As the sun sets in Anaheim, restaurant workers fill chafing dishes at the buffet line at Little Arabia Restaurant on Brookhurst Street.
Patrons, mostly Muslim, line up to fill their plates with shakriya, tender chunks of lamb simmered in a yogurt sauce and peppered with roasted pine nuts; mahashi, a hearty meal of stuffed eggplants, zucchini and grape leaves; and kabsa, rice cooked in stock that is served with both chicken and lamb.
During Ramadan, Muslims across the world fast from sunrise to sunset for 29 or 30 days, depending on when the crescent moon is sighted for the new month. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, and it is also a time for prayer and charity. Muslims believe that it was during Ramadan that God revealed the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad.
And like many other halal eateries in Orange County, Little Arabia Restaurant offers a specialty buffet.
Owner Ihab Elannan said it is “tradition” to switch to a buffet format from the typical sit-down style come Ramadan because those fasting want a variety of dishes to break their fast with.
“Plus you can’t feed everybody at the same time,” said Elannan.
The iftar buffet at Little Arabia Restaurant consists of 24 kinds of appetizers, a soup, specialty drinks like jallab (made with grape molasses, dates and rose water) and desserts like layali lubnan, a semolina pudding. The nine main entrees change every day. Since people visit his restaurant in large groups during the holy month, Elannan said, he offers dishes that are best served for a group.
And most of the entrees he serves are only offered during Ramadan, including shakriya; kharoof mahshi, stuffed lamb with rice; and shish barak, meat dumplings in a yogurt sauce.
At the Silk Road Asian Bistro, a halal Chinese restaurant in Anaheim, a different type of smorgasbord is offered this Ramadan: Patrons can enjoy a tableside buffet with chow mein, fried rice, egg rolls, dessert, beverages and a choice of four entrees.
“We…
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