If you have never eaten Yemeni food, Kingdom of Sheba is a good place to start. It sits at 188 Bute Street in Butetown, one of Cardiff's five towns and one of the first multicultural communities in Britain, and regulars know it as 'Taste'. The mural on the wall depicts the arrival of the Queen of Sheba, which sets the scene for what is on the plate.
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The menu is built around Mandi, the slow-cooked rice and meat dishes that are the restaurant's calling card. The Lamb Mandi comes in at £12.00, slow-cooked with aromatic rice, salad and pickle, while the Chicken Mandi is £8.00 for spiced chicken with rice and homemade sauce. There is also a Lamb Mandhi at £10.00, served with salad, red pepper sauce and potato pieces. If you would rather fish, the Salmon is grilled over charcoal and served with rice and tahini-yogurt for £11.00, and a whole fresh Seabass, grilled with Yemeni spices and rice, is £13.00. A Yemeni-style tandoor fish, marinated in red and grilled, is also on the menu, along with a green chilli paste made with herbs.
It is not just a lunch and dinner spot, either. Breakfast is a big part of the offering, with Foul, eggs and chopped liver, Yemeni beans and naan, chopped lamb pieces, fried eggs and omelets. To finish, there is a milkcake, a soft sponge soaked in milk and topped with pistachios. To drink, the Adeni tea is the one to try, alongside a masala chai made with cardamom and cloves, plus the usual range of cold fizzy drinks. Portions are generous and prices stay reasonable, with a typical range of £1 to £10 across the menu.
Opening hours are Monday to Saturday, 9am to 8pm, with the kitchen closed on Sundays, so plan around that. Bookings are welcome, it is suitable for children and groups, and dogs are not allowed. On the ratings front, it holds a Google score of 4.7 out of 5 from 103 reviews, and its Food Hygiene Rating is 3 out of 5. For bookings or enquiries, the number is +44 7805 469496, and its Plus Code is 9C3RFR9J+QH.
The location puts it right in the middle of a busy stretch of Bute Street. A few doors down is the Bute Docks Post Office, and within 150 metres you will find the South Wales Islamic Centre and the Butetown Medical Practice. The statue of John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute, stands nearby, along with Callaghan Square and Loudon Square, so it is easy to find. If you are in the mood to browse the neighbourhood, other restaurants like Harafs, Al-Madina and Khyber are all close by, making this part of Butetown a good place to wander for food. Whether you come for the Mandi, the breakfast or the Adeni tea, it is a quiet, unpretentious spot that does exactly what it sets out to do.
