The Ramadan breakfast is amazing
By Eileen Ogintz
AMMAN, Jordan — Where do I start? Pumpkin or Lentil soup? Sushi, gravlax, or shrimp cocktail? A choice of pasta dishes, Indian curry, or Chinese stir-fry? All kinds of salads.
No, we aren’t at a big cruise ship buffet.
We’re at the Four Seasons Amman, Jordan, joining scores of local families for Iftar, the name of the meal eaten by sunset to break their all-day (from sunrise) fast during the month-long Ramadan. We will be here a few days, with excursions to Petra and other sites with expert guides from Abercrombie & Kent.
Here, like at other luxury hotels in Jordan, Iftar has become a fun way for locals to break their fast during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar observed by Muslims around the world by fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. It is the month in which the Quran is believed to have been revealed to the prophet Muhammad.
“This is a trend,” says Yasmin Natheer Sati, the Four Season’s marketing director here, she gestures at the transformed ballroom with its decorations — even “flying carpets,’ lights and band. “This is full every single day. People want it lavish and it’s about variety.”
Khaldour AL Momeni, the banquet chef, oversees the staff and as many as 500 guests per night — families with kids, groups of friends, those celebrating birthdays. There are 30 different hot dishes and 20 cold, followed by an amazing array of sweets.
As we are in Jordan, we bypass the pizza and pasta for the local dishes like Mensaf, a popular lamb dish with rice and yogurt sauce, Shish taouk, a traditional marinated chicken shish kebab, Musakhan, roast chicken baked with onions, sumac, saffron and other spices, vine leaves, beet root hummus, Muhammara, a roasted red pepper dip with walnuts and pomegranate, Mutabal, an eggplant dip, all kinds of roasted vegetables, Taboun bread (which is a Turkish pita bread) with cheese, chicken livers with molasses…the list goes on and on as we wind our way through the huge buffet table.
Pro tip: If you not fasting for Ramadan, don’t overfill your plates like locals do. You’ll never eat it all.
We can’t forget falafel, the deep-fried ball made from ground chickpeas and mixed with herbs and spices, or the chicken Shawarma cooked on a rotisserie and then cut into thin slices and served in a pocket of thin dough that is grilled.
Yum! There is Shaneeneh, a Jordanian yogurt drink, apricot, and tamarind juice on each table. Tamarind juice is sour; the apricot juice is sweet and the yogurt drink refreshing,
The cost is a reasonable $52 Jordanian Dinar (about $73 US), half for kids 6-12 and free for those five and under—aff0rdable for such a bountiful and special feast.
The kids and grownups alike can’t help eying all the sweets from tiramisu to Kunafa, which Chef Al Momani described as “an upside-down cheesecake with a crunchy or soft top.” It’s his favorite desert, he said, adding that it is a special occasion desert. There are all varieties of mini pastries, a pudding made with pistachios and condensed milk, fresh fruits, a traditional coconut cake and much, much more.
“Iftar is about gathering people together after a long day of fasting,” Chef Al Momani explained. “It’s about being together with family.”
And it’s also a terrific introduction to a new culture. Earlier, the Four Seasons had arranged for us to see a bit of Amman—with nearly 5 million people, a third of the country lives here. Though it is safe, and people are very friendly, we learn tourism has been down considerably because of the war in Gaza some 200 miles away.
We visited the famous Amman Citadel, the archeological siter at the center of downtown that is one of the famous seven hills that originally made-up Amman. There is the Temple of Hercules (all that is left of his huge statue is an elbow and hand.) This was built by the Romans, and we can see two huge 30-feet high pillars that date to thousands of years ago, even parts of mosaics and the cistern used to transport water to the palace and the ruins of a 6th century church.
Pro Tip2: Don’t succumb to sales pressure when out and about.
Though our aimable Four Seasons driver Mahoud Nasraalh warned us about aggressive guides, I couldn’t resist their sad tale of desperately they need business. The same was true when we visited the King Abdullah Mosque, built in the 1980s and capped by a blue mosaic under which thousands of Muslims pray. The sales associate in the shop put on a hard sell for the pricey mosaics, handmade by local women. We settled on some mosaic magnets – easy enough to carry and allowing me to leave without feeling too guilty.
Our last stop before returning to the hotel was at PH, Philadelphia Industry and Trading Company, where we bought spices (including for Falafel) and tea including one called “Happy Tea.”
“Everyone leaves here happy,” Nasraalh said. We certainly did. And grateful the Four Seasons has made our introduction to Amman so easy and pleasant.
Pro Tip 3: Indulge in a spa treatment. You will feel so much better after such long-haul flights. While my husband got a massage at The Four Seasons Spa, I was treated to a signature treatment that included a Dead Sea salt scrub, after which I was rubbed in mud. Following a shower, I got a massage and mini facial. Honestly, one of the best spa experiences I’ve had.
I’m ready now for all of the adventures Jordan has to offer.