Jordan restaurant offers mansaf-lovers an opportunity for a nap after meals

This combination of photos, created on July 15, 2023, features the Jordanian iconic dish “mansaf” (right) and a customer during during a post-meal nap nap in a restaurant in Amman. (Supplied)
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Updated 15 July 2023
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Jordan restaurant offers mansaf-lovers an opportunity for a nap after meals

  • Mansaf is a traditional Levantine dish made of lamb cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yogurt
  • The air-conditioned “bedroom” offers mansaf-lovers a good post-meal napping opportunity

AMMAN: With the Jordanian iconic dish “mansaf” believed to cause severe sleepiness, a restaurant in Amman is offering its customers a napping opportunity to overcome their post-meal tiredness.

Mansaf is thought to cause drowsiness due to its high-fat ingredients, especially during hot weather, prompting lovers of Jordan’s celebrated national dish to avoid restaurants and only eat it at home where they can have a quick nap.

However, a restaurant in Jordan’s capital Amman has solved the post-meal sleepiness of mansaf by providing lovers of the traditional Levantine dish with beds for a quick nap.

Named “Moab” after the ancient Kingdom of Moab in Jordan’s southern city of Karak, the restaurant only serves mansaf.

“The idea to put beds in the restaurant started as a joke and decoration to reflect the sleepiness mansaf-eaters’ experience after they have the high-fat meal,” Musab Mubeideen, son of the restaurant’s owner, told Arab News.

He said that mansaf “is a fat-laden meal cooked with lamb meat, rice and jameed (ghee), and these ingredients put together are just a recipe for sleepiness and total tiredness.”

Mubaideen is from the city of Karak, 90 km south of Amman, which is famous for its high-quality “jameed.”

“Why don’t you put beds in the restaurant,” said a customer, who was rubbing his eyes and was sleepy after eating mansaf. Then other customers told us the same,” Mubaideen said.

“So we brought beds and set them up in a separate section in the restaurant. Customers now really use them for a quick nap after they have mansaf,” he said.

The “bedroom,” he said, has an air-conditioner and is also quiet, offering mansaf-lovers a good napping opportunity. “They also can have traditional Jordanian coffee there.”

Mansaf, meaning a large platter, is a traditional Levantine dish made of lamb cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yogurt and served with rice or bulgar. The Jordanian version of mansaf uses bread on the bottom of the plate.


Ramadan recipes: a taste of southern Italy with Linguine alla Nerano

Updated 04 March 2026
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Ramadan recipes: a taste of southern Italy with Linguine alla Nerano

DUBAI: Chef Francesco Cortorillo, head chef at Dubai’s Scalini, shares a signature interpretation of the iconic southern Italian dish Linguine alla Nerano, celebrating the seasonality of zucchini and the subtle, elegant flavors of Provolone del Monaco DOP.

“Linguine alla Nerano is a dish that captures the elegance of Italian simplicity. When prepared with care, it delivers extraordinary depth from just a handful of ingredients,” he said.

Ingredients (serves 4) 


400g linguine.

700g zucchini.

120g Provolone del Monaco DOP.

40g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated.

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed.

Fresh basil leaves.

Salt, freshly ground black pepper.

Method 

Prepare the zucchini

Wash the zucchini and slice thinly, about 2 to 3 millimeters thick.

Heat a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil in a wide pan and fry the zucchini in batches until golden and lightly crisp.

Remove and drain on paper towels. Season lightly with salt while still warm.

Once cooled, set aside with a few fresh basil leaves.

This resting time is essential, allowing the zucchini to release their aroma into the oil.

Cook the pasta

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil. Cook the linguine until very al dente. Reserve plenty of the pasta cooking water before draining.

Build the sauce

In a large pan, gently warm a small amount of the zucchini frying oil, lightly crushed. Add the fried zucchini and a ladle of pasta water to create a light base. Add the linguine and finish cooking directly in the pan, stirring gently.

Cream the pasta

Remove the pan from the heat. Gradually add the Provolone del Monaco and Parmigiano Reggiano, stirring continuously. Add pasta water slowly until a smooth, creamy sauce forms.

The sauce should coat the pasta without becoming heavy or stringy. Finish with fresh basil and, if desired, a touch of black pepper.