Food Review: Radhe O Radhe

My vegetarian friends keep complaining about how I miss out on reviewing "Pure Vegetarian" restaurants. It was about time that I answered their complaints; so I didn't think twice before accepting an invite from Radhe O Radhe. Located in the food capital of Dubai, i.e. Karama, Radhe O Radhe is a vegetarian restaurant that has its roots in Punjab.

The restaurant has a relaxed feel to it. The interiors are decent with enough space to fit in a few families. The music is not too loud and perfect to chat while you wait for your food.

Starting with drinks, I opted for the Mango Lassi. The Mango Lassi was thick and tasted good. The flavour of mango was eminent. I loved how the Lassi was served in a clay tumbler rather than a glass.

Mango Lassi

It is necessary to try "Chaat" (if available) at an Indian Restaurant as it includes Indian Snacks that bring together a blend of various flavours and sauces. I went for my personal favourite Pani Puri (known as Gol Guppa in Delhi). The puris used in Pani Puri are made in-house and are perfect. With the flavoured waters spicing up things, the Pani Puri can be rated in the top 5 that I have tried in Dubai so far.

Pani Puri

After having a few Pani Puris, I was ready to give the starters a shot. I left it to the restaurant staff to get me whichever starters they thought would be the best. The choice was easy for them and they got be Mushroom Kundan Taara and Soya Tikka Tandoori.

I have always tried Mushrooms and Paneer separately as starters or perhaps as main course however Mushroom Kundan Taara was a mix. Two Mushrooms stuck together with a stuffing of Paneer was hard to resist. The flavours were good and the taste pleasing enough to tingle my taste buds.

Mushroom Kundan Taara

The other starter Soya Tikka Tandoori was amazing. If there is one thing in vegetarian food that I can have on a daily basis, it is Soya. The beauty about Soya is that it can be used in multiple ways in different dishes and the taste would be different in each dish.

Soya Tikka Tandoori is juicy Soya with a balance of spice and flavours. It was probably the best dish I tried at Radhe O Radhe.

Soya Tikka Tandoori

Next on was main course and I was excited to see what would be served to me. The main course consisted of Soya Tikka Rara, Dal Makhani, Paneer Dhania Adraki, Pudina paratha and Missi Roti. Not to forget that I was also served Soya Tikka Biryani.

Both Pudina paratha and Missi Roti have a good taste but it depends on personal choice on which one is better; for me it was Missi Roti. Dal Makhani was fine and I felt that it could have been better while Paneer Dhania Adraki was decent too. The pick of the lot was Soya Tikka Rara. Cooked to perfection, Soya Tikka Rara was simply delicious.

My plate full with the Main Course

Even though I was pretty much full, I had to try the Soya Tikka Biryani as it looked amazing (picture below). Served with Raita, the biryani was pretty good. The rice was rich and the Soya Tikka just took it to another level altogether.

Soya Tikka Biryani

Going through the variety of dishes one at a time was fun. Yes, I was full within minutes but the flavours and the taste kept me going.

Of course, I did not leave before trying the dessert. My pick for dessert was Kheer. I was informed that the Kheer from Radhe O Radhe is the best-selling dessert and I wasn't surprised why. I was glad that I did leave some space in my tummy for the delicious dessert.

Kheer

My overall experience at Radhe O Radhe was amazing. I loved all the Soya dishes and would recommend them. The Kheer, Mushroom Kundan Taara and Pani Puri are worth trying too. The service is good and the staff friendly. I have already visited the restaurant again with a couple of friends and they loved the food. I shall be visiting them yet again real soon.

A few things that I learnt about Radhe O Radhe and would love to share are: The restaurant opened in July 2010 and specializes in North Indian food but does serve Gujarati and South Indian food too (Satvik Thaalis are available). The restaurant is known for its corporate lunch pack which is pre-portioned and serves 8 different items for AED 14. Radhe O Radhe has a branch in JAFZA too.

