There ain't no Chaach like a Rajdhani Smoked Chaas!

Chaach or Chaas is also known as buttermilk and is kind of like a lassi but is usually salted and with various herbs. While it is readily available in most indian restaurants, it takes some doing to come up with a variant that is not only delicious but sort of like a mini-event on your table as well. Judging by the reaction of the other diners and the people I tend to take here, its not that common either.

The folks at Rajdhani in Rolla Street Bur Dubai do a great standard Thali, couple things to bear in mind are that like most Thali's.. it is only vegetarian and there is no menu.. they just fill and re-fill the little bowls with different dishes with non stop roti's, rice and khicdi, till you can't take anymore and ask them to stop.. it is a great place for a meal in a hurry as the food starts hitting your table the second you sit down and it's 35DHS per person for as much as you can eat, the smoked Chaach is extra.

I realise that most new Dubai-ites would never ever venture over to Bur Dubai for a meal, but the fact remains that if you want un-adulterated good Indian or Pakistani food, this trek needs to be made.. be it for Ravi's.. or in this case.. Rajdhani's.

The idea behind the smoked Chaach is that, the glass you drink it in is 'smoked' before the ready chaach is added to it giving it an almost... wait for it... smoked taste. A piece of coal is dabbed with a bit of ginger, garlic and ghee (which causes it to smoke) the glass is then placed upside down on top of it to collect the smoke straight after the ready chaach is added.. then comes the spices and things such as green chillies, salt, coriander are added to it to give it a very unique taste.

Rajdhani is on 129 Rolla Street, Bur Dubai - Tel: +9714-3934433

Dubai - a foodie paradise and now the focus of the blog

It is true, Dubai is a foodie's paradise. The cuisine available is from all over the world and there is something to suit every budget, from the 5DHS sandwiches to the 1000DHS meals, from Filipino to Camel Burgers to Bombay chutney grilled sandwiches to Michelin star restaurants and cool funky places like Buddha Bar, or Okku. However, because of this,  it takes something quite unique and extraordinary to make you go back given the amount of choice available in this buzzing city.

There are a few staples that stand out and are a must visit should you be stopping by for a visit one of the millions of expat that call this city home. Since my love of Indian street food is what gave birth to this blog, I shall stick to that for now.. as it is of an excellent standard.

So should you be a meat eater, you will find it difficult to beat the Pakistani restaurants - a perfect example of this is Ravi Restaurant in Satwa - it is a Dubai icon and the mixed grill and the Chicken Peshawri are simply divine. Chicken Tikka Inn's is also a great but the true icon is Wrap & Roll by Haandi Malai boti rolls are out of this world!

There is a very thriving South Indian community in Dubai as well, so should you be craving the Idli's or Dosa's Appa Kadai fits the bill - it has won best Indian restaurant since 2007 for a reason! Also Sarvana Bhavan is also another great please, both of these have multiple branches in Old (Bur Dubai, Diera) & New Dubai (Marina side).

Lebanese cuisine is everywhere and is a must, you can't beat a good Shawarma, homous, fatoush or Shish Tawouk but should you be in the mood for something different, you simply must stop by Al Reef bakery for their extremely famous and ridiculously tasty cheese breads - these bakeries are open 24 hours and are often packed after the clubs close at 3 am.

My personal favourite at Al Reef is the Cheese with Meat or the Cheese & Chili. I could keep adding to this post as Dubai is truly a foodie's paradise. I am going to be shifting my focus on the blog from Mumbai to Dubai with various other countries thrown in for good measure..  depending where my travels might take me.