have mandi its really worth comming from far away and having that dish shawarma is average.
The seating arrangement was amazing.
The management was friendly and eagerly waiting to serve.
The Mandi was delicious. Perfect aroma. Rice was nicely cooked.
The chicken and the dip that was provided was good too.
Must try! :)
An above avg decent Arabic food Joint, They have decent mutton mandi and Khabsa. Their Arabic shawarma is quite good with thier garlic suace . Normal chicken shawarma is decent but quite small.
Good for a first experience of chicken Mandi.Don't know if any other restaurant provides this type ambience.Really felt like an nawab.Most of the credit goes to that ambience.Food is quite good,though quantity could have been better.A good hangout place for if you want to feel your old friendship again.A nice experience altogether.
Went for lunch on the 1st of January, 2015 and I had a very bad hangover!
We had the chicken mandi, and the shawarma. The Mandi was great, but the Shawarma was awesome!! Probably one of the best shawarma I have ever tasted!
Sabyasachi Raychaudhuri
+3.5
Tucked in a lane off Langar House Road, Marhaba is known for its delicious Arabic snack items as well as Mandi and Khabsa. A traditional Arabic style floor seating is available here as you find in various places of Barkas. The live counter in front of the hotel is busy making Arabic Shawarma, a fried version of shawarma with chicken inside. The garlic chutney served with the Arabic Shawarma is also so great that it can just be had standalone too. They also have the normal shawarma with pita bread or roomali.
Muttabaq is another delicious dish available here. It is essentially a filling of egg, chicken and veggies folded in a square shaped paratha and pan fried. I found it very similar to Moglai Parota of Bengal. The filling is quite rich and thick and it can be a meal in itself. The place is also known for the Kabsa and Mandi available here.
The place is quite crowded in the evening. However turnover of customers is fast and you can expect a maximum wait of 15 minutes here. For people who are not comfortable with floor seating, usual table seating is also available.
This review is based on multiple visits. Had tried special shawarma, muttabak,Arabian shawarma, special chicken mandi ,masoob at different visits. I felt muttabak and Arabian shawarma very tasty and filling. The rice in mandi is flavourful. Masoob is just ok sweet. There is nothing to talk about in terms of ambience. Pocket friendly and not spicy.
Vishal Fernandes (www.jetseteat.com)
+3.5
Thanks to a foodie friend, who led us to a short expedition to the tolichowki area to try Arabian food. Marhaba was the first on the list, Located in the lane of Spenser’s super market , 200m from the Nanal Nagar Cross Road, Marhaba is easy to spot.
We were escorted into the dining area, which was half traditional and the other half regular with tables and chairs. I was interested in trying their snacks than the regular mandi. Ordered for Mutabbaq & Arabic shawarma. Through a see through area, I could figure out that both of them are prepared fresh and is a time consuming process, hence a 15 min wait was understandable.
Mutabbaq is a stuffed pancake cut into square portions. The fillings was mainly egg, capsicum and cheese. Though it was extremely hot, this was quite good and filing. The Arabic shawarma is the fried version of the regular rumali roti shawarma with meat, which was dry yet flavorful, the garlic mayonise served along added a extra flavor to it. Overall, both of them were quite good.
In my next visit, I wish too see, Marhaba with some more interesting variants of Mutabbaq and few more snacks included in their menu.
Thumbs up for this one !
Best mandi i've had till date, also they give you an awesome sweet and spicy chutney.. Full power combo... Not to forget their Muthabaq is even better... A place i visit quite often these days after gyming!!
Nice place..a bit clumsy but satisfying..mandi here is good..
A great taste of Arabic delicacies. Spl Chicken Mandi is a must-have. And obviously Qabsa-la-hum is on the menu. Bored of those colored tandooris and over fried kababs.. Drive to mehdipatnam and you'll realize it's worth it. Can't say it serves the best Arabic cuisine, but for cyberabad nonveggies, this is the best bet to escape from the routine biryani stuff. Do not expect terrific ambience or great hospitality. It's always a good feeling to share food with friends sitting around a table.
