New Egyptian Restaurant, Makani, Opens on I-Drive

New to the Orlando restaurant scene is the recently open Egyptian restaurant, Makani, located on International Drive. Whether it’s shawarma, kofta, grilled meats, or hummus and falafel, you can count on Makani for their Egyptian and Middle Eastern specialties.

The name “Makani” means “my place” or “my location” in Arabic – and with this new place it is not hard to see why this is the “place” to try some new Egyptian cuisine.

A great way to start off your meal, especially with a large group, is the Makani Signature Platter which comes with Hummus, Baba Ghanouj, and Salad. My personal favorite was the hummus with their large plate of pita bread.

Or if Hummus isn’t your style, you can try the Falafel!

Starting with the entrees, is the Koshari which is great for vegetarians! It’s macaroni pasta, rice, tomato sauce, chickpeas, lentils, and fried onions served with a garlic vinegar.

The Hawashi was a dish that reminded somewhat of a meat pie. The center was a mixture of ground beef, onion, and parsley served in a pita with French fries. I really enjoyed the simplicity of the hawashi, however, it may sound strange, but the French fries were probably some of the best fries I’ve had. They are perfectly crispy and go great with any of their home made sauces!

Now, you can’t go to Makani without ordering one of their Shawarma Platters (choice of beef or chicken) or the Kofta. My personal favorite was the Kofta, and the portions are plenty big enough for one person.

Makani also offers a rack of lamb (consisting of 4 lamb chops) which was delicious and comes with the French fries or rice.

Now for the highlight of the night, at least for me, the Makani Mix Grill. A large golden grill is brought out filled with smoking chicken, kafta, lamb, and shish. All of the meats had the perfect “char”/sear and were super tender. Even the grilled vegetables were great! And it comes with a family style plate of rice.