Iftar at Centro Sharjah by Rotana

Last Updated on July 10, 2015 by hungryoungwoman

Rotana, a name is that is not uncommon to anyone living in the United Arab Emirates, manages around 100 properties in over 26 cities, also with sub brands like the Centro Hotels by Rotana. If I’m looking to feature Iftars this Ramadan, I can’t surely miss one by this popular hotel! I was lucky enough to receive an invite for Iftar one evening with my parents. Centro Sharjah is located near the Sharjah International Airport and offers a convenient location for passengers in transit. It also boasts a deli and a restaurant that provides an exquisite buffet during Ramadan.

What I noticed when I arrived was the beautifully arranged buffet…and the crowd around it. When I inquired about the large number of people, which was obviously a huge group from a work place, I was informed that there was an office Iftar being hosted too that evening. Gladly, Centro Sharjah had organized two areas serving the same starters and mains, which led me into going to the other place that was surprisingly empty. The starters constituted of various types of salads, of which Fattoush was my favorite. The salad was freshly made with greens, topped with fried pieces of pita bread that was crunchy. There were also fried items like kibbeh, pakoras and samosas. From the wide array of drinks, we opted for Jallab for the three of us.

The mains consisted of Seafood Fettuccini, Tawa Chicken Masala, Chicken Biryani, Fish with Tahina Sauce, Aloo Gobi Masala, Chicken Kadhai and Ouzi. Judging from the food, the cuisine was a mixture between Arabic and Indian which provided different options to all types of guests.

My favorites from the main course were the Fish with Tahina Sauce, chicken biryani and the tawa chicken masala. These stood out of the mains that were provided to us. What I didn’t like was the Ouzi. By the time I had gotten to the area, it was mostly over. Also the meat didn’t taste quite good.

From the live grill, I loved the kebabs and tikkas. These were served with garlic sauce that made them all the more appetizing.

I loved the dessert section. Hear me out, I LOVED it. There were so many different options, easily 10-15 of them. My favorites were the mango mousse, Umm Ali, chocolate cake and kunafa. The mango mousse was soft and easy to cut through, placed on top was a piece of mango jelly.

The Umm Ali and kunafa were not too sweet, which was a comfort as I could indulge in more of these without feeling guilty.

Lastly, the chocolate cake was the star of the entire buffet! It was presented in thick layers of cake and rich dark chocolate, that provided a bittersweet taste. I couldn’t help myself and had two whole pieces of this! 😀

Coming to the service of Centro Sharjah by Rotana, we were very well taken care of. We were asked for our feedback during the course of our meal and were also assisted by a kind server who was ready to take any orders that we might have had.