Babylonian Iraqi restaurant at Maya

[JulieM]

I tried their 300 baht buffet today and it was largely a positive experience. A few comments:

1. The plates provided are very small, and when a buffet offers salad (this one does) I like to start off a meal with alarge one. Next time I will simply load up two of the smaller plates with salad before I start eating. The yogurt dressing was very good, even exceptional. They offer a lot of dressings. I tried a cucumber & tomato salad and it was fine. Not quite as good as Lebanese-type salads, but good. The couscous was good as well.

2. There are a lot of things to sample. I tried chicken cooked in a yogurt sauce, a smallish piece of fish, and lamb. It was all perfectly fine. I also had some vegetarian samosas.

3. A real highlight was some very thin "cracker" type things. Thinner than a taco shell. I forget what they were called but they were delicious.

4. "Vegetables cooked Iraqi style" were very nice, as well as a potato dish I forget the name of.

Some things I expected to find were missing, such as barbecued meats, hummus and flat(?) breads, but I am not familiar with Iraqi cuisine so I wasn't sure what to expect.

The atmosphere was a bit dour as there were few customers, even on a Saturday at lunch time. If you are in the neighborhood of Maya I hope you can try it out.

[kalbo123]

Great I like some new flavors in town, when did they open?

Will check it out asap!

Thanks for the recommendation.

[JulieM]

I am not sure when they opened. I first saw the place maybe 2-3 weeks ago. It's on the fourth floor but rather far away from the restaurants I usually frequent.

When you are helping yourself to the buffet, don't let the guy standing behind the buffet bother you. He seems to be stalking people as they help themselves, but actually he is just doing his job and making sure the utensil you use gets put back properly.

I tried this buffet "USA style" in that I got a new plate each time I went back to the buffet. Staff were attentive and quickly removed my used plate.

As I mentioned, the atmosphere is dour if there are no people there, so take a friend or even better a big group of friends.

You can order off a menu if you want to. I had a look and the pricing structure favors the buffet.

Edited December 6, 2014 by JulieM

[johnnyfd]

I really enjoyed it. Had the 300 baht buffet and it reminded me of indian buffets in the US, with curry but also some really nice soups, salads, and the yogurt chicken was fantastic. I'd love to go back.

[jobin]

Hmm. 3OO baht for gloomy? The food had better be cheerful.

[NancyL]

Went yesterday for lunch and really enjoyed the buffet. Many interesting dishes not found on the standard buffets here -- you know, the Grandview buffet-type of places. This mall has really needed a good alternative dining location. Finally someplace with interesting food when we want to enjoy a meal and movie.

I was surprised with the lack of hummus and flat breads, but these can be ordered from the menu. The menu is large with many choices not on the buffet. Ordering off the menu would be a good option if you want a small meal and not a big buffet pig-out.

I didn't find anything wrong with the atmosphere. The place is clean and well-lighted. If you're alone or just with another person you could sit and watch the mall traffic. The problem is that this mall still doesn't have a lot of foot traffic, even on a weekend.

[JulieM]

I walked by tonight and saw that in addition to the 300 baht buffet they now offer two set menus. BBQ Chicken for 140 baht and lamb/cheese for 170 baht. Comes with some rice and fries and some sort of drink I could not identity. I hope to check it out soon.

[mortrubl]

I had the 300 Baht lunch last week. While everything was tasty it was all lukewarm at best. Just wasn't satisfying.

[NancyL]

They have a very extensive menu, you know. It seems it would be fun to go with a group of at least 6 people and order a number of items from the menu and have your own made-to-order buffet. That way, you'd get naan and hummus and all your favs.

Their chicken dishes on the buffet are very good. The chicken is nicely grilled, very tender and the sauces very tasty and complex. I'd like to enjoy these dishes freshly prepared.

[bangmai]

Is it Shiite?

[NancyL]

Didn't see any women dressed like that. Just Thai people and foreigners dressed more conventionally. Food choices geographically and ethnically far-ranging from Greece on thru India.

Edited December 13, 2014 by NancyL

[dave2]

re

I walked by tonight and saw that in addition to the 300 baht buffet they now offer two set menus. BBQ Chicken for 140 baht and lamb/cheese for 170 baht. Comes with some rice and fries and some sort of drink

hes right

dave2

[Frank James]

Had some very good Middle Eastern food at The Olive Tree on Moon Muang near Thapae Gate last week. Good M.E. food, well prepared. Flat bread, felafel, hummus and tahini, all the favorites. I was the only evening customer. I recommend it.

