In the Little Arabia neighborhood of Anaheim, Middle Eastern restaurants are plentiful. Opened during the pandemic, House of Mandi serves traditional Yemeni cuisine. Mandi is a preparation in which chicken or lamb is cooked in a pit dug in the earth. While the restaurant roasts the meats in an oven using coriander, cumin, and other red spices, Los Angeles Times restaurant critic Bill Addison says the skin is crisp, and the meats are juicy and melty. He recommends bringing friends and ordering the No. 7, which comes with variations of lamb, and chicken served on a bed of saffron rice with spiced yogurt and zhoug — a spicy condiment. He also suggests the fahsa, a lamb stew served in a clay pot. The restaurant opens at 11:30 a.m. and serves distinct breakfast dishes like shakshuka, lamb liver, and a creamy version of foul.
Heading to Anaheim with Bill Addison for Yemeni cuisine
Mandi is a technique used in Yemen that is typically prepared with chicken or lamb in an earthen pit. Bill Addison recommends bringing friends and ordering a platter at the House of Mandi in Anaheim. Photos courtesy of House of Mandi.