Thursday, July 19: This evening I go to Ubhar, an Omani restaurant at Bareeq al Shatti, to try their famous frankincense ice cream. Ubhar is named after the famous lost city of Ubhar in Oman’s Empty Quarter. The setting in Ubhar is a fusion between contemporary and old Omani styles. The walls have small niches with clay pots and incense burners from Bahla and the glass walls have traditional Omani fittings, while the chairs are covered in vibrant pink fabric.
the lovely Ubhar restaurant
the fancy menu for Ubhar
I’ve been wanting to try this for a long time but was waiting until I had someone who wanted to go with me. Since I never find anyone, I go by myself. I feel a little uncomfortable at first as Ubhar has a mostly Omani clientele and is quite upscale, and I usually feel awkward going to a nice restaurant like this alone. Especially at dinner time. However, as I do in my many travels alone, I force myself to do it, otherwise I would miss out on some great culinary experiences and adventures! Thus, in this case, I am stepping out of my comfort zone, meeting the No Comfort Zone challenge!
My table is in the left corner by the window
I needn’t feel uncomfortable because I am the first patron in the restaurant when the doors open at 6:30 and the waiters make me feel really welcome. They give me my choice of seats and I pick a nice spot by the window. I tell them I don’t want to eat a big meal, just a snack, and then I want to sample the frankincense ice cream. I tell them I write a blog and will want to take pictures. They are gracious and accommodating. So, after all, I don’t feel at all uncomfortable. Just the opposite. I feel right at home.
ubhar with omani clientele
I order the Green Papaya Salad with dry shrimp and fresh coriander leaves and roasted peanuts in Thai Fish Sauce. This is because I am on a diet, which I began on June 26 and on which I have lost 5 pounds so far! 
This salad is so spicy that I start choking and have to ask the water for a big bottle of water!! But it’s tasty nonetheless.
Green Papaya Salad
And then of course, the reason I came here in the first place: the frankincense ice cream. The waiters tell me it is simply vanilla ice cream with frankincense powder sprinkled on top. It’s strange. I’m expecting it to task perfume-like, similar to rosewater, but it doesn’t really. As a matter of fact, it tastes simply like vanilla ice cream with an insoluble sugar sprinkled on top. A little gritty.
Frankincense ice cream ~ exclusively at Ubhar
When I went to Salalah in January with my sons, we stopped at a frankincense farm. Here’s a picture of a frankincense tree. From Oman Off-Road: Frankincense is the hardened aromatic resin of the Boswellia tree, and is burned for its medicinal, aromatic and insect-repelling qualities. The resin is produced by careful shaving of the bark of the tree. A good tree may produce 10 kg of frankincense in a season, which runs from April to the beginning of the monsoon. The trees grow wild and are located where the southern mountains of Oman meet the desert plateau.
the origin of frankincense
Related articles:
Omani Cuisine: Ubhar
Andy in Oman: Frankincense Icecream!
Dhofari Gucci: Frankincense Ice Cream
more empty quarter…and onward to the land of frankincense, fruit stands & camels
It sounds like the ice cream was disappointing, but thank you for describing what frankincense is. I do love Green Papaya Salad which we can’t find here. Have a good weekend.
Yes, it was disappointing. I still don’t consider that I’ve tasted real frankincense ice cream!
Hi There–just wanted to tell you they are not “exclusive” at all. I have been making real frankincense ice cream in Salalah for well over a year. It’s nothing like this dessert at Ubar. It’s made with frankincense extracted at my own distillery, in Salalah. You won’t find it in Muscat yet because we sell it as fast as we can make it, especially in Khareef. It is available right now at Ittina Café in Salalah.
Please let me know when you are visiting Dhofar next and I will give you some lovely ice cream to try
Trygve Sahar
Hello Trygve! Thank you for telling me about your TRUE frankincense ice cream in Salalah. I will have to try it out when I visit there again. Too bad you don’t sell it throughout Oman so all of us up north can try it!
The reason I said that Ubhar’s frankincense ice cream was “exclusive” was because that’s what they claim on their menu! You might want to set them straight!!
Especially since it’s not the real thing!
Oh, how disappointing, Cathy, I was expecting the frankincense to be incorporated into the ice cream rather than sprinkled on top – it looks like the lady in Salalah does that; perhaps she uses a distillation or extraction of frankincense to flavour her ice cream and maybe her ice cream tastes perfumed. I can’t imagine that frankincense would release much of its flavour if it was just crumbled on top of something. Surely it would require some kind of processing. I feel cheated (on your behalf!). Hey, congrats on losing 5 lbs, and stepping outside your comfort zone. xxx
I feel cheated when restaurant specialties don’t stand up to all the hype. The best fusion ice cream I have tasted was the Wasabi Ice cram at a Jap restaurant in town!
But well done, keep it up!
Envying you the weight loss
Yes, I know what you mean Madhu! This was a real disappointment, but I’ve heard there’s a lady in Salalah who makes the real thing. Hopefully I’ll get down there again in the next year and try it… I’m still working to lose weight. Want to feel good and look decent in a bathing suit when I go to Greece!
The food all looks delicious, and the restaurant is beautifully decorated. I’m glad you went so we could see it.
I once stepped out of my comfort zone and ordered garlic ice cream at the Stinking Rose in San Francisco. It was interesting and not as bad as I thought it might be, but it was also a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Thanks Robin! Ubhar is beautifully decorated; it has lovely ambiance.
I love this from your comment: “garlic ice cream” and “The Stinking Rose.” They seem a perfect pair!!
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