Sufra Restaurant Features Lamb From The Jordanian Table
Amman, Jordan
Cuisine Style: Jordanian, Levant, Mediterranean
Average Price: $
Overall Rating: 2/5
Article updated: Febraury, 2020
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
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Sufra Restaurant opened in 2011 and its theme was to bring the Jordanian table to you with authentic cuisine while blending in the elements of the Levant and Mediterranean. They are owned by the Romero Group of Restaurants which also includes six other restaurants across Jordan and includes many cuisine styles such as Italian.
What is a person’s expectation when they visit a country they have never been too, and what type of foods will be offered to them? This was my first visit to the Kingdom of Jordan, and with any new place that I go, I like to immerse myself in the culture, and Sufra Restaurant was the perfect chance to do just that. I am not the typical American who orders hamburgers and pizza everywhere in this world that they go to, and is afraid to step out of their comfort zone to try something new.
As a kid, I was guilty of it, because when I was thirteen and toured London with my Father, I had a McDonald's, and he never let me live it down. I guess I deserve a pass since I was a kid, but I’m referencing grown adults who do what I did when I was a kid. The concierge at my hotel recommended this restaurant to me, when I asked for a place to eat that served traditional Jordanian cuisine, a true taste, not what they serve to tourists, but the real deal.
The Jordanian mealtime is a time of celebration of taste savored for over a thousand years. With Levantine influences and a heavy inspiration from the Bedouin, the unique Jordanian culture is better understood through a journey through the kitchens. At Sufra, they do just that and offer a culinary experience that celebrates flavor and tradition.
Sufra Restaurant Menu:
- Cold Meze
- Salads
- Hot Meze
- Seafood
- Mains
- Desserts
One experience from this dining event at the sufra Restaurant that was on the disappointing side was the advertised fame of Jordanian hospitality, yet the customer service rating was in my opinion extremely low. Perhaps they are famous when compared to the overall Middle East as being the friendliest. This did not affect my meal as I enjoyed many of the dishes, but customer service is a strong component to the overall dining experience when you eat out, no matter if you write about restaurants like I and others do, or just enjoy going out to eat. It is part of what we pay for. One item of concern that did affect my overall scoring to this restaurant was food service hygiene and training of staff. I saw a waiter sneeze into his hands, and then instead of going to the restroom to wash, he went into the kitchen and delivered food to a table.
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| Sufra Restaurant / Menu board |
The décor was nice, warm, and inviting, with a great focus on tradition and authenticity to the Jordanian home, which was nice to see. There were many windows and a good size patio, though very loud outside with people walking by, and motorcycles going down the street, so I opted for a table inside.
I ask the waiter to recommend some items, as I was new to the Jordanian cuisine, and he has eaten it his entire life. We settled on five courses. The first dish was Thalat, which was roasted lamb spleen and usually advertised in a store or market as a lamb melt and called Tilli in Hindi. The dish was stuffed and topped with parsley and chili peppers.
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| Sufra Restaurant / Thalat, stuffed with parsley and chili peppers |
As my second course came out they placed a hookah water pipe next to me and placed the hot coals on for me to smoke. The first assumption was that I wanted it, and in Jordanian custom, they smoke it during the meal. If they would have asked I would have kindly refused, as I was not in the mood for it. Since they just fired it up, I had to ask them to take it away. The second was a Beitinjan Salad (Salatit El Batinjan) also called Batinjan which is a Lebanese-style preserved and stuffed aubergine (eggplant) salad which was julienned and served with goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, coriander, and olive oil…Yummy. In Iraqi cuisine, this can be made as a casserole called Tepsi Baytinijan.
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| Sufra Restaurant / Beitinjan Salad of Aborigine with goat cheese and cherry tomatoes |
The third dish was Gallayeh Bandora also spelled Galayet which is a warm spicy stewed tomato dish with diced lamb cubes, by far the best item I had on the coursed meal. The flavors were perfectly blended together with the strong gaming flavor of the lamb being tamed by the subtle acid flavors from the stew and the seasoning that were used.
