Best Indian and Pakistani Restaurants in Dubai

Cheap and Delicious Food and Specialities Fom the Subcontinent

Jul 6, 2009

Dubai's eating scene can be resolutely flashy and over-hyped, but the antithesis to this can be found in some of the city's sublime yet unpretentious Indian restaurants.

It's easy to get the wrong idea about Dubai. To many, it’s just a sun-baked place teeming with flashy international hotels and fantastical architectural projects that compensates for its lack of soul with an over-reliance on bling. Although there is a seedling of truth in this perception, it's disingenous to paint the place with such broad brush strokes. For all its faults – and there are many – Dubai’s status as one of the world’s busiest crossroads has imbued it with a uniquely multi-cultural atmosphere. That means some amazing restaurants from the Indian subcontinent have slipped under the radar while the world focuses on the latest venture from potty-mouthed celebrity chefs. Here are four of the best.

Spicy South Indian Flavours From Kerala, Goa, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka

Dubai’s massive south Indian population are spoilt for choice when it comes to fabulous eating destinations, but this gem regularly packs them in courtesy of its uniformly flawless food. The mind-bogglingly extensive menu takes in dishes from Kerala, Goa, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, but this broadness of scope does nothing to diminish the stringency of the quality control. Highlights include a tangy meen mango curry from Kerala and a rich chicken xacutti from Goa. Westerners beware – the chilli factor here is potent! Dish average price: 38dhs.

Kaharis and Tandoori Specialities From Pakistan at Budget Prices

Mention Ravis to a Dubai expat and expect a response that verges on the dewy-eyed. There are various branches across the city, but the one in Satwa (near the roundabout) is generally regarded as the epicentre of Pakistani deliciousness. The food here could come under the category of being cheap and cheerful if it wasn’t so damn good. Tandoori chicken is a work of smoky art while the range of kaharis (the name for the wok-type Pakistani utensil dishes are cooked in) take the breath away. Dish average price: 18dhs.

Mumbai Snack Food and South Indian Specialities Such as Dosas and Uttapams

While the vista of some insalubrious concrete tower blocks are a far cry from the buzzing curve of Mumbai seafront it was named after, the food at this cracking snack shop is a far more successful recreation of India. Classic dishes such as bhelpuri (puffed rice with potatoes and tamarind sauce) are rendered magnificently, as are southern favourites such as dosas (lentil flour pancakes) and uttapams (thick rice pancakes). Wash it down with a thick sweet lassi from the adjacent drinks emporium. Dish average price: 7dhs.

Fine Mughal Cuisine From North India and Pakistan

The best thing about Dubai’s least appealing five-star hotel, Aangan has really hit its stride in recent times. Although there’s a few sops to those who prefer southern Indian cuisine – a Goan fish curry for example – the emphasis here is on rich Mughal fare from the north of the country. Biryanis are fragrant and light as a feather while a spiced leg of lamb is another showstopper. Best of all, however, is the dal makhani which is as creamily indulgent as dunking yourself in a bathful of warm milk chocolate.

The copyright of the article Best Indian and Pakistani Restaurants in Dubai in United Arab Emirates Travel is owned by Duncan Forgan. Permission to republish Best Indian and Pakistani Restaurants in Dubai in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.