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Traditional Omani food is a marriage of rustic Bedouin dishes of rice, meat, and preserved fish, plus the plentiful, sweet dates that grow abundantly in the country, all infused with the diverse flavors of the spice route. The East African island of Zanzibar, as well as port cities in Persia and South Asia were once part of the Sultanate, and local versions of foods like biryani, pulao, and coconut-enriched vegetables have become part of the Omani canon of dishes. Great examples of local cuisine can be sampled at restaurants in Muscat, along with a wide offering of international options, from sushi to American fast food. In the capital and other coastal cities, like Sohar, Sur, and Salalah, fantastic fresh fish, prawns, crab, and giant squid called cuttlefish, are on offer even at humble restaurants. Options in the mountains and deserts of the interior are more limited, though simple sandwich shops, restaurants serving Yemeni-style mandi (a dish of rice and tandoori-cooked meat), tea shops offering Omani bread with various fillings, and casual Indian restaurants can be found almost everywhere.
The small size of this relaxed North Indian eatery—it has only has a dozen tables—only partially accounts for it being perpetually jam-packed. Friendly service helps, but the overwhelming draw is the excellent Mughlai cuisine. Dozens of dishes—with plenty of vegetarian choices—beguile even the most persnickety palate: specialties like chicken or fish kebab biryani, chicken curry, and paneer tikka masala are plentiful, spiced to perfection, and habit forming.
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