*The prices are as of the review date and are subject to change based on decisions made by the restaurant's management.

Details
Location: Opposite Day to Day supermarket near the General Post Office (GPO), Karama
Contact: 00971 4 4409300 ext. 379
Cuisine: Indian
For further details please visit: http://www.zomato.com/dubai/radhe-o-radhe-al-karama

Food Review: Goa Coastal Curries

I have always wanted to try Goan food but for some or the other reason, I would not get a chance. After pushing my family for a bit, I finally got a chance to try Goan food at Goa Coastal Curries. Based in Karama, Goa Coastal curries is owned by Satrang Foods (who also own Pind Da Dhaba).

The ambience and feel of the restaurant is Goan right from the music, to the paintings of the Goa market place and the map of Goa itself. There is ample amount of comfortable seating options available and you shouldn't have much difficulty in finding a place during weekends as well.

The Interior of the Restaurant

As me and my family settled down on our table, the menus were passed to us and I was handed over the task of ordering food. Before we placed our order for food, we were given a basket of bread sticks with olive oil to go along.

Breadsticks with Olive Oil

The breadsticks had that bit of a crunch in them (which I love) and tasted good. If the restaurant can work out a possible dip for it like a fava dip, it will just take the breadsticks to a whole new level. As I was pretty hungry, I didn't wait long and placed my order.

Salad Idalina

First on was Salad Idalina. The salad consisted of some bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes. The salad was not only fresh but is healthy too. The dressing is nothing fancy, just plain olive oil and lemon juice. As they say, sometimes simple is good, the same is the case with this salad. It may look simple but it definitely serves its purpose.

Prawn Goan Pulao

To ensure that waiting time could be kept down to the minimum, we had ordered main course at the time we ordered the salad. I simply love prawns and am a great admirer of good prawn dishes. In addition to this, I have heard that Goan sea food is better than Goan chicken dishes. This was the reason that I ordered the Prawns Goan Pulao instead of the Chicken version.

It was definitely a good choice. The rice was cooked to perfection and the prawns tasted delicious. The mix of both resulted in a tasty Goan pulao.

Pomfret Goan Curry

Goa coastal curries offers you the choice of traditional Goan Curry in 4 different flavours namely Pomfret, Surmai, Rawas and Prawns. Having already ordered a Prawn pulao, I avoided the Prawn Goan Curry. After a bit of confusion between Pomfret and Surmai, I decided to ask for recommendation from our server Tanveer. Tanveer recommended the Pomfret Goan Curry and I had no second thoughts.

I would personally like to thank Tanveer, who recommended the best dish of the evening. The traditional curry had all the flavours one would be looking for in a dish. The curry had the right amount of salt and spice. The Pomfret was perfectly cooked. The curry was brilliant and has become one of the best dishes I have ever had.

Chicken Xacutti

Chicken Xacutti was the second main course dish we ordered and the only Chicken dish. I am so glad that I did order Chicken Xacutti. This dish just like the Goan Curry had amazing balance of flavours and it was enough to tingle my taste buds.

We also ordered a steamed rice to go along with our main course. The steamed rice went well with the Pomfrey Goan Curry and the Chicken Xacutti. All main course dishes were a hit.

Kokum Sherbet

Since I had heard a lot about Kokum Sherbet, there was no way that I would give it a skip. Kokum Sherbet is the best drink to have in summers. Not only does it act as a coolant, it is also good for health and is rich in Vitamin C. The Kokum Sherbet served to us was totally amazing and refreshing.

My mom being a fan of Coconut water went for the Tender Coconut Water. The Coconut water was pretty good.

Coconut Ice cream

After having the main courses, we were pretty full but I decided to give a shot to the Coconut Ice cream. The Coconut Ice cream was the icing on the cake. After having a main course rich in Goan flavours, the ice cream served to be the perfect ending. The ice cream was rich in taste and the way coconut was used in it was commendable.

