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Reviews

Sahib’s Barbeque by Ohri’s

Salaam Sahib

Ohri’s theme based restaurant’s are always a crowd puller and Sahib’s barbecue is no different. We jumped at the chance of doing an event here looking at the ambiance and the menu

Close to 45+ foodies descended down on a Saturday evening to savor their offerings which began with the iftar. People who were fasting were provided with a fruit basket with watermelon, pineapple, dates etc. Slowly the foodies started walking in and then things went into high gear

Sufiyana singers at the back belting out amazing melodies, the smoky smell of the barbeque all around, the loud discussion about the food and the constant running around of the management and the admins set the tone for a great event which followed.

The food review below is my experience based on all the items I had tried at the event

Starting with the welcome drinks – We had the Litchi drink which unfortunately got over quickly and was replaced by Kiwi and both were refreshing.

Started with the Marag, the flavor was okay but it could have been better if it was spicy the way that is served across traditionally at the Muslim wedding. The chef was very eager to learn about different ideas on how to improve this and shows his commitment to bringing better food to the table

I am not a fan of mutton but enjoy it sometimes when it is made nicely and coincidentally I was offered Lukhmi as the first item on my plate. The first bite got me into pure ecstasy as the filling inside was minced mutton which was pan fried and was present from one corner to another. Every subsequent bite was pleasure and reminded of the lukhmi’s we used to have at weddings but this one been far better. Finished 4 pieces without batting an eyelid

Lucknowi tawa fish was served hot which was nice and tasty, but the talawa gosht was superb. It was the melt in the mouth type yummy. It went well with the Tauliya naan that was served on the table. The sight of the naan itself made everyone wonder if anyone can finish that much.

The Shikampuri kebab was bit dry but still flavorful, could have used a little more spice to add zing to it.

The Tangdi sikandari came out of the kitchen skewered on a sword(talwaar) and it was pipping hot and tasty. The murgh akbari kebab, Gosht gilafi sheekh and the darbari jhinga all three of which were on the barbecue were amazing in taste.

Moving to the main course

Dum biryani unfortunately was not that great. The taste and the texture of the rice lacked the biryani spice and smell. Possibility of keeping the biryani hot for too long might have played a part in this. All of the folks were concentrating on the starters and barbecue and went very late to check on the biryani.

Salaam Sahib-32

Next was the Haleem, this unfortunately was a miss in terms of taste. The spiciness was missing, flavor was not evident at all. It could have used a little more garam masala to kick it up a notch. Probably a bad day in the kitchen

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Haleem

Murgh dum ka and Ghost lazeez were the better choice for the main courses. The meat was well cooked and the taste was amazing.

Coming to the desserts section

I started with the Ice creams which everyone was raving about ” the guntur chilli ice cream” and the ” Paan icecream” . They were just amazing. The chilli effect only starts once the ice cream is going down your throat, the after taste is spicy and I loved it. The double ka meetha was better than expected. The jauzi halwa was okay, didn’t feel that it was that great.

Special mention to the number of pickles present at the buffet table. Tried all of them and loved each and every one. From Mango to lemon to gongura to chilli , everything was well made.

Overall the food was great in terms of few dishes and just good to average for the remaining but nothing that can be termed as bad

Sahib’s Barbeque by Ohri’s Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Reviews

Food Basket

A place where you can satisfy your cravings of Fast Food, Arabian, Chinese, South Indian under one roof.

Multiple visits to this place had me try idly,dosa, utthapam, Club sandwich, Parotta egg omelet , veg manchuria

The idly,dosa and utthapam were okay and authentic in preparation but the Coconut chutney and the sambhar were pale in comparison to the stuff we get in India As they were too diluted and bland it didn’t garner much attention from me to order a repeat

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Idli

Their Club sandwich on the other hand was better than expected. Soft pieces of chicken with tasty mayo was yummy and quite heavy on the stomach.

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Club Sandwich

My friend was still hungry after his tryst with south indian food so he ordered Veg Manchuria and as expected I had to try that as well and it turned out to be a low point for this joint. The vegetarian manchurian balls were just made of mashed potatoes with hardly any trace of other vegetables. Inquired with the chef and got info that this is how it is made here and same is available in most of the other joints as well. I tried the veg manchuria in 4 other places and found it to be the same. Lot of room for improvement in that aspect for food joints here.

the last item I tried at this place during my stay in that area was the Parotta egg omelet which was a pleasant surprise , the kerala parotta was authentic and the egg omelet was spicy with pieces of green chillies in almost every bite. I loved the spiciness

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Parotta Egg Omelet

Overall this joint has its ups and downs but going by the prices and what’s available at other places it can still be called a decent place.