Do not forget to finish your meal with a shawarma!
Disclaimers:
1) Vegetarians, with all due respect, you have a chat bhandar outside and that'll be the best you can get around. Eggitarians can get an egg inside the restaurant though.
2) Go with those you are comfortable sharing food in a single (but huge) plate
Thanks to Marhaba.. we dont have to travel all the way to Barkas, outskirts of the town to taste Mandi! We can have this delicious arabian style dining in multiple locations around Nanlnagar area. Ther is fire n ice and Al Arabi restaurent just above Mandar restaurant serving Mandi. Marhaba does not look too appealing when it comes to ambiance but the Mandi tastes good. Of the Mandi I have tried near Nanalnagar area, this tastes good. The size of mutton piece is small compared to others serving Mandi but they have 3 or 5 piece options which make up for the quantity of Mutton served. Try it out
Heard about it so much but came back disappointed, a hyped place i guess. Very average mandi. But the sweet named 'Firni' made my day. And shawarma is also good.
I've visited this awesome place on eve of Ramzan.....chicken Mandi was so good that we almost ordered take away for our family as well.....rice was filled with raisins almost other dry fruits as well.....the sauce along with mandi was so good.....
Small place....good staff.... Marhaba is one stop find for...Arabian delicacies....will visit again n again......
Try the Mandi and the Arabic Shawarma here........
Good , the food was very light and super tasty.. Feel like coming again and would like to taste some more varieties.
Do not miss the chicken mandi here, served in a large plate, 2 people can easily eat.
Good place but its inside lane good food but little slow service
Mohammed. Aijaz Hussain
+4
Had heard a lot about this place but wasn't able to locate it for it's kinda hidden in by lanes. Nonetheless, the moment I saw my mid eastern pangs came out & I couldn't stop myself at the fragrance of the Shawarma, Mandi et al.
The moment you enter, you find the outer dining area is similar to those small bakers (the ones where you've couple of tables, chairs - may be more than that) We chose to get inside & yes, it was quite. The inner section is divided into two. Ones with tables & the other where you can enjoy the food in arab style (those carpets & stuff)
We were three people & the Chicken Mandi that was served to us was enough. But since the fragrance of Shawarma was enticing, we decided to have at least one each. I settled for Arabic Shawarma & it was worth every penny spent!
Decor/Ambiance - 2.5/5 (if you go with family then you may be a li'l uncomfortable, although you'd find the inner section all empty. Also, no parking for cars!)
Food - 4/5
Price - 5/5 (Easy on the pocket, esp for the college going crowd)
Recommended!
Oh yeah! If you owe someone a treat..I suggest, you try this one out..easy on the pocket & the ambiance is all boyish :D
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Had to visit Marhaba after reading all the reviews...:) Dropped in at the eatery today afternoon. Tucked away in one of the off lanes near the busy Nanal Nagar circle, its quite easy to reach and find. A small frontage with a lot of vehicles parked outside..
First thing I notice on reaching there, is that there are no customers sitting at the tables.. I went ahead nevertheless and ordered a Chicken Mandi. While I was waiting for my grub, I realized why the place was so empty. Most of the orders there are parcels...
When it did arrive, Chicken Mandi had a lot of rice and a huge piece of chicken. The rice tasted like the Ghee rice which is popular in Kerala, with some subtle tasting spices added. For those of you who are health conscious, it wasn't that greasy, but had its fair share. The Rice had in it quite a lot of fried raisins, which were so full of flavour. The chicken piece was not cooked in the usual way. It looked as if it had been smoked or fire charred ( as one would the Shawarma meat). It tasted semi cooked - semi fried, though. The meat wasn't very soft or juicy, but had an odd but enjoyable taste. Downed it with a bottle of Dew..:)
I was satisfied at the end of it and decide I will be back to taste the Qabsa and the Bukhari as well. Ambience is confusing. The outer room is your standard eatery, but the inner room had some stiff colors and hangings and stuff, but deviod of patrons, it looked kindof odd. Noticed a section if you liked to have your food sitting on mattresses on the floor. there were small sized round pedestals placed where the table should have been.
