Do you know where to find these hole-in-the-wall gems in Dubai?

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Do you know where to find these hole-in-the-wall gems in Dubai?
Wide Range Restaurant

From one colossal foodie to every other foodie in this city, this is a (way too concise) list of five of our favourite places to eat out.

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Published: Fri 11 Mar 2016, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Fri 18 Mar 2016, 10:02 AM

First off, I have to admit that this list is a bit - okay, very - subjective, not to mention restricted. But what I can promise you is that these places all have something wonderful to chow down on and do not disappoint in the least. Whether you're looking for a great teatime snack that's not deep fried samosas or pakoras that are more batter than onion, or a delightful mix of homely dishes shared between close friends or family, these are the places you want to hit - and definitely not miss! The best part? They're moreish without burning a hole in your wallet.
Teatime Snacks
Wide Range Restaurant is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think tea and snacks. I mean, you can get a cup of karak pretty much everywhere you turn in Karama, so what's special about this particular place? In fact, it's not even the restaurant I'm talking about, it's the little hole in the wall of the restaurant that springs to life around tea time. What's everyone after? The snacks - and the tea, of course, which is made the way they do it at the tea shacks and mobile carts on the roads of pretty much anywhere in Kerala.
Now tea from the south of India is very different from that in the north. It's rolled a bit different, so it's not as granular and retains a smoky, richer aroma and colour than the more delicate teas of places like Darjeeling. These are real black teas - not red and mellow. So how do they make naadan chaya? Simple: the tea and milk are boiled separately and then aerated by mixing them in a glass at a height - what some enterprising chap decided to call 'pulled tea'. Think of it as the original chai latte, without the hipster following.
But enough about the tea and onto the snacks! These guys do some particularly rare delicacies that you won't come across so easily in Karama. Well, you might, but they don't taste nearly as good. There are plenty of deep fried temptations in the window, but the steamed stuff is actually where it's at. There are plantains stuffed with coconut and jaggery, spiced with a hint of cardamom and steamed, called . Don't worry if you can't pronounce that, you'll know it when you see it! There's also , which is actually Ela Ada, because it's in a banana leaf ( is Malayalam for leaf). A rice flour dough forms the cocoon for a moreish mix of coconut - yes, coconut is pretty big, in case you haven't already noticed - jaggery, cardamom and poha (flattened unhusked red rice). It's not just tasty, it's healthy too, unless you're gluten intolerant or something sad like that. But most of all, it goes perfectly with a cup of .
Ethiopian Feasts

There aren't very many Ethiopian places in Dubai - trust me, we've looked - but there are two less than 500m from each other in what we like to call the golden mile of Karama. Well, it's less than a kilometre, but mile sounds better. Of those two, we would recommend Zagol. It's a family run operation, like many of the places on this list and is delightfully decorated with goat hides and low stools centred around small traditional Ethiopian mesobs (wicker baskets) that form communal tables on which the food is, usually, served in communal platters. There are all sorts of trinkets hanging on the walls to occupy you while the food arrives. So, what does the novice order at an Ethiopian restaurant? And how do you even begin to decipher what's on the menu? This is where you have to be bold, dear foodie.
Try the Zagol special, which features a generous spoonful of everything the restaurant makes all served on top of injera bread that basically forms the plate. What is injera? If you like sourdough bread, you're in for a treat. Made from teff, a small grain that grows in Ethiopia, this flat, spongy dosa-like bread is not glutinous or rubbery. It's actually perfect for tearing off and scooping up any of the curries on the big platter - usually enough for two hungry people. Accompanying the injera are several meat and vegetable stews, called Wots or Doro Wots, cooked in traditional Ethiopian spices called Berbere, which is their 'curry powder'. There's plenty of clarified butter, ginger, garlic and other aromatics, but the flavours, when mixed with the berbere, is something you have to taste to appreciate. The sourness of the injera really enhances some of those flavours, particularly of the Ethiopian version of cottage cheese that's heaped on to the middle, so if you don't like sour stuff, this isn't for you.
The curries and stews, however, you must try. Fasiola, which is carrots, beans and onions sautéed together; beet salad; Mesir Wot, which is a lentil curry in berbere spices are just a few of several vegetarian dishes. So, not only is Zagol wallet-friendly (the special costs Dh35!), but it's very healthy. Injera is gluten-free, most of the food is lactose-free and, if you so desire, you can skip the meats and enjoy an entirely vegan meal! And definitely don't leave without trying some Ethiopian coffee, served in small beautiful traditional Ethiopian coffee cups.
Selamat Indo!