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| Sufra Restaurant / Gallayeh: Spicy tomato stew with diced lamb cubes |
The main entrée course was called Mansaf and is considered the national dish of Jordan. It is also known as Jordanian Lamb Stew. It had a rice base with lamb chunks, almonds, and a warm fermented yogurt sauce. I’ll be honest, the lamb had a strong taste to it compared to the other lamb dish I had. It tasted very similar to Foie Gras. Now I love Foie Gras, but I was expecting to have a nice favorable lamb with rice, not a lamb that tasted like Duck liver.
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| Sufra Restaurant / Mansaf: lamb chunks, almonds, and a warm yogurt sauce |
Sufra Restaurant Desserts:
Finally, for dessert, it was recommended that I try a dairy pudding dish with cardamom and pistachio’s called Muhalabiya (also spelled Mahalabia). The dish originated from Egypt but the Jordanians incorporated it into their cuisine some time ago as most trading cultures do. It reminded me of an Afghan dessert I had tried called Ferni which is a rose-scented milk pudding.
Lastly, though not a big thing, the coffee was served in a shot-style glass instead of a mug. It did not have a handle, so picking it up to drink can cause a degree of discomfort to your fingers as a warning. Now, it is a tradition in Jordan to serve coffee in this manner, so even though I suffered some discomfort, who am I to go against tradition.
Overall, I would recommend eating here so you can try some common Jordanian cuisine, just be prepared for the basic things that they take for granted, such as smoking indoors, and food hygiene. The meal was fantastic or as they say in Arabic “Kaan al-ta’aam lazeez” (that was delicious)!
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
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Final notes, review basics, and observations:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writers' knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Overall from this experience, and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Sufra Restaurant a 2 out of 5 stars, meaning that they were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants. An increase in customer service and they will be at three stars in no time at all.
Scores are detailed in the chart below
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings for Sufra Restaurant
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Max Points Possible:
|
Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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9.5
|
8
|
1.5
|
Food quality
|
8
|
7.5
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0.5
|
Plate presentation
|
7
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6
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1
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Customer service
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7
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2.5
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4.5
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Alcohol and other beverages
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0
|
0
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0
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Total regular points awarded
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31.5
|
24
|
7.5
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
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0.761904761904762
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“Wow” factor BONUS
|
5
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1
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.0317460317460317
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Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
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0.793650793650794
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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2
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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2 of 5 Stars:
79% Rating with a 1 point “wow” bonus
Far Above The Average Dining Experience
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Corkage fees:
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This Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge $25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant-style:
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Casual dining
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Cuisine style:
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Jordanian, Levant, and Mediterranean,
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Farm to Fork, Halal, Local, Pescatarian, Sustainable, and Vegetarian
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Reservations:
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Not Required
Walk-Ins:
Accepted
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Dress code:
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Casual to Conservative attire
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Sufra Restaurant Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Contemporary, Great outdoor dining, Good for special occasions, Beautiful décor, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Street meter parking
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Medium
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Smoking:
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WARNING: Sufra Restaurant is a smoking restaurant, with a smoking patio
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Patio or terrace:
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Yes
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricy)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
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Price
|
Jordanian Dinar (JOD)
|
د.ا
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United States Dollar (USD)
|
$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
|
$$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
|
€
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Sufra Restaurant:
1st Circle; Al Rainbow St.
House # 26
Amman, Jordan 11183
Neighborhood:
Jabal Amman
Cross streets:
Abou Baker Al Seddeek
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+ 962-6 461 1468
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Online reservations
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Serving hours:
Jordan Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - BST Offset + 2:00 - DST +3:00)
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Sun-Thur
12:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Fri-Sat
10:00 am - 11:00 pm
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Social Media
And
Accolades for
Sufra Restaurant: | |
****
The world's best restaurants are a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
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Other Sufra Restaurant Pictures:
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| Sufra Restaurant / Logo |
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
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