Food: 4/5
Service: 3/5 (took a rather long time for my food to come and the waiters/servers did not really care about what the patrons needed)
Ambience: 3/5 (confusing)
Been here more than 10 times, shawrama and mandi are the best but also try buqari which is a rice dish as mandi with a different taste
Best option is to take away as the place is crowded and can be disturbing for a single or couple who would love a quiet meal.
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I first got a recommendation to visit this place from a friend of mine, who got a chance to visit this place with another friend of his who was a pure vegetarian. This sounded quite peculiar to me because inspite of him being a veggie, he (my frined's friend) frequented this place very regularly, just for the taste of the mandi rice, and the sauce that accompanied it. Now that was some really hilarious, given the fact that whenever I am devouring any dish, I am eating it for it's non-veg content, and the rice and all are just like side dishes accompanying it. :) The hype about the place was reinstated by the great reviews I read about the place on Zomato making it on the top of my wishlists.
So finally we got the chance to actually pay a visit to this place. It was a lazy Saturday afternoon, a bit too lazy as I woke up pretty late. The time was 4 pm and I hadn't had anything till now, and of course was super hungry by this time. I called up my friend and luckily even he didn't have lunch by then. I rushed on to his place, had a little chat, followed by a short discussion about where to go, and finally we zeroed in on Marhaba restaurant as he had already visited the place once, and wanted to go again. We reached there by 4:30 pm and entered the restaurant.
The ambience wasn't super flashy but was decent enough. It was a bit congested and small, but the place was clean. I really liked that they had a place on the right side where the people could sit down and share the food on a large plate in the traditional Arabic way. We decided to occupy the chair and table arrangement.
They don't have much menu options, hence sparing you of the paradox of choice. As my friend had already tried the Chicken Mandi, we ordered a Mutton Mandi rice this time. The service was really swift and we got our large sized "thaala" placed on our table in less than 5 mnts. My first look at the contents itself multiplied my hunger manifolds. The thaala was full with rice, topped with crispy fried onions and dry fruits; and was accompanied by a small bowl full of tomato chutney, and salads containing onions, cucumber and carrot. The rice seemed to have been cooked in Ghee as I was able to make out the nice smell. The rice was very well cooked and was white in color with a brownish tinge. The aroma of the different spices, the perfectly fried onions, and the ghee fried dry fruits topped on it, blended really well to give it a unique taste of awesomeness. After tasting it once, I forgot about the "chutney" aka sauce or the mutton pieces for a while. My friend had to remind me to try the sauce as well. I added a small amount of sauce to my lump of rice and tried it. It turned out to be really awesome. The sauce was primarily made up of tomato and was a little tangy. I didn't imagine that this sauce would go so well with the mandi rice.
Also the portion size was pretty good for the small price that we had to pay. It was good enough for three people, but driven by our hunger, and the real good taste, we both finished up everything. :P Meanwhile I had completely forgot about the mutton pieces that accompanied and we had to finish it only in the end. The mutton was well cooked, a rare phenomenon in small hotels where they usually serve half cooked mutton done in haste. Even the taste was good and wasn't too spicy making it blend nicely with the taste of the mandi rice. After finishing the plate, we wanted to order the Omali in dessert. But unfortunately, we both were too stuffed by now, and we had to settle for a bottle of Pepsi. Ahaa!
And the last but not the least, I would really like to call out the commendable job the restaurant staff did in terms of their hospitality. Right from the time when we were escorted from the entrance to our table to the time when we were greeted while going out, the staff were really friendly and courteous. One great act that caught my eye was that they were replenishing the salads and the chutney even without asking whenever they saw it getting finished up before the rice. This is quite in contrary to other such places where you have to literally fight or atleast face the ire of the waters for extra chutney or salads.
Final verdict: The place is not at all hyped and really deserves a visit by all the foodies in town, who live for the love of food. :) The ambience might not be that great, and you may be hesitant to come down here with your family, but you can sure get the food packed and take the parcel to your home. I would highly recommend this place for the great authentic taste of food and the friendly service by the ever smiling staff. I would surely go back to this place very soon to try the other dishes esp. Omali and the Shawarma.