I love Mi Goreng (Goreng means fried in Indonesian, so you now know what Mi and Nasi is as well) and Nasi Goreng. But one of my absolute favourite dishes of all time is Beef Rendang, and the best place to get it is at Betawi Café, on the aforementioned golden mile of Karama. In fact, it's just a hop, skip and a jump away from Zagol. So if you feel like doing a bit of a foodie marathon, you have two places sorted.
Beef Rendang is not your ordinary spicy beef curry, although it looks a lot like a thick Thai Massaman Curry, or even a Rogan Josh for that matter. But rendang is so much more special. There's plenty of coconut tugging at my coastal stomach strings, a heady blend of everything on the average spice rack - star anise, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon -citrusy kaffir lime and lemongrass, garlic and a death-defying amount of chillies. Traditionally made at special occasions, beef rendang takes a lot of patience to make and get right, which, once you experience from trying to replicate at home, will give you an idea of just how good it is at Betawi.
This phenomenal dish is served with steamed rice, an Egg Balado - boiled egg deep fried, then simmered in a spicy chilli paste - a green chilli sambal that will make you look at that glass of Es Cendol with lots of love, a vegetable curry, kankun and a spicy toasted soy and peanut mix. You could get the grilled chicken instead of the beef, but that would be a foodie sin. By the way, this whole extravaganza of flavours is called the Nasi Padang and costs about dh40!
The reason why the food is so good and authentic at Betawi is backstage. They don't have chefs. Good Indonesian restaurants never do. There's always an 'aunty' who watches over everything and ensures that every dish is just how she would feed her own. And for that reason alone, Betawi Café is a must visit!
Chinese Hot Pot

There are few of these around Dubai, each with their own charm, but since we're in Bur Dubai - and we like this one more - we picked Xiao Wei Yang Hot Pot for our ultimate soup cravings. No place satisfies quite as generously. This place is also perfect for feeding big groups of people with their communal style large tables - requisite induction plate smack in the centre.
So what's the fuss over the soup? For starters, it's the broth. There are two different types, one is spicy, made obvious by its dark red tinge, and the other is a mild, even medicinal white to clear soup. Note: You could try the Ying/Yang and they'll bring out both in a fancy boiler. The stock is made from aromatic roots, herbs, and bones (and other scraps) and we all know how good marrow is for your health. In fact, if you're feeling a little under the weather, this is the place you want to come to. The spices are very delicate and you can taste the Sichuan peppers, chillies and hints of leeks, ginger and garlic in the soup. The clear broth is even simpler and nuanced, infused with what I believe is a kind of Goji berry, which, according to Eastern medicine, helps to tone the blood.
Once you've picked your broth, then it's time to pick what goes into it - one cannot live on broth alone! The menu lists all sorts of meats, vegetables, tofu, meat and fish balls, seafood and fungi (different kinds of mushrooms). You could go for the platters that cost about Dh100 and can easily feed 2-3 people, and comes with a little of everything, or you can pick and choose from the menu. There's chicken and beef, sliced paper-thin carpaccio-style and aromatic beef mince balls that go well with the soup. If you prefer seafood, there are shrimps and shrimp balls. There is also water spinach (Kan Kun) if you think you're not getting enough leafy greens. The variety of mushrooms is impressive and worth trying. Other gems in this place are the Sesame Rounds, Golden Buns and the Scallion Pancakes.
There are few places in Dubai that get this authentic with food, and keep the experience interesting enough for repeat visits. And who doesn't love hot pot? It's perfect after a night out (these guys are open late) or even for a quiet date night.
Ultimate all you can eat

Normally, I would never advocate gluttony. Even in the face of all the all-you-can-eat buffet-style places that Dubai is cosying up to, I'd advice you to just stay away. But there are some days when I'm craving a thali, the Indian meal served in a steel plate after which the meal is called, and there's only one place that comes to mind - Mini Punjab. If you're a vegetarian and don't know what to eat besides lentil salads and quinoa bakes, then you might want to come here, so you can discover what ingenious things Indian cuisine does to vegetables.
The restaurant itself is small, with a few tables that fill up rather quickly on weekends. There are stoic signs on the wall that say you should only take what you will eat, 'the only thing left on your plate must be the lemon wedge'. Of course, not everyone follows this, but we appreciate their efforts to create less waste. The service is very good. There's a constant stream of food coming your way and the servers will happily tell you what's in what container. The menu changes everyday and there are new vegetarian dishes to try. There is usually two different types of dal (lentils), a Khadi (curry made from a yoghurt base), a few different types of vegetables, all served with rotis basted generously in ghee and steamed rice. If you're feeling conservative, you can opt for the mini-thali, which has two vegetables, a dal or khadi, a dessert and rotis (plus a papad), and costs just Dh14! Or you could indulge and get pretty much double of everything (two desserts, four vegetables, two dals, etc) in an all-you-can-eat blur for Dh29. Only advisable on an empty, unconscionably famished stomach.
What's incredible about this place is that everything is made from scratch. The ghee, the paneer, even the khoya (used in desserts mainly, and sometimes in cooking) is made fresh before service starts at 11am sharp. The difference this makes in the quality of the food is night and day. You could be eating an Aloo Raswalla (a spicy potato curry from Gujarat, but widely eaten in the Northwest of India) anywhere else in Dubai, but you will remember this one. The paneer tastes like paneer should, not the rubbery, tasteless cheese you find in most supermarkets.
The desserts are some of the best Indian sweets I've had in Dubai. The gulab jamun is spectacular, so are the badam halwa and rasmalais these guys make. The jalebis are close to perfect. There's a lot of heart and effort that goes into the food here, which is palpable, literally. But don't take our word for it, try it for yourself.


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