With its bright colours, friendly service and delicious food, Dhaba Lane brings the warmth and vitality of India’s roadside shack restaurants (dhabas) to Dubai.
The home-grown Indian restaurant’s colourful exterior is the first thing we noticed as my friend and I parked on the otherwise drab street in Al Garhoud near Century Village.
The warm exterior was carried through to the interior where a mixture of brick walls and wood panelling contrasted with rich hues and patterns to create a lively and chic setting.
We were greeted by the enthusiastic owner herself, Eti Bhasin, who told us that this new location in Al Garhoud has been thriving during the daytime with local and Arab customers from the neighbouring businesses – the original branch is in Karama. She then proceeded to walk us through the dishes we were sampling, explaining the history and background of each.
As the food was placed on our table, we couldn’t help but take pictures (for our social media accounts of course) of the fun presentations which were again inspired by the Dhaba culture in India. One of the items, for example, was presented on a small truck with a plaque that says “once you have eaten here, you would keep coming back”. Another was brought in a miniature red brick well.
Dhaba Tandoori Murgh. Image: Supplied
Dhaba Lane’s menu pays homage to India’s diverse food culture from distinct parts of India. So of course the staple dishes – including the butter chicken, mutton rogini and tandoori – were all there and cooked to perfection.
But it is the less common dishes that made the biggest impression on us.
One of our favourite dishes was the Dahi Batata Puri, a mixture of citrusy yoghurt and sweet tamarind mixed together in a fried ball of deliciousness that explodes with flavour in your mouth.
Dahi Batata Puri. Image: Supplied
It was followed closely by Hare Moong Dal ki Tikki, a potato cheese patty covered with spicy green lentils, a cheese-lover’s dream.
For milk pudding fans, dessert is a must. Dhabi Lane has a dizzying variety of sugary treats that are the perfect end to a spice savoury meal.
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