 

 

Food Basket Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Reviews

Al Fahad Al Arabi

A food joint very close to the place where I was staying and open 24×7 so I was curious to check what they were offering and found a wide variety of options in their menu and that definitely got me interested in visiting it one afternoon

At first glance the place is very small with just one table and 4 chairs inside and loads of people coming in and out at regular intervals. Upon inquiry found out that they give tea for 1Dh & Shawarma for 4Dh and that attracts a lot of workers and labourers who are employed in the nearby construction sites.

The 20-25 minutes I was there, there must have been atleast 20-30 tea’s that were poured or taken away by different people. I am a occasional tea drinker but curiosity got the better of me and I ordered one for myself and It was decent. Milk used for tea is from Rainbow Company and one of the key reasons it is liked by many

Shawarma is one of the few items that are available almost everywhere in the gulf. At 4Dh I found it to be the cheapest but that didn’t mean that they were cutting corners in any way. The meat and the ingredients used were good quality ones. I would give it a 3.5/5

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After the shawarma I still had room for more and decided to try their zinger burger with lemon juice (medium-Size) and was surprised with the zinger burger,the bun was soft and the chicken inside was tasty. loved it

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Zinger Burger

 

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Lemon Juice

Subsequent visits made me a fan of their fries. At 6Dh you get a nice box of hot french fries and they will happily throw in mayo dip for takeaway’s if you ask them. Must have ordered 3-4 times already in the last week or so

They have many items which are not on the menu which are VFM(Value for Money) , will try and update my review accordingly with them Ex: Samosa, Cream Bun, Fruit Bun Etc which are visually appealing but yet to be tried.

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Al Fahad Al Arabi Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Reviews

Mezbaan Hyderabad Restaurant

When you are missing your favorite dish back home (Hyderabad,India) and had to start looking for it in Sharjah,  I ended up searching on Zomato about good biryani outlets nearby and this was one of the names that came up to try.

As home delivery option was available and the weather was hot and sultry we decided to order in. I ordered their famous chicken dum biryani while my sister decided to order Schezwan (chi) fried rice,chicken tikka masala along with Butter naan & Garlic naan. We received the order in about 30 min or so and it was still piping hot

The smell of the chicken biryani was emanating from the packet and it made me crave it even more.Ignoring my other family members I decided to start with the biryani immediately and dug in. Honestly speaking it was authentic dum biryani the spices were correctly used, no excessive use of Daalchini (Cinnamon) , the meat was soft and succulent which would only happen if it was made correctly. The long grain basmati rice carried the flavor of spices used properly and tasted well on its own without the use of Mirchi ka salan or the Dahi ki chutney.
Mirchi ka salan was not up to the mark as it was too dilute, it appeared that the usage of lemon to make it more tangy was the cause. Dahi ki chutney a.k.a raita was good

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Chicken Biryani

they also give salad along with the biryani pack, it had carrot, cabbage, Cucumber and 1 slice of onion, I would have preferred if they gave more onions instead of cabbage

The schezwan fried rice was good and tasted amazing. The tangy sauce given with it was bland and didn’t serve its purpose of enhancing the food or the experience in any way. The color of the rice was a very bright red which was the brightest I ever saw being used in a food dish. Overall it tasted well so no complaints on that aspect

We had asked for a boneless chicken curry and were suggested this dish and this turned out to be very tasty. The roti was still hot as they were nicely wrapped in aluminium foil and were ideal for this dish. The masala or the gravy part is made by using tomatoes, cream, onions, cardamom , chili’s etc and was so tasty that it was finished first before the chicken.

Our second order was placed a week later for Chicken Tikka Masala and Khatti Dal along with Tandoori Roti. We asked them specially to make it spicy and it turned out amazing. Couldn’t have asked for more tasty and yummy dishes. The Khatti Dal especially was exactly like the one traditionally made at Muslim household’s in Hyderabad.

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Chicken Tikka Masala

 

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Khatti Dal

Final verdict : To satiate your craving for authentic Hyderabadi dum biryani, this is one of the best outlets to get it from.

 

Mezbaan Hyderabad Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Reviews

Golconda Paradise

Golconda Paradise – When I first heard the name of this place it reminded of two places in Hyderabad. Golconda hotel and Paradise hotel and this place was no exception to the name as they served amazing food which was a blessing to my palate

Eating good food or trying new places doesn’t require any reason but this time it was a treat from my brother in law for his new job. Landed there for Dinner at 7pm and the place was half full but still bustling with activity as the take away guys appeared to be in full swing moving in and out at regular intervals.

