A Yemeni restaurant in a hard-to-find strip mall in Falls Church doesn’t sound like the recipe for a runaway success. Or does it? On a recent Saturday night, every table inside Balqees, named for the Queen of Sheba, was full. But even more notably, so were the outdoor seats. Word has gotten around about the fire pits, surrounded by heaters. Special reservations are now required for the desirable seating, where young, chicly dressed guests camp out with hot food and soothing hookah. But even in the adjacent, unheated tent, the only tables left that evening, I began to understand why Balqees is an unexpected hot spot.
Ayman Awadallah and his wife, Reema, opened Balqees in July. “It was very risky,” recalls their son Mac of opening a business amid the pandemic. The family already owned Elite Auto Group, and Ayman met the restaurant space’s former owner there. When he decided to buy the business, “We all tried to convince my dad not to do it,” says Mac. “But he was just very confident that this was going to work. It was tough to get our name out but we did it just off of will and God’s faith.”
Even on that busy Saturday night, salad that’s included with every meal came out quickly, a tangy tangle of lettuce with chopped tomato and cucumber. It’s served with a tomato and parsley-based slurry that could easily stand in for mild salsa at a Mexican restaurant. Appetizer highlights include an ultra-creamy hummus dusted in sumac with a moat of fresh-tasting olive oil. It’s paired with a flatbread not unlike a lightly crisp version of Indian naan. A different flatbread, spongy lahoh, is the centerpiece of another starter, shafout. The lahoh, similar to Ethiopian injera, is suffused with powerfully acidic yogurt sauce that’s just as spicy as it is cooling. The cubes of tomato and cucumber that cover the salad also crown the shafout, adding a pleasant crunch to the soaked bread.
Entrees are a well-curated selection of Yemeni classics, mostly rice dishes. Perhaps because it’s a departure, the standout is the bubbling pot of stew known as fahsa. The tomato-based, parsley dotted mixture usually centers around lamb, but at Balqees, it’s an iron bowl (like the ones in which you’ll be served dolsot bibimbop at a Korean restaurant) filled with lush strands of scorching beef. On a cold day, it’s optimal comfort food, ready to be dipped with a piece of the extra-large flatbread that comes with it.
Craving lamb instead? It’s hard to stop eating the haneeth, a dish of spice-crusted, slow-roasted lamb. The prices at Balqees might give diners pause. For example, the haneeth is $19.95. But the portion makes it almost impossible for one person to finish. The hill of rice on which the bone-in meat reposes, decorated with crispy fried onions, might call out for another bite, but it reheats admirably and can easily make a hearty second meal.
This is harder to accomplish with the chicken dishes. Both of which I tried were on the dry side and, while large enough to merit them, might not fare well as leftovers. The mandi, though visually pleasing, is similar to haneeth, but with less flavor. If ordering chicken, the cinnamon-scented rice of the kabsah is a better choice. Even more ideal? Get the lamb kabsah instead and enjoy the best of both worlds.
But the paramount reason to visit is neither on the menu nor made by chef Rokaya Altimeemy. It’s the cake that servers offer when asked what’s for dessert. Mac Awadallah’s wife, Durrana Wardak, prepares cakes that might remind diners of tres leches with its side of flavored, condensed milk ready to be poured over the light, crumbly sponge. Current flavors include saffron, pistachio and Fruity Pebbles. The saffron sings the sweetest, with its floral aroma that never lets you forget that it’s made from crocus stamens. It’s crowned with whipped cream and dried rose petals, which add not only an extra flower to the proceedings, but a pleasing crunch. Don’t sleep on the nutty pistachio, either. Just go all out and order both.
This should all add up to something approaching a rave. But excessively relaxed service can make the experience at Balqees less than ideal. On that busy Saturday night, I chalked it up to difficult circumstances when it took more than half an hour to get my check. I eventually went inside and just told the woman at the cash register what I’d ordered. But on a quiet Tuesday when my party was one of only two left in the restaurant, I had a similar experience. My table was also left filled with empty plates when dessert arrived.
But that didn’t do much to dull my enjoyment of NoVA’s hidden hot spot. I’ll make it a point to dine on weekdays to avoid the rush, but whether it’s lamb or cake that I’m craving, I’ll be there with my mouth watering. // 5820 J Seminary Rd., Falls Church
See this: Outside is where it’s at, so reserve a toasty fire pit. Inside is cozy (and warmer), with ornate lace tablecloths.
Eat this: Hummus, fahsa, saffron cake
Pro tip: The menu and what’s available aren’t an exact match. Look at what diners around you are having. If you want something you see, just ask for it! I recommend the off-menu lemon-lime mintade.
Rating: ★★★
★ Fair ★★ Good ★★★ Great ★★★★ Excellent ★★★★★ Superior
