Khulood Malalla
Starting her career in a very different path but one that eventually lead her to launching her restaurant, Khulood initially worked in the aviation industry before setting up her own unique business venture of a Bahrain-based shopping catalogue featuring silver accessories and leather goods – both of which allowed her to travel the world for work, especially to the Asian Continent. Her experiences in different countries and cuisines drew her closer to the Asian Cuisine, but it was Khulood’ s last trip to Kerala and her stay in an actual Houseboat that served as an inspiration for her setting up her own restaurant which carries same name.“ I always thought, if I am going to do something, it has to be truly unique, no matter what business concept I explore, it has to be something different”, she says. In the houseboat, Khulood details, a chef would cook for the guests live while they stayed in the boat for one or two nights, and that experience of having traditional food cooked live struck a chord with Khulood and the first branch of Houseboat was set up in the Amwaaj
Lagoon in 2011. Becoming a favourite of many around the Kingdom, Houseboat’ s second branch was launched in 2014 in Adliya’ s notorious food district, Block338, bringing the exquisite dining experience closer to those living in the city.
Serving four different types of Asian Cuisines, Khulood handpicked the chefs for their native cuisines and worked with them to perfect the recipes – some of which are her own – to produce an eclectic and tantalising menu that complements its welcoming and comfortable design, creating a cosy ambiance. Houseboat’ s extensive and delicious menu boasts a mix of dishes from all the cuisines under each section of the menu, providing a variety for the customers to choose from. From appetisers, salads, meat dishes, vegetarian dishes, and even desserts, Houseboat’ s menu caters to the various tastes on the island with its diverse culinary options.
A favourite amongst the Houseboat customers, the Dynamite Prawns are a delicious way to start the meal. Coated with tempura flour, fried, and covered in dynamite sauce, the Dynamite Prawns are a crunchy burst of flavour in every bite. The newly launched version of the dish has crushed spicy crisps on top, which add an extra crunch and spice to the dish. Another unique prawn appetiser at Houseboat is the Kunafa Prawn that serves the exciting combination of sweet and savoury in one dish. One of Khulood’ s own recipes, the tempura prawns are fried and coated with the traditional Arabic sweet Kunafa, and served with the chef’ s special sauce. Both dishes are amongst the most popular from the Appetiser menu, which also has other delicious Pan-Asian bites such as the steamed dumplings, cheese sticks, Beef Tataki Roll, traditional Japanese Chicken Gyoza, wantons, edamame beans, and much more for customers to begin their Asian dining experience.
Houseboat also has a hearty soup selection that can be enjoyed as part of a meal or on its own as a light dining option. The spicy traditional Thai Tom Yum Soup is ideal for seafood lovers as it can be made with squid and prawn, or mixed seafood.
68 Perle APRIL- MAY 2017