One Arabian Night, formerly known as Marib Restaurant, sits on Varick Street in Utica, lined with string lights, bars and restaurants. One Arabian Night offers traditional Yemeni cuisine with a wide range of vegetarian options. Varick Street is home to a wide variety of dining options, from Irish pubs to traditional American grill restaurants. One Arabian Night stands out from all the others, with huge windows filled with the bright light of the dining room.
On a Tuesday night, the quiet dining room soon began to beat to the rhythm of clinking silverware as customers steadily flowed in, ready to enjoy steaming plates. Customers who ordered food carted out large to-go bags that emanated savory fragrances. Sitting at the corner table, I began with the Marib home salad: a plate of small-chopped iceberg lettuce, red onion and cucumber. The bright-orange cup of thousand island dressing on the side was not very appealing to me, but I quickly finished the salad. I also enjoyed a cup of maraq, a fatty lamb broth, which quickly warmed me as the rich lamb flavor coated my mouth.
The menu is extensive, spanning five pages. Each dish promises a unique flavor combination or meat preparation. From saltah, a hearty stew that is the national dish of Yemen and a hearty stew, to zurbian, a rice and meat dish often called the Yemeni version of biryani, it is difficult to go wrong when ordering.
A meal at One Arabian Night is incomplete without malawach, making an appearance on nearly every party’s table. This crispy flatbread, sprinkled with nigella seeds, will take up half the table, with the laky layers spilling over the edges of a vinyl record-sized plate.
To most enjoy your experience here, bring a fully empty stomach and a friend who is willing to share. The portions are massive and the food is filling, so if you want to try more than one dish–which I highly recommend– I’d suggest ordering smaller portions of each dish. Even the small portion of the lamb haneeth consisted of full plate of saffron-laced rice, three large pieces of lamb that flaked off the bone and a side of stewed vegetables. Haneeth is a slow-roasted lamb dish, with a marinade of spices including cumin and cardamom.
Despite being a heavy dish, the lamb is incredibly tender and the spices balance out every flavor so you won’t be able to resist another bite. However, when I go back, I will be sure to ask for a side of zhug or any other hot sauce, as the dish was missing a kick.
For such a heavily meat-based menu, the vegetarian options did not disappoint. While the vegetarian main-stay of falafel is featured in many online reviews lauding its flavor and crispiness, I opted for the foul moudammas and fassolia. Fassolia is a red-kidney based mash, pan-fried with vegetables and tomato paste. The crispy edges kept the dish from becoming one-note, and made it the better bean choice. The foul moudammas, a stew of fava beans, arrived bubbling in a cast-iron pot and was perfect for dipping the malawach.
However, the creamy texture became too heavy as we scraped down to the bottom of the pot. At the end of the meal, don’t skip out on the desserts or tea. The adeni tea, a cardamom spiced drink sweetened with concentrated milk, was one of the highlights of the meal. The spices and sweetness balanced each other out without either taking over, and I only wished I had ordered more. They were out of Masoob this night, but the chopped warm bread mixed with banana, dates, honey and a high-quality Yemeni butter is reason enough for me to go back for another meal. I will certainly be returning to Arabian Night to enjoy more of the delicious meats and desserts, along with the mellow yet welcoming ambiance.
When the weekend rolls around, and you’re looking to enjoy a meal off campus, definitely pay a visit to One Arabian Night. Be sure to order the malawach, the lamb haneeth and for vegetarian eaters, do not miss the foul moudammas and fassolia, and of course, make sure to top your meal off with warm notes of adeni tea, and the buttery sweetness of Masoob bread.