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The details Review
Khyber, Duke’s Dubai, Palm Jumeirah North Indian/Mughlai Yes Average Dh400 for two The gajar ka halwa, a classic Punjabi confection of carrots, milk solids and nuts, was rich and fragrant but thankfully not too rich.
dishes that are now almost synonymous with Indian food in the popular imagination. Hint: the tandoor features heavily.
Our drinks arrive first, a bit of a relief for a Wednesday evening. Mine, a Rose Mojito, is an exquisite blend of mint, lemon and rose syrup — a perfect sundowner as we look out over the fronds of this always inspiring island.
We start with the tandoor ka phool, a dish of mildly spiced broccoli and cauliflower, and reshmi kebab, chicken cooked in yoghurt and lightly fragrant spices. The broccoli wows us straightaway — it’s got a nice bite, and the flavours blend together beautifully. For our taste buds, the cauliflower is overwhelmed by the tandoori spices, while the gentle reshmi chicken could have done with a spritz of fresh lime.
Any disappointment disappears with a single bite of the coconut and coriander prawns, which is served as part of a seafood platter, but we’ve ordered on their own. Over hundreds of years, south Indians have perfected Reservations: Recommended, particularly for the raan, which needs to be cooked overnight so order it in advance when booking. Raan. these very flavours, and I’m delighted that Khyber doesn’t disappoint. The prawns are just done, so they have a nice bite, and the coriander, tempered by the coconut, goes right through — we inhale them.
Then it’s time for the raan, which we eat with rotis (gluten-free for me!) and a little black dal. The dal is a little watery for my taste, but the raan… food dreams are made of this. Two versions are available — the signature and the tandoori. We went with the former. Cooked overnight with ginger, garlic and garam masala, a fragrant blend of rich spices that varies, it sends me into paroxysms of rapture. The spices form a silky blanket for the lamb, coming through gently but firmly to underscore the savoury flavours of the meat. Food may be mere chemistry, but Khyber’s raan is art. Perhaps now you’ll understand why I broke a cardinal food review rule and asked for a packing order — I couldn’t let even a morsel go to waste. Besides, I knew I’d want to relish its delectable goodness again.