FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Yemeni cuisine and a taste of the Middle East are enjoyed at Al-Hadara on Blackstone and Shaw in north Fresno.<\/p>\n
“We bring the Arabic food because here, a lot of people are Arabic, Yemeni and Muslim,” says manager Mohammed Rowaid.<\/p>\n
We sat in a private booth.<\/p>\n
“This room is special,” Rowaid said. “No one else has this in Fresno.”<\/p>\n
We took off our shoes and ate the traditional way.<\/p>\n
“The Arabic way is to eat with the hand,” Rowaid said.<\/p>\n
The Mandi lamb is cooked in spices for several hours.<\/p>\n
“This is the number one in the restaurant,” Rowaid said.<\/p>\n
The chicken mandi falls off the bone when it comes out of the oven.<\/p>\n
Yemeni rice goes with dishes like the grilled half-chicken, which is cooked and plated in one tasty piece.<\/p>\n
“It’s made with our special seasoning, special sauce and it’s served with our Yemeni sauce,” says line cook Ghina Khattab.<\/p>\n
The Yemeni bread – or malawah – cooks on the side of an oven.<\/p>\n
“You can eat it with the fahsa and the liver,” Rowaid said.<\/p>\n
Fahsa is a savory stew that sizzles in a broth.<\/p>\n
“It’s the fahsa lamb — it’s a shredded lamb,” Khattab said.<\/p>\n
We also tasted the fried kibbeh, and it’s served with tzatziki sauce.<\/p>\n
Baba ghanoush is a favorite of many.<\/p>\n
“It’s basically roasted eggplant,” Khattab said. “It has a little tahini mix, lemon.”<\/p>\n
Visit the Dine and Dish interactive map<\/a> to find this location and all previously featured restaurants!<\/p>\n For news updates, follow Dale Yurong on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2026 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n