Niche entry: Ahud Cafeteria.

A while back, Mo came home with falafel from Burgerland in one hand and chicken shawarma for me in the other. I promptly ridiculed him, telling him he’d be hungry in an hour if all he was going to eat was beans and grass.

Oh how the times have changed. I’d since then become vegetarian (or pescatarian if you’re into labels) and I’ve noticed that it’s very difficult to find quick and easy takeaway food.

Remembering Mo’s falafel, I decided to begin the Great Falafel Hunt, starting with a couple of restaurants by our house. Unfortunately, they were always too dry, too oily or just plain old boring. Finally, my search ended at a little hidden gem of a place: Ahud Cafeteria in A’ali.

I won’t lie, the rest of their food is average, cafeteria food. My friend asked for a shawarma and got a diced-up chicken hotdog in a sub roll, so that kind of says it all.

But! Their falafel is the best falafel I have ever eaten. Crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, delicately flavored and so perfectly complemented by whatever the hot sauce is that they use. They aren’t heavy on the oil either which makes a huge difference to the flavor.

Super cheap, so you really have nothing to lose by trying it out. I’ve personally raved about them to just about everybody, to the point of forcing them upon friends when they visit the house, forcing them upon colleagues at work…I’m sure you get the picture.

The guys who work there are friendly, speak a little bit of English but better Arabic and will greet you with a smile every time, especially when you keep coming back!

Meal for Two:

Two falafel sandwiches (200 fils each) and nine falafels (300 fils)
=BD 0.700 (SR 6.96)
Opening Hours: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. / 5:30 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Location: Avenue 38, A’ali, Bahrain