My overall experience at Goa Coastal Curries was a very good one. I loved the authenticity of the flavours used and every dish was just amazing. The ambience, the feel and the service was all good. If you have not been to Goa, this is the closest you can get to Goan food in Dubai.

Bill (for 4):
1 Salad Idalina                     AED 12
2 Kokum Sherbet                 AED 20
1 Tender Coconut Water       AED 12
1 Chicken Xacutti                AED 30
1 Goan Pulao - Prawns        AED 45
1 Steamed Rice                  AED 8
1 Goan Curry - Pomfret        AED 50
1 Coconut Ice-cream           AED 8
1 Mineral Water (Large)       AED 4
Total                                 AED 189

Details:
Restaurant    Goa Coastal Curries
Cuisine         Goan (Indian)
For location and contact details please visit: http://www.zomato.com/dubai/goa-coastal-curries-al-karama

Food Review: Yalla Momos

I have been a fan of momos eversince I tried them in Delhi. It was about time that I figured out a place in Dubai that served some mouth watering flavours. After a long wait, one of my friends suggested Yalla Momos and that was it; I had to try it.

It is always good to eat with a couple of friends since it gives you the option to try a couple of items on the menu. As we were pretty hungry, we placed our order right up. We started with the Spinach & Cottage Cheese momos, Chicken momos, Shrimp momos, Vegetable momos and Cheese Mushroom momos (all steamed).

Vegetable Momos

The Cheese mushroom momos were soft, steamed to perfection and yummy at the same time. The other vegetarian options, that is, Spinach & Cottage Cheese momos and Vegetable momos were good too. However, I would rate the Cheese Mushroom ones over the other two.

Another thing that needs a mention here is that Momos are healthy and don't take much time in cooking. This means that you won't have to wait long to get a bite of your favourite Momos.

Shrimp Momos

Moving on to the non-vegetarian options, I would like to point out that while the Shrimp momos are a bit different, however the Chicken momos steal the show. One's we started gulping these delicious momos, we couldn't stop.

The red chili tomato sauce served with the momos adds that extra flavour to it. The sauce is not too spicy but goes perfectly with the soft steaming Momos. As you dip the Momos in the sauce and put them in your mouth, the flavour of the filling and the flavour of the sauce come together to give you that taste which is just Momolicious.

Chicken Momos

With 6 Momos served per plate, the meal looks sufficient but remember Momos are light and tasty. It is rather difficult to just have a few plates and be satisfied.

As we couldn't resist, we ordered a few more plates of momos. This time our order included the Nutri momos and Cottage Cheese Momos, along with the Chicken ones. Two more good flavours, that are truly worth a try.

Yalla Momos gets a thumbs up from my side and given the price charged per plate, I would say it can't get better than this. If you do get time whilst enjoying the yummy momos, try reading the funny stuff on the wall, like "6 reasons Momo is better than Love" and have a good laugh.

Bill (for 4):

3 Plates Vegetarian Momos                         AED 30

3 Plates Chicken Momos                             AED 33

1 Plate Shrimp Momos                                AED 14

1 Plate Nutri Momos                                    AED 11

1 Plate Cottage Cheese Momos                   AED 11

1 Plate Cheese Mushroom Momos               AED 11

1 Plate Spinach & Cottage Cheese Momos   AED 10

5 Thumbs Up                                              AED 15

2 Bottles of Water - Small                            AED 4

Total                                                          AED 139  

Details:

Food Joint    Yalla Momos

For location and contact details please visit: http://www.zomato.com/dubai/yalla-momos-al-karama 

Follow Yalla Momos on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yallamomos 

Like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YallaMomosUAE

Food Review: Dosa Plaza

Can I have a dosa? This isn’t the right question to ask when you are at Dosa Plaza. As the name suggests, the place is a home to dosas. When I say home, I literally mean it as these guys have about 100 varieties of dosas. With so many offerings, you shall be spoilt for choice.