The place by itself is a medium size outlet with an inside seating which can accommodate 40-50 people , there are tables on the outside as well which can handle 10-15 more. Based on the weather the outside seating can be a good option to choose

Ambiance is well lit up, with sofa style seating at one side and wooden chairs on the other.

We were quickly seated and got handed the menu card. First thing that caught my eye was the Haleem which is available on Thursday and Friday. Quickly checked with the waiter and got the good news that it is available. Asked the waiter to first get us Haleem while we scour the menu for the other dishes to order.

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Haleem

Haleem is a dish quite popular in Hyderabad during the Ramadan season. A traditional wheat & mutton delicacy which takes a long time to make and quite nutritious. The traditional style of making it takes 10-12 hours at least to get the thick consistency. When it is ready they keep it on low simmering charcoals to keep it warm.

We got our haleem dish in few minutes while we were still discussing our order. Haleem turned out to be amazing, right amount of meat to wheat ratio, consistency, color, taste was to the point.

Decided to order Chilly fish, Chicken tikka lababdar, loose prawns along with tandoori roti and end the meal with some chicken biryani.

The starters were all wonderful Chilly fish being the favorite and loose prawns was a close second. The main course of Chicken tikka labadar was supposed to be different dish altogether, however didn’t find much difference in taste to the chicken tikka masala that I am used to eating. It was still tasteful so it didn’t matter much

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Loose Prawns

 

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Chicken Tikka Lababdar

 

Chilly Fish

Chilly Fish

Biryani was the surprise element at the end, what they serve here is very similar to the ones that we get at Muslim weddings in Hyderabad, India. Amazing taste along with soft tender chicken marinated to perfection

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Chicken Biryani

Overall a great place to have Biryani and Haleem – Hyderabadi iStyle

Golconda Paradise Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Reviews

New York Fries

Never thought that a place would be completely dedicated to French fries until I landed here in the UAE where I saw so many franchise of this brand. Their presence is in 9-10 countries and would be expanding more as seen by the popularity here.

While the origins of french fries might lead to a heated debate between Belgium and France, for foodie like me it is quite simple, fried elongated pieces of potatoes with some salt and red chilli powder. Goes well when served with burgers, pizza, steaks, sizzlers etc. An awesome side dish for many but a dish which can hold its own If I do say so myself

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Chilli (Chi) Fries

 

The novel concept of french fries and now add different varieties of add-ons like butter chicken, braised beef, chili, imli, original Canadian poutine (Poutine is a Canadian dish, originating in the province of Quebec, made with french fries and cheese curds topped with a light brown gravy), end result is yummylicious gastronomic pleasure.

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Chilli (Beef) Fries

You might think that the fries are expensive and you would have to buy something else to satiate your hunger but the quantity is good enough to make you full

The only other dish you get here is the hot dog which has beef or chicken variants only, additionally if you are a dips fan then you can try all the 5 they have on their menu which is Cheese, Chili, Imli, Salsa, Labneh

For the health conscious folks out there….the fries are cooked in non-hydrogenated TRANS-FAT FREE sunflower oil. Don’t know the science behind it but it gives me one more reason to gorge on them even more.

 

New York Fries Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Reviews

Zekrayat Al Sham Cafeteria

This place came well recommended by folks residing in this area. Going by their feedback, I was tempted to try it immediately.

Manakish being cooked

At first glance it appeared to be a small outlet with an oven furnace on the side and 3-4 chefs preparing dishes and putting them in the oven

This is a common style of cooking here and I had only seen this for the wood fired/Oven fired pizza’s

Dishes that I have tried here:

Kraft with options like honey/olive/tomato/zaatar/shatta/mortadella/sausage – Kraft is a popular cheese available almost everywhere in the Middle East. This sandwich has kraft cheese as the primary ingredient and options are secondary for you to add. All the options are excellent

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Labneh with options like Shatta/mint/olive/zaatar/falafel/honey/sausage/barakeh/veg – Labneh is like a yoghurt cheese which is very popular in the Middle East. A generous topping of labneh is present in all the sandwiches they offer.

Labneh with shatta

Labneh with Shatta

 

Kashkawan with options like Zaatar/egg/shatta/meat/chicken/mortadella/hotdog – Kashkawan is a type of cheese which is primarily used as a topping on manakeesh(flat bread) .The flat dough is folded and then pinch closed and put in the oven so that the cheese melts properly from the inside as well.

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Kashkawan

 

Shamia with options like Zaatar/egg/shatta/meat/chicken/mortadella/hotdog – Shamia is a small oval bread with small topping inside it

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Shamia

Manakeesh with options like Spinach/zaatar/meat/chicken/shatta/shatta zaatar/falafel/hotdog – Manakeesh is a flat circular bread just like pita bread which has zaatar as the most popular topping, we tried the same with chicken as the topping as well and it was nice.

