Penulis : Najwa Ismet Badjened
Penyunting : Nabila Najwa Azuwar
Sumber Foto: Nadi Bangi
Taman Tun Dr. Ismail or usually mentioned as TTDI is a melting pot for various types of restaurants serving different types of food from all over the world. What would be your first choice if you come to TTDI? Are you the type of person who loves to sit back, relax, and enjoy the moment with your loved ones? Are you a fan of Middle Eastern fusion food? If the answer to the question is yes, Mukha Café is the right place for you to visit.
The word Mukha is derived from the word Mocha which is also known as al-Makha. Al-Makha is a port city on Red Sea Coast in Yemen and has been selling coffee as their highly requested ingredient since the 15th century. Thus, the owner’s love for coffee is what created this café.
The owner of Mukha Café is a pair of husband and wife who was inspired by a cafe while both of them traveled to Melbourne. Mukha Café was established in the year of 2011, Sayid Abdul Rahman Aljunaid and his wife did a great job of choosing a very strategic place like TTDI. It is a success for them to be able to provide a cafe that makes the customers feel more relaxed and stress-free. The idea of it is to make the place a cozy space where people feel welcomed and can actually chill out with their loved ones while enjoying the food and drinks there as if they are at home.
When you visit Mukha Cafe, it is a must for you to try out the fantastic Middle Eastern fusion food that is served at the café. For a first-timer, you are recommended to slide through the menu and pick out one of their top special cuisines, Lamb Shawarma. The Lamb Shawarma is a dish that comes with New Zealand smoked lamb, caramelized onion, tabouleh salad, melted cheese, and some homemade garlic mayo that are wrapped in pita bread. Not to forget, they also served it with some chips as the side .A fun fact for readers, Shawarma can also be spelled as Shawarma or even Shawerma which means “turning” in Arabic. It is a Levantine meat preparation where the thin-cut lamb, chicken, beef, or even mixed meats are wrapped in a particular bread.
The next top dish that is recommended for you is most probably the Gulf Rice. It is an Arab Saudi-style rice and meat dish which was served in a portion enough for two people. Not to forget, gulf rice comes with two different types of meat. You can either choose Lamb Gulf Rice or Chicken Gulf Rice. You must be wondering what are the ingredients used to make this exquisite Lamb Gulf Rice? It is stated that the ingredients that they used to make the Gulf Rice are basmati rice, house-made curry sambal, smoked lamb, or fried chicken, with fried onion and curry leaves used as a garnish.
If you pay close attention to Mukha Café, it is different from all the other cafes that I have been to. They specially prepare the ingredients before they cook the food in the house because they want the customers to taste the original fresh-house made dish while other cafes used pre-made or ready-made dishes. Based on an interview with Mr. Sayid Abdul Rahman Aljunid, “The most important part to us and the secret to a delicious food is always to recite a dua before you prepare anything,” he said.
He believes that whenever someone recites a dua with an open heart before preparing anything in the kitchen, the food or drinks that are made will taste delicious. Furthermore, it is not just about reciting the dua, it is important that you pray for the person who will be drinking or eating the food, too.
Besides that, there are various dishes such as Falafel wrap, Garlic Butter Chicken Tenders Sandwiches, BBQ Pulled Beef Sandwiches and more. They even have Lamb Bamia which is the latest dish they provide on the menu. More than that there are also various types of desserts such as Vanilla-topped Cupcake, Red Velvet cake, Brownies, and so on. Normally, students will spend their time doing their assignments at the café while enjoying the desserts and their unique coffee or tea that comes in a pot with a very relaxing environment and vibe.
With that information given to you and based on my experience, I highly recommend you to visit Mukha Café when you have the time. You will never regret going to an unbelievable chill-out spot with your friends and family. The moment you step into the café you will feel as if you belong there because they treat you like family. Not just that, you will also get to see the concept of the café. The café is filled with books that you can read and some products that are from the Middle East that they are selling. Lastly, you can follow them on their Instagram at @mukhacafe.
