Fodor's Expert Review Al Mandoos

Celebrity chef Issa al Lamki opened Al Mandoos, and though it has since changed ownership, the food still bears his elegant touch, with authentic Omani dishes made with the freshest ingredients and modern twists, like his shorbat harees, a traditional crushed wheat soup, enlived here with tender whole wheatberries in a rich lamb stock. It is the best place to get a taste of local specialties like madroobah, a delicious spiced rice and vegetable mash topped with crisp-skinned chicken, fried fish, or malleh, a dish of saltfish, lime, and onion served over rice. Though unassumingly set on a quiet suburban side street, the interior is a suprisingly chic space decorated with traditional Omani textiles.