Food: 4.5/5.0
Portion Size: 5.0/5.0
Service: 5.0/5.0
Ambience: 3.5/5.0
Value for Money: 5.0/5.0
Overall: 4.5/5.0
Best mandi I ever had a bit oily though but reasonable for that price
Itz amazing place to hangout with frndz I like the chicken mandi the staff is very responsive the order take no time serve itz best place to enjoy the arbi food..
This is the place where I was introduced to mandi. Been here a dozen times. Servers amazing mandi. I have had mandi at many places in places like barkas and other joints in and around medhipatnam but nothing compares to the chicken mandi this place serves, it's lite on the pocket as well the only thing this place lacks is service the waiters aren't good enough you always have to be on their back to get your order served. Apart from that it's a pretty good place.
one of the best mandi in the city
value for money
Again a small joint tucked in a lane close to olive hospital. Again a no frills place, clean enough and serves good food. This place undoubtedly has the best Mandi in this part of the town. They also have pretty decent Kabsa and Muttabaq. Iliked the Muttabaq but the Mandi and the Shawarma are definately a show stoppers. The Mandi is very well made with ample dry fruits with the right smoky flavour, the right amount of ghee and decent chicken pieces. And the Shawarma is also one of the better ones around tolichowki/mehdipatnam area. A definite must try place for all the Mandi lovers.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Marhaba is a must visit for the delicious Chicken Mandi. The restaurant is a small one and isn't that great ambiance wise. It has separate place to sit on the carpet in typical Afghani style to have food. But this restaurant wins it because of the authentic Afghani food whether be the Chicken/Mutton Mandi or Qabsa, Mutabbaq, or Umm-Ali/Omali.
We saw the other reviews at Zomato and visited the place. Ordered a Special chicken Mandi, which came in a gigantic thali which was almost 4 times the normal steel thalis. The rice was properly cooked in ghee and full of dry fruits. The Special Mandi has more dry fruits. We ordered 2 extra chicken pieces as we were 3 people. The rice was decent quantity for 3 of us. ALong with it came the spicy tomato chutney which was again awesome. It was the first time when I saw people concentrating more on the rice than on the chicken. Other people were having Qabsa rice too which looked good. We ordered a Muttabaq then which wasn't that great but decent. It was more like a thick mughlai paratha.
Omali for dessert was again great and very tasty to have. The main USP of the place is Chicken Mandi and the cost. The special Chicken Mandi full of dry fruits came for 180. You get extra chicken for 70 bucks. The place is definitely worth a second visit.
Food - 7.5/10 (9/10 for Chicken Mandi)
Ambiance - 4/10
Cost - 8.5/10
Value for Money - 9/10
We ordered a Chicken Mandi (with an extra chicken piece) and a plate of Muttabaq. The Chicken Mandi was served on a large steel plate with the chicken pieces sitting on some rice and a bowl of chutney. My initial reaction on seeing the rice, that it would be like some standard pulav. The mandi rice turned out to be one of the highlights of the evening. The grilled/roasted chicken was tender and juicy. Very well cooked. The chutney was okay, but I preferred eating the rice without it, as I felt the chutney overpowers the flavour of the rice. The Muttabaq was alright. It can be described as tasting like scrambled eggs with a chapati. Nothing spectacular, but it is an affordable, filling, snack item.
I was very pleased with the overall experience, especially as one new to Arabian food. The menu isn't huge, but there are surely some other items that I can't wait to try on my next visit. Hope to return here soon.
Thank you Riyaz & co. for everything. Cheers.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Prologue: End of another boring work week, we wanted to go out somewhere for Friday dinner, away from our usual places in Kondapur/Madhapur. Just before leaving office searched for food options around Tollichowki, chanced upon this restaurant called Marhaba! It had a very good rating & also I like Arabic food so decided on trying Marhaba. Though we were apprehensive about the hygiene of the place we thought of giving it a try, all thanks to the review by Ashis Nayak . Boy! What a good decision it turned out to be!