Dosa Plaza is an Indian franchise running for over 13 years and has about 40 outlets in 12 states of India, about 3 outlets in New Zealand and 2 outlets in UAE (don't miss the catch at the end of the review).

Dr. D and his amazing Dosas

It was around midnight when me and my friend entered the restaurant. We had to rush in order to ensure that we got enough time to enjoy the food, before Dosa Plaza closed for the day. The waiter was kind enough to point out some of the best dosas on the menu. This helped our cause and we were ready to place our order in less than 5 minutes.

Our order included a Mushroom Chopsuey Dosa with Cheese and a Paneer Corn Crispy Dosa. My friend pointed out that he wanted to try one of the milkshakes as well. He was pretty sure that the Butterscotch milkshake would be amazing. No arguments from my side meant a milkshake for each one of us.

Sambhar

Coconut Chutney and Tomato Chutney

Within minutes our first dosa – Mushroom Chopsuey Dosa was on the table along with the Butterscotch milkshakes. The dosa was served with sambhar and 2 types of chutneys – coconut chutney (white coloured) and the tomato chutney (red coloured).

Mushroom Chopsuey Dosa

The dosa was neatly cut into 3 pieces, making it easy to eat. The dosa was crispy, right amount of veggies, right balance of spices. The coconut chutney became an instant hit. It made the dosa more delicious. The sambhar was too good, so was the tomato chutney.

Butterscotch Milkshake

As my friend had pointed out earlier, the Butterscotch Milkshake was indeed good. It was smooth, not too thick, had just the correct amount of sweetness. Overall it was the right choice. I couldn’t resist ordering another one.

Paneer Corn Crispy Dosa

We weren’t even done with the first dosa, when the second dosa arrived. The Paneer Corn Crispy dosa was cut into 4 pieces and was much darker in colour, suggesting that it had been cooked using a bit more oil. Talking about taste, this dosa tasted good as well. It had a totally different flavour as compared to the Mushroom Chopsuey Dosa. The dosa size and stuffing ensured that we didn’t have any space left in our tummies. Please note that if you are health conscious and don’t want to add another inch to that belly, remember this dosa is tasty, yes very tasty but oily as well.

We had just finished eating and our check was already there, however none of us had ordered for the same. We knew it was about time to shut down and the waiter wanted us to move out as soon as possible without saying anything to us.

The restaurant sitting and ambience is similar to that of other restaurants like Bombay Chowpatty or Bikanerwala. This means it has a desi feel to it and the décor is nothing fancy. The dosas are tasty but not all that cheap when you compare it to other South Indian restaurants. It is one of those places where you can go with friends and/or family to have some fun and good vegetarian food.

Bill (for 2):

1 Mushroom Chopsuey Dosa with Cheese       AED 19

1 Paneer Corn Crispy Dosa                            AED 36

3 Butterscotch Milshakes                              AED 36

1 Water (Small)                                            AED 2

2 Sambhar                                                   No extra charge

2 Coconut Chutney                                       No extra charge

2 Tomato Chutney                                        No extra charge

Total                                                          AED 93

Details:

Restaurant           Dosa Plaza

Cuisine                Indian (100% Veg.)

Location              Al Reem Bldg., Amman Street, Near Carrefour Express, Qusais, Al Nahda

Contact                +971 4 2204265, +971 4 2204256

Website               www.dosaplaza.com

The Catch:

For all food lovers in Dubai who feel Al Nahda is too far, Dosa Plaza has a branch opening in Karama (near Pizza Hut) real soon.

A special mention to my Veggie friend, without whom I wouldn't have discovered this awesome Dosa place, Thanks.

Disclamer: All offers are as of the date the blog owner dined in at the restaurant. Any changes made to the offers are not the responsibility of the blog owner. Please check the offers with the restaurant before dine-in or take away.