Dubai Eating out at Al Mashrabia, which claims to be the only Emirati speciality restaurant on Shaikh Zayed Road, was an interesting break from the Italian I was being subjected to for weeks.
A pink ‘beet-induced’ hummus dip – that you don’t quite often see on platters in Dubai – served along with their fresh oven baked pyramid-shaped bread made me sit up and take note of this all-white classy first floor restaurant at the Millennium Plaza Hotel instantly.
Equally impressive was the Sambousa Kodar (Dh25) or Indian-samosa style fried pastries stuffed with sautéed cabbage, onions, green peas and carrot, flavoured nicely with turmeric and served with dakous sauce and mint chutney. Crisp and savoury, this deep fried delight was surely a delicious way to start, sipping along their Lemoncholy (Dh25), made of lime juice and freshly ‘muddled’ mint leaves. Another great addition to the starters was the Kheeyar or cucumber salad (Dh30) which was a delicate wrap of onion, goat cheese and mint yoghurt in paper thin slices of fresh cucumbers.
Main course was calling out loud and I chose what they say defines Al Mashrabia as a national cuisine restaurant – their Mandi (Dh60). This traditional Emirati rice dish, slow cooked in a tight oven under the meat and garnished with nuts in a flavourful finish, was truly well done, just as promised. Only two drawbacks though – it lacks the spice factor of a sub-continental biryani, if you were expecting one and that it takes an unusually long time to come to your plate. Personally though for me, my chicken mandi was worth the wait.
I called time soon after with ‘Sago’ (Dh25) beans in a zafarn sugary rose water and a deliciously rich camel milk ‘Mohalabiya’ (Dh25) pudding with saffron, honey and pistachio. Two desert desserts of the sweetest kinds – in every possible way!
Details:
Lunch for two: About Dh200
Location: Mezzanine Level, Millennium Plaza Hotel, Dubai
Timing: 12pm-10.30pm (weekdays)p; 12pm-11pm (weekends)
Bookings: 04-387 7777 ext. 7125
we recommend: Pink Hummus, Sambousa Kodar, Chicken or Meat Mandi, Mohalabiya