Review:
From the outside Marhaba looks like any other fast food joint which families would think thrice before entering. But the moment you step your foot inside you know this place is more than that - With Plates matching the size of the table & a place to sit down on the floor & eat in a traditional way!
From the reviews we knew Chicken Mandi is a must try, so we din't waste much time. We ordered a special chicken mandi & Matabbaq. One word for the Chicken Mandi - AWESOMENESS! Haven't had a tastier, aromatic,appetizing rice ever before! It had a wonderful smell of ghee with roasted cashews, almonds, raisins, well cooked piece of chicken & couple of sliced boiled eggs. The spicy chutney served along was also really good. The quantity of rice served was enormous and easily sufficient for 3 of us. We just ordered 2 extra pieces of chicken to go with the rice. Matabbaq was not that great, or may be by the time it arrived we were on cloud nine with chicken mandi :)
The place looks plain/bland/empty but not face twitching kinds! Might not be super clean, but definitely felt hygienic.
We then ordered the Arabic dessert in the menu - OMALI (bread & milk based). It was also very tasty, not very sweet but just right. Quantity easily sufficient for 2.
Ratings:
Ambience : 1.5/5
Cost: 5/5
Value for Money: 5/5
Taste(Chicken Mandi): 4.5/5
Taste(Dessert): 3.8/5
Overall: 4.5/5
Highly Recommended: Chicken Mandi & Omali
i regulerly go there for dinner with friends,mandi rice mutton is tasty and its less spice
Ashis Nayak (FoodDrifter.in)
+4
Marhaba Restaurant is slowing turning out to be one of the greatest explorations I’ve come across in Hyderabad. I had chanced upon this restaurant due to a recommendation of a local friend and I for one had been dying to try the Mandi in Marhaba sine my last visit here. So the day before Eid, I along with a friend hop on and drive over to Marhaba to see what other great dishes they have to offer.
Marhaba being like any of the inconspicuous small joints around the city serves only Arabian Food. So the menu is only a single page and when you go don’t expect to be handed a menu. The people who drop in know what to order exactly and it’s served accordingly on the tables. The door leading in has hard plastic sheets which feels like entering a KILL room. The tables are untidy and shoes strewn all around but I base my reviews on food so these trivial things do not matter a bit to me. There’s a small enclosure for the people who want to sit down in a group the traditional way but it also has a seating arrangement for people who prefer to sit on chairs.
The first thing I order is the special Shawarma and Muttabaq. The special Shawarma is kind of a disappointment for me. I’ve had better ones in this one the veggies and the chicken isn’t stuffed inside the pita bread but rolled in it. The Mayo is kind of runny and the filling not done properly. I missed the one that I had before in this same particular restaurant itself. Muttabaq is an item I was gonna have for the first time. The Muttabaq is similar to the Mughlai Paratha kind of dish but the difference being that this is done with lesser amount of oil, ample filling of chicken and a good nice smell of diced spring onions. A single bite of the Muttabaq, me and my friend are left spell bound at one of the best dishes we’ve had in a long time. No words to describe the awesomeness of the dish I just had. This is one dish that after having you’ll be quite full.
Next up is the Special Chicken Mandi which is served like immediately. I’ve had Mandi before in and around Hyderabad but they’ve always lacked the smoky flavor which goes on to show that it’s been in the ground. The Mandi in Marhaba had exactly that and with a good amount of cashews, almonds, raisins etc...all fried in ghee nonetheless. There are two tastes to Mandi according to me, the as it is way which is usually dry and takes a bit of beverage to get it down the throat with and the other with the tangy ginger-garlic tomato chutney served along with. The chutney was an absolute delight, not too thick and also not too runny too. The Mandi at Marhaba doesn’t have the veggies like the others and I for one kind of admired that coz I didn’t need those to ruin my experience here. The chicken was gorgeously crisp and nicely done. This is one the best Mandis I’ve had in Hyderabad that is until I find a better place. The two us could not even finish a full plate and had to give up after a couple of attempts at finishing it.
