The glassy, white Infiniti showroom easily catches one’s eye when driving down Shaikh Zayed Road towards Abu Dhabi, but the glaring sight also overshadows one fine restaurant tucked away in a quiet corner of the building.
Shahi Angethi, despite being relatively small, offers a comfortable and cosy setting for families, couples and everyone to enjoy a hearty meal in a truly relaxed environment.
Owner Amit Srivastava tells Property Weekly ever since it opened in September last year, the restaurant has become a fan-favourite that rarely sees a customer visit the place just once.
The restaurant serves Awadhi cuisine, which originates from the city of Lucknow in northern India and can be vaguely compared to Mughlai cuisine, from where it has drawn considerable influence.
Everything in the restaurant — the food, décor and staff — is therefore connected with Lucknow, except for the meat, which is sourced locally and cooked fresh every day.
“Since we serve Awadhi cuisine from the city of Lucknow, we wanted to keep it traditional. All our chefs are from Lucknow and our spices and utensils were shipped here form the city, too,” says Srivastava. “We brought more than 200kg of utensils, including copper vessels with silver linings.
“One of our many menu favourites is the galouti kebab. When served with the special Mughlai paratha, the kebab is the best combination.”
He adds that the UAE being a multicultural country, the restaurant’s food also caters to all palates.
“We have people from all nationalities coming in and ordering dishes such as dal tadka and butter chicken,” says Srivastava. “We have toned down the spiciness and added more flavour. For example, we use 80-90 herbs in our kebabs.”
The restaurant’s décor is very Lucknow. It was designed by Amit’s wife, an interior designer who personally selected all the elements, including the handmade tables and chairs.
“We do not focus heavily on advertising and we mainly depend on word of mouth,” says Srivastava. “Since we’re located slightly further away from the main city, we wanted to be sure that if people make the drive, it should be worth their time.
“We have guests arriving from Abu Dhabi for dinner and then driving back.”
A new branch in Bur Dubai or Karama is being planned, but until that happens, a short drive to Al Safa 2 is definitely well worth it.
Just make sure to phone ahead to reserve a table — this little restaurant is getting busier as it slowly gets the recognition it deserves.
