It looks like the tables have turned on all those who’ve joked about the Malayali-Gulf connection. A brand new restaurant in town, Dubai Restaurant, brings the eclectic food culture of the Emirati city, right here in Kochi. “Although a lot of families have members working in the UAE’s biggest city, those left behind still don’t know much about the life there. Our attempt is to give people an insight into the city’s history and cuisine,” says co-owner Ejas KI, as he welcomes me into the 48-cover restaurant near Edapally Toll junction. Flaunting photographs and short writeups about the Dubai’s royal family—including the present ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum—the room exudes an inviting ambience.
Skewered right
On a detailed look, the menu doesn’t seem redundantly focused on Emirati cuisine either. I spot dishes like Mattancherry erachi choru alongside chef’s signature dishes including Dubai Kungpow chicken. The month-old restaurant—though crowded whilst I dine—still seems to be struggling organisationally. After a significantly long wait my appetising apple-carrot quencher arrives. While every Arabic fare eatery in the city serves barbeque chicken, their beef al-faham catches my attention. “Since beef is a tricky meat to be grilled, we cook it slightly before bringing it over the flame,” explains the young owner. This cooking technique seems best for the meat as the thin smoke-infused slices—served alongside a rather strong mint sauce—pair well with their fluffy kuboos.
Barbeques and biryanis
To do justice to their large spread, I choose a barbequed hamour fish in oyster sauce. Though the black pepper-topped fish is grilled thoroughly, the sweet and sour sauce that it is doused in may be overpowering for some foodies. Soon their much-lauded bamboo biryani arrives. Served from within a steaming bamboo shaft—which resembles the familiar puttu kutti in shape—the dum biryani’s moist texture is pleasant on my taste buds. “I encountered this style in a restaurant in Dubai, but the biryani was not to my taste. We use spices inspired from our own Thalassery biryani and primarily cooked using the dum-pukht technique. This is followed by steaming the blend inside bamboo shells,” says the restaurateur, who previously co-owned the now defunct Arabian Nights on Kaloor-Kadavanthara Road. While I wouldn’t mind visiting the restaurant once again just to sample the flavoursome biryani, the lack of Levantine desserts like basbousa and baklava is disappointing.
Meal for two `400 onwards.
Open from 12 pm to 12 am.
Details: 9544401111