I didn’t want to give up on the dessert section as there are some really nice Arabian dishes listed here. And it was the Omali which won my choice this time. An amazing bread based sweet this is a must have here. The bread was nice and crunchy on the outside and gooey in the middle. It isn't too sweet and one pack is enough for two. The place might not be quite inviting, but it’s not until you take the first step inside that you’ll not know what you’re missing out on.
----- 06 Aug, 2013 -----
Hyderabad as a city is known for its diverse food cultures. Every particular’s cuisine has been appreciated by the Hyderabadis. There has long been the amalgamation of Hyderabad cuisine with that of the settlers with the prime example being Haleem which was originally brought by the Persians and Irani and had started serving them in their Irani Chai joints all over the city.
But these particular products have become synonymous with Hyderabad while there are other small unknown joints which still retain the original cuisine of the migrant country from which they came be it the Arabs, Parsis or Egyptians. They are only known to the locals and are more frequented by them and contain some of the most authentic food you’ll ever find. Marhaba Restaurant in Mehdipatnam near the Olive Hospital.
It serves some of the most authentic Shawarmas and many other Arabian and Yemeni dishes. I went on with my city’s exploration in search of something different and was suggested this place by a local friend who lived in the area. On entering the restaurant isn’t that grand or anything but has a certain charm of being an Iranian joint as any other.
I ordered the Special Shawarma and waited for my order to come along. This review is written purely from exploration point of view so mind you I never had any prior experience on this sort of cuisine so will not be an expert on such things. The gorgeous plump shawarma arrived quickly within minutes of ordering. One bite and all I could muster up is not a single word. It was pure HEAVENLY and out of this world. With a few amount of veggies, ample amount of shredded chicken filling in some Pita bread, it was some of the best Shawarma I’d had in a long time.
The Mayo filling in the Shawarma was less and that actually was a positive for it not overpowering the taste of others. The Mayo had an essence of clove and cinnamon in it which was completely different from any I’d taste before. And after a single Shawarma, I was completely full. That’s when I looked over and noticed the Omali.
Omali/Umm Ali/Oum Ali is known by various names and is actually an Egyptian dessert. Oum Ali translated literally means Mother of Ali and is an Egyptian containing puff pastry, milk and nuts. There is a certain interesting legend associated with it but I’d like to focus on the dish alone. Often likened to Bread and butter pudding, Umm Ali is made up of layer upon layer of pastry and nuts and smothered in a sweet, creamy mixture before being baked in the oven. So the end product is quite crispy and has a lovely texture to it. Marhaba is one of the few restaurants where I found to be serving this particular dish and immediately placed an order for it. Served in a huge quantity and quite heavy I had to carry off the rest with me coz of not being able to complete it alone.
Marhaba Restaurant also serves Khabsa and Lahaam Mandi and Majboos and also various other Egyptian and Lebanese specialties like Muttaabaq, Leban and Masoob which I didn’t get a chance to savor. I definitely am going back there to continue on my conquest of exploration of the foods which are new to me and my taste buds of course. It's a treasure trove waiting to be explored. I've had Mandi and Majboos before and I know I'd never be able to have the plate whole by myself so I'm going back with company to savor that to see if it's authentic which it quite looked having stolen a glance at the people dining at the nearby table.
Great food. The Mandi is very light(less spices) unlike our typical biryanis, great aroma in the Mandi rice and can be had almost every day!
Apart from Mandi, try out the Arabic shawarma which is served with garlic sauce. I'm sure you'll order it every time you vist Marhaba.
Kamaal Ahmed (zaiqebaaz)
+4
If you love Arabic food so much that you feel like having it everyday, this restaurant is for you. Reasonable prices, authentic Arabian food.
The Mandi is the king here. I feel hungry as i write about it here.
Highly recommended!!
8/10
ARABIAN FOOD AT ITS FINEST.
its typically crowded with non-indian nationals(mostly african arabs) so you can find typical arabian food.
dont miss out the shawarmas and mandi.
its not a family-type eating zone so its better if you come with your friends.
budget is not very expensive a shawarma costs at around 50 and mandi at around 120/140.
its crowded during saturdays and sundays
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