Zaatar Manakish

Za’atar Manakish

 

With the prices that they offer these at, it is a complete value for money and well recommended for their fast service and amazing taste.

 

Zekrayat Al Sham Cafeteria Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Reviews

Falafel Aldar Express

One another place in Al Taawun that serves decent shawarma’s and I ended up visiting them for lunch one day during my stay in that area.

They have a outer seating area which can get uncomfortable during lunch times and summer season but it can be a very good option to try during evening times when the weather is pleasent. The shrubs and greenery around the seating area is nicely done. Inner area has good seating capacity if you are planning to go with family or friends

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As I went there at lunch time so I decided to sit near the express counter itself and order a shawarma to check out the taste.Fresh stock of saj and samoon had just arrived and I was served a shawarma in around 5 minutes. It had decent amount of chicken and a very nice after taste of garlic sauce. They also served the small salad (Pickled Cucumber and Carrot) which was nice and tangy

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Chicken Shawarma with Pickles

I was still hungry after having the shawarma and asked for suggestions from the menu to try. Communication gap was at its high as I couldn’t make head or tails of what they wanted to suggest nor did they understand my queries.

Finally settled on Meat Manakish and placed an order for it. The oven was right in front and while it cooked (hardly takes 2-3 mins at max) it made me more hungry at the sight of it.The chef was in a generous mood and added a nice layer of cheese onto it.

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Meat Manakish

 

 

 

 

 

Taste wise I would say it was good but I would have loved it more if the meat was cooked a little more in the oven but I was not able to make them understand what I wanted. Non-Arabic speakers like me would find this hindrance difficult while placing an order.

Overall a decent place to try Shawarma and Manakish

 

Falafel Aldar Express Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Reviews

Noor Al Mandi Restaurant

I am a huge fan of Mandi and this place was recommended as a must visit by few foodies but my experience was just good. Nothing too fancy that I can recommend it as a must have or warrant multiple repeats.

Why? Read on…..

 

The place was vacant at 8:30pm with one other family occupying the closed family section beside us. We had our own small traditional seating area with a television and nice comfy pillows to relax. The common dining area was well lit up and the decor was amazing

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We looked through the menu and ordered Chicken Madbee(Madhbi,Madvee) and Laham Mandi

Order arrived in 10 min which was nice

Started with the soup which is given before the meal was hot and quite flavorful. A different version of the Marag that is served at Muslim weddings.

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Our main dishes :

Having had Yemeni food at other places I had familiarity with their style of cooking Mandi. Here the Chicken was good but the rice was a tad disappointing . It had a little extra helping of raisins which made the rice sweet, and cardamom taste was too overpowering on the palate

 

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Chicken Madhbi

Laham Mandi had the meat very succulent and tender. Enjoyed that thoroughly

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Laham Mandi

The accompanying salad , yogurt were okay but shattah lacked the punch as it didn’t have any spiciness at all.

Shattah, Soup, Salad, Yogurt

Shattah, Soup, Salad, Yogurt

Ended the meal with Suleimani Tea

Suleimani Tea

Suleimani Tea

 

Overall : A decent place to go to satiate your Arabic cravings

 

Noor Al Mandi Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Reviews

Laffah Cafeteria

When your first experience of eating a Shawarma in the UAE is this good , it sets the bar higher for others to measure up to the same scale. Having had Shawarma’s in Hyderabad,India this was a welcome change to my palate as this was more tasty and better.

 

If you stand there for a while you would end up noticing the shear amount of customers that walk in for take away’s and dine ins . The size of the rotating meat in itself is a visual wonder. To make sure that the cooked meat  is cut evenly they use electronic saw which just glides on the meat and nicely peels the layers of it

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For me one of the best places to have shawarma, didn’t get any parking spots and it appeared to be full from the road. We had to move to the side of the road and had an attender walk up immediately and we placed the order and expected at least 10-15 min to get the order and we were surprised to see that he immediately gave us our order , hardly a minute. As we were on the road and didn’t get parking , our order was prioritized.

Kudos to the management for thinking in favor of the customer proactively.

Coming to the food, the rumali roti ( Called Saj in UAE) was soft and fresh, the chicken was cut into small pieces and nicely rolled into it which tasted amazing, the garlic sauce inside was just delicious.

Second trip had me try their famous Arabic meal which has two shawarma’s that are made crisp on the outside and cut into small pieces like spring rolls . It is served with lots of garlic sauce, french fries,olives, pickled beetroot & cucumber. For Dh.15 this was quite a value for meal option

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5
Overall a very nice experience

Laffah Cafeteria Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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