[Asiantravel]

Went yesterday for lunch and really enjoyed the buffet. Many interesting dishes not found on the standard buffets here -- you know, the Grandview buffet-type of places. This mall has really needed a good alternative dining location. Finally someplace with interesting food when we want to enjoy a meal and movie.

I was surprised with the lack of hummus and flat breads, but these can be ordered from the menu. The menu is large with many choices not on the buffet. Ordering off the menu would be a good option if you want a small meal and not a big buffet pig-out.

I didn't find anything wrong with the atmosphere. The place is clean and well-lighted. If you're alone or just with another person you could sit and watch the mall traffic. The problem is that this mall still doesn't have a lot of foot traffic, even on a weekend.

" The problem is that this mall still doesn't have a lot of foot traffic, even on a weekend."

.... and I would say that is a rather significant deficiency in an investment of that magnitude?

Edited December 14, 2014 by Asiantravel

[JulieM]

I spend a fair amount of time in Maya. It's become my new base for grocery shopping, going to the cinema, and I usually eat there about once or twice a week. It seems busy to me. But, the Iraqi restaurant is off in a quiet corner.

Dukes has a great location right next to Fuji and other busy restaurants.

[Oscar2]

MAYA has grown on me. i didn't like it at first. but the cinema there is great. i've been to the cinema about 12 times now and rarely is there ever more than about 5-10 people in the cinema at any given time (which has to be terrible for profits) but great for the viewer.

i don't care for any if the shops there and the food court is not very good (got terrible food poisoning there and had to go to the doctor it was so bad), but it's a good place to see a film. also the rooftop area is nice for a view of the city.

thanks for the heads up on the Middle East place. i really like M.E. food. i'll give it a try.

[JulieM]

I also like to avoid the Maya cinemas on weekends. They are quite crowded in the evenings. Popcorn and soda prices have sadly caught up with the West. They are now more expensive than the movie ticket. I can remember the day when the soda and popcorn were almost free at KSG, or so it seemed.

[Oscar2]

I also like to avoid the Maya cinemas on weekends. They are quite crowded in the evenings. Popcorn and soda prices have sadly caught up with the West. They are now more expensive than the movie ticket. I can remember the day when the soda and popcorn were almost free at KSG, or so it seemed.

prices have surpassed the West. 100 Bath for small popcorn - and lots of Thais buying the stuff. prices for the films are reasonable if you go in the mornings, Wednesdays, and have a discount card.

[elektrified]

I went for lunch the other day with a friend. I had the set chicken kabab menu and my friend had the buffet. First thing I noticed was how spotlessly clean the restaurant was. Been a long time since I have seen cutlery and drinking glasses that perfectly clean! Food was very, very good. Presentation was very nice. It was my friend's 5th or 6th visit. He said his only complaint was that some dishes are cold; as others have pointed out.

I'm looking forward to going again next week. Will try the buffet this time. Nice to have an option like this in C.M. which is one of the few things I like when I'm in Bangkok. I wish the owners the best of luck. I think they will need it. The rent has to be a fortune there. The day I was there there were only 2 other tables occupied at 13:00. My friend said on his other visits there were usually about 4 tables occupied; mostly Thais.

If you like Middle Eastern food, give it a try. IMO one of the best/unusual dining options to come to C.M. I hope they make it.

[Trujillo]

I walked in there right after it opened -- I think the buffet was 250 baht then (could be mistaken) -- and it seemed that about 80 percent of the food was Indian.

I did see a few dishes that were clearly not Indian, but I'd be interested in what others think.

I didn't eat there, so I have nothing to comment on that. But I did think, "Uh, they must be from the Babylonian part of India..."

[elektrified]

I walked in there right after it opened -- I think the buffet was 250 baht then (could be mistaken) -- and it seemed that about 80 percent of the food was Indian.

I did see a few dishes that were clearly not Indian, but I'd be interested in what others think.

I didn't eat there, so I have nothing to comment on that. But I did think, "Uh, they must be from the Babylonian part of India..."

No Indian food on offer the day I was there. 100% Iraqi. Rice was very unique. Everything very clean, well-prepared, and high-quality.