Opening the Rokn Warda menu for the first time? You will find many sections and names that may be new to you, and the natural question is: what should I order at Rokn Warda the first time? This guide is not about Egyptian food in general (that is in First time eating Egyptian food?), nor about building a full meal for a headcount (that is in the guide to a complete Egyptian meal). It is about the Rokn Warda menu itself: what is on it, and what to choose for your mood and who is with you.
We will not tell you «the best dish»; the best is the one that suits your taste. We just want to make choosing easier.
The menu in a minute: 8 sections
Every section of the menu has a short line describing it, and here they are:
| Section | The line on the menu | Go there if… |
|---|---|---|
| Soups | A warm start, the Egyptian way | You want to start with something hot |
| Salads | Fresh, crisp and made for sharing | You want something fresh beside the food |
| Appetizers | Egyptian bites that open the appetite | You are hungry and want something quick, or need rice |
| Casseroles | A home taste that arrives hot | You want home cooking in a sauce |
| House specialties | Dishes for gatherings and occasions | You are hosting, or want a hearty dish |
| Charcoal grills | Charcoal, smoke and Warda marinade | You love the smell of charcoal |
| Desserts | A sweet ending, the Egyptian way | You want to finish properly |
| Drinks | Warda refreshing blends | You want something cold with the food |
Choose by mood
In the mood for charcoal grills
For a first time, grills are a comfortable start. You have kebab (beef pieces marinated with oriental spices), kofta with spices and herbs, tarb (Egyptian kofta wrapped in a layer of fat), lamb chops and chicken shish, all grilled over charcoal. If you cannot choose, mixed grills has kebab, kofta and chicken shish, and special mixed grills is a special selection of grilled meats. We explained the difference between the four cuts in kebab, kofta, tarb and lamb chops: what is the difference?.
In the mood for home cooking
This is the mood many people come for: mixed mahshi (cabbage, grape leaves, peppers, zucchini and eggplant), molokhia casserole with garlic and coriander taqleya, Dawood Basha in tomato sauce with white rice, and waraqet lahma, beef baked with potatoes and vegetables. Beside them, vermicelli rice or white rice.
In the mood for a hot casserole
The casseroles section has many choices: okra and beef, potato and beef, beef and pearl onion in brown sauce (with a full article: beef and pearl onion casserole), moussaka with minced meat, macaroni béchamel, chicken and potato and Egyptian sausage. For trotters lovers there is a trotters casserole and grape leaves with trotters. For all the casseroles read Egyptian casseroles in Al Khobar.
In the mood for a feast dish
This is the house specialties: stuffed pigeon with rice and with freekeh, lamb shank with freekeh, fatteh three ways: with beef, with lamb shank and with trotters, and grape leaves with lamb chops. If you are torn between pigeon, lamb chops and lamb shank, we compared them in the best Egyptian meal for meat lovers.
Hungry and in a hurry
Meat hawawshi or sausage hawawshi (stuffed baladi bread), Alexandrian liver with garlic and hot peppers, or golden fried mombar.
Want to finish with something sweet
Om Ali is served warm, rice pudding is creamy, and there is kunafa with cream and mango kunafa. Torn between the two kunafas? Read mango kunafa or cream kunafa?.
Want a cold drink
The drinks section has three blends of our own:
- Hulk: mango juice with blueberry and avocado, served chilled over ice.
- Pink Flower: the Warda signature drink in refreshing fruity layers.
- Mojito: a refreshing sparkling lime and mint drink over ice.
Choose by who is with you
- Someone eating Egyptian food for the first time? Start with grills, a molokhia casserole and mahshi, and let them taste a bit of everything.
- Someone who does not eat meat? The menu marks some items «vegetarian», such as lentil soup, the salads, the mahshi, the desserts and the drinks.
- Children? Chicken shish or macaroni béchamel, and rice pudding at the end.
- Friends coming to watch a match? A grills tray in the middle for everyone, and the dining room has screens for matches.
- A big family or a gathering? See the events page for groups and companies.
Cannot choose at all? The platter
The Rokn Warda platter is made for exactly this: according to the menu it has mixed grills, stuffed pigeon, chicken shish, sausage, lamb chops, kebab, kofta and tarb with rice. You taste several sections in one tray, and next time you will know what to order.
Small tips for a first order
- Read the dish description: some dishes say they come with rice, so you may not need extra rice.
- Spicy is marked: spicy items carry a «spicy» mark on the menu, such as the Alexandrian liver.
- Sizes: some grills come in more than one size on the menu, so choose for your appetite.
- Leave room for dessert: an Egyptian meal ends with something sweet.
How to order
- In the restaurant: we are in Al Khobar on Al Yarmouk Street, with a family hall, outdoor seating by the fountain and parking. You can book a table, and directions are on the visit page.
- Delivery: from the menu to districts of Al Khobar and Dammam (the available districts show when you order), with order tracking and pay on delivery, or through HungerStation, Keeta and Ninja.
- Hours: from 12 noon to 1 am.
Common questions
First time and no idea at all, where do I start? On your own or as two: mixed grills, or a molokhia casserole with rice. As a group: the platter in the middle with mahshi and salad beside it.
Is there food without meat? Yes, the items marked «vegetarian» on the menu, such as lentil soup, the salads, mixed mahshi and stuffed grape leaves.
What is in Hulk and Pink Flower? Hulk is mango juice with blueberry and avocado, and Pink Flower is the Warda drink in refreshing fruity layers, as the menu says.
Is the meat fresh? Yes, our meat arrives fresh, never frozen, and the grills are over charcoal.
Let us begin
Pick your mood, look at who is with you, and open the menu. If you are still unsure, put the platter in the middle and let everyone taste. We look forward to seeing you in Al Khobar.
