Petra

When pitted against other Arabic restaurants in Itaewon, Petra has consistently come up on top. Jordanian owner Yaser Ghanayem stresses that Petra's dishes hail from Levant, near the East Mediterranean on the Arabian Peninsula. The falafel, hummus and smf tabouli all get the thumbs up here when it comes to authenticity. The tabouli salad, consisting of parsley, tomato, onion, couscous, lemon juice, olive oil, and the eight-piece falafel are the restaurant’s best sellers. However, our personal favorite is the lamb rib. The halal lamb steak is a perfect combination of gaminess and charcoal, and the meat is tender to the bite. It has even the harshest of critics, young children, fawning over its taste. Petra's integrity lies in the ingredients that it uses. The halal meat here is imported from Australia, while the basmati rice and other ingredients are sent to Yaser every two months by his father who resides in Jordan. It’s no wonder His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed, while on his visit to Korea, ordered from Petra for three consecutive days.