Explore Dubai’s restaurants where the grill is supreme, delivering dishes that are packed with flavour and paired with sauces that enhance every bite
One of the latest restaurants to open in Motor City’s Neighbourhood Food Hall is Al Naqa Lao Kebab House – the brainchild of chef Aphisith Phongsavanh, also going by the epithet AJ. Drawing in on his Laotian roots, this restaurant and its menu is a love letter to his family and the traditions of this Asian country. On the menu are charcoal grilled kebabs in the beef, lamb and chicken variety, but we’ve got to say, his mastery over elevating the chicken was unparalleled. While your average chicken kebab is, well, cooked chicken with spices – AJ’s chicken stays succulent and engulfed in the spices he’s cooked it with. Grandma’s fried chicken is his grandmother’s recipe and perhaps is testament to the idea that ‘tried and tested’ really does work. Its crispy yet juicy skin is a wonder in itself, while the meat inside remains juicy. We must mention the sauces offered on the menu; we tried the dragon’s breath chilli sauce which includes, among other things, dry roast onion and fish sauce. We lathered the coconutty rice that accompanied the kebabs with the dragon’s breath for extra zing. You can either love or hate the chai karak laban, which is a great finisher to the meal.
On a busy street in Al Barsha, Kenyan-origin Hashmi Barbeque is a spacious venue where the dishes delighted with every bite. Having seen chef Kelvin Cheung of Jun’s fame tucking into the restaurant’s offerings, we headed over to try it for ourselves. One of the (many) stars of the show is the chooza chicken, which absorbs the flavour of the clay oven in which it’s roasted to the fullest degree. Hashmi Barbeque’s fried poussin chicken is a real winner and achieves the perfect crisp with its skin. This is another restaurant where the sauces for each dish pair beautifully; we rarely call anything exquisite, yet the sauce for the poussin is exactly that. It’s almost buttery and complements the crisp skin. The mutton kheema chapati is a nice accompaniment, with seasoned mutton mince mixed with egg and encased in dough. Please leave place for dessert; the signature kulfi is made fresh every morning and is creamy and decadent beyond belief.
Considered a local gem, Al Ustad Special Kabab in Bur Dubai has been feeding tourists and residents since 1978. Claiming to be the oldest Iranian restaurant in Dubai, this spot is known for its smoky kababs – the stars of the menu at affordable prices. Among the many signature dishes is the kabab khas, where you can pick between chicken or mutton as a protein, which is marinated in yoghurt. A traditional Iranian dish that’s also a great option from the menu is the kabab koobideh, where minced mutton (or chicken if you prefer) is barbecued with bread and is moreish with every bite. While you’re at it, do pair the kababs with saffron rice topped with chunks of butter for a complete meal. It’s a family-run restaurant and the décor is quite distinctive, with the tabletops sitting over a collection of currency notes from all over the world and the walls covered with photos of all the people who have dined there. It’s an institution and whatever you order from the menu will show you why.
