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Blame it on Facebook. Sometime back, a friend posted about Kebab Bistro, raving about the “authentic Parsi food”. That got me curious. I’d heard a lot about this particular cuisine — mostly good things — but never sampled it. So when I finally got introduced to the lovely Oofrish Contractor, one half of the foodie couple that owns the restaurant, the first thing I did was ask her if wknd. could do a review.
Kebab Bistro — the name is ambivalent — is the name of the restaurant the Contractors took over; it used to be a standard kebab and curry joint off Wasl Road till last year when, alongside the new owners, a new menu was introduced. The kebabs and curries are still served — as part of the legacy of the old avatar — as are Bombay (from where most of the Parsis in India hail from) street food like chaat and paani-puri and bhel puri.
I was clear I wanted to review the Parsi fare, and Oofrish informed me there is a special buffet on weekends for that.
A few Fridays ago, a day that broke with dark clouds and thunder claps but cheered up considerably by afternoon, I landed at Al Wasl Plaza along with a couple of food fiends to do justice to, possibly, the only Parsi spread available in Dubai.
Kebab Bistro is a tiny restaurant, with a slightly larger alfresco sitting area, hedged in by colourful flowerpots and overflowing green beds.
I’m not a big fan of buffets where everything gets lost in the clutter and, at the end of it, one is hard-pressed to even remember what was served. The Kebab Bistro weekend buffet, unlike most buffets, is short and simple, incorporating six most popular ‘Parsi wedding’ dishes: it’s like being hosted for a lunch or dinner at a friend’s place where the food is laid out — and you get to pick and choose what you want, not be served.
We start with the filling appetisers: Patra Ni Machhi (fish fillet covered with a coriander-based green chutney and steamed in a banana leaf) and the Chicken Farcha (the Parsi equivalent of Kentucky Fried Chicken, but leagues ahead). Next up is the chicken and roti course: Sali Boti (chicken cooked in a spicy tomato-based gravy and eaten with a goodly smattering of matchstick fried potatoes) and thick whole- wheat chapattis that are soft and fresh off the stove.
Item no 5 and 6 are the Mutton Dhansak (mutton slow-cooked with dal and other veggies) and rice with caramelised onions (which is so good, you can have it as a standalone, very delicious pulao).
For dessert, there is Lagan Nu Custard, a souped up, baked variant of the humble custard). We wash it all down with sugarcane juice and sweet lassi.
I realise it is all rather familiar: the Farcha reminiscent of fried chicken, the Dhansak of haleem, the Patra Ni Machhi like steamed fish in banana leaves à la Bengali cuisine and so on. It’s the treatment that sets this food apart. I hear the term “less spicy” being bandied about, but my guess is it’s the use of ground spices — which is clearly different — that lends it a remarkable flavour. There’s a sense of integration. And wholesomeness. Even if you tried, you’d be hard pressed to give it a non-homely touch.
That’s probably the best part about Kebab Bistro’s Parsi food. It’s like having great home-cooked food — something you can have over and over again. Definitely pay a visit. sushmita@khaleejtimes.com
WEEKLY TREAT
Dhansak is usually made with goat meat or mutton — and rarely with any other form of meat. In Parsi homes, it is traditionally made on Sundays, owing to the long preparation time
What we liked: The fantastic value-for-money package
What we didn’t like: Getting lost trying to find the place
Cost for 2: Dh100
Contact: Kebab Bistro, Al Wasl Plaza, 6A Street (off Al Wasl Road), Jumeirah, Dubai 04-3493934/ 04 3493936
Editor’s Rating ****
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