If you’ve walked the entire length of City Walk 2, you’ll know that the one place which is always, always packed and has a waiting line more often than not, is Farzi Cafe. Since the day they opened their doors to Dubai’s foodies, they’ve successfully Farzified everyone who has walked in. I went back to Farzi cafe after over a year, and suffice to say, their quality is consistent. The things I found unimpressive last time failed to impress me this time as well (even though I was fasting and famished), the things I loved last time reminded me of why I loved (and still love them), and new additions to the menu which I tried this time actually went down very easy and left a mark.
I haven’t been going out for a lot of iftars this year, but Farzi cafe made the cut. Their iftar is very reasonably priced, at AED 125 pp. Portions are perfect for iftar, but since I was invited for a tasting, I got treated to a little something something extra (thank you, team Farzi). We started off with some exquisite dates. I really liked that there were a few options instead of just the one. For instance, I’m not a fan of popping candy, so I was much happier with the kunafa coated date, and the date macaron was simply sublime.
After the dates, the food just kept on coming. We did not have to wait in between courses and the meal was well-paced. We were asked if we were read for the next course, which is a small detail sadly overlooked by many restaurants.
Here’s what we had:
The bhel/papdi chaat thing that I can’t recall the name of for the life of me. Not the best I’ve hd, but there isn’t a more refreshing way to break your fast than with some of this stuff!
LOOK at that char on that kulcha!! I loved this, but I wish it had a vegetable filling instead of lamb/mutton.
Daal Chaawal Arancini. I wasn’t impressed by this fan favorite before, and nothing has changed. It tasted like a mush of stale, bland daal and rice. Pass.
Another fan favorite, but this one for good reason. Farzi’s version of the dynamite shrimp is preferable over P.F Chang’s any day.
The beef Boti hash. This was a hit on our table. Everyone loved this. The flavors were on point and I wonder why no one thought to incorporate the mighty hash brown into Indian cuisine before? Match made in heaven. The controversial deconstructed Shepard’s Pie was also delicious, with juicy chunks of meat. Noms.
Combine the deep broth of nihari with the convenience of seekh kebab? Sign me up. All the deliciousness and none of the messiness of having to share one shank amongst 4 people.
Shawerma Biryani. I like my biryani spicy and packed with goodies, so this one was a pass for me.
LOVED this one. This was a take on the South Indian pancake but instead of being made with rice flour, it was made like a regular buttermilk pancake- but with coconut milk! I loved the black chickpea side salad, the gravy, and especially the shrimps inside. This was one of my favorites at Farzi that night.
Steady favorite: the Mutton Pepper Fry. If you know me well, you’ll know I don’t eat mutton. Ever. I just don’t enjoy it. Whenever I think of Farzi Cafe though, this is what comes to mind first. This was the one dish at Farzi Cafe that really hit the home run and still the only mutton dish till date that I enjoy and even crave. No fancy presentation, no liquid nitrogen, just honest to God, simple, solid food that’s pleasurable with every bite! Can not love this enough.
Another thing I don’t like is mocktails. I love sugar, but hate mocktails. This popcorn soda though, which was basically a caramel popcorn flavored ice cream soda, was a winner. I’ll remember this for days, because I LOVE ice-cream sodas and this was just perfect! Next time I’m in city walk and want just a refreshing drink, I’d rather head here than go to The Brass or any of the other overrated coffee shops. Of course I’ll always order the Mutton Pepper Fry to have something to wash down with the drink 😛
My heart couldn’t handle this one! Dear Farzi Cafe, if you’re reading this, and if you love me, PLEASE send me one of these ADORABLE dispensers you serve your Karak Chai in! I NEED THIS IN MY LIFE AND IN MY HOME! You guys, this was the cutest thing ever, and it wasn’t nonsensical, like putting fried chicken in a molcajete. Oh, and the Karak was legit too. Everyone wanted seconds. Please excuse me for a minute while I calm my heart that just can’t handle how cute this was.
I’m never a fan of Indian/Pakistani desserts and sweets, but this was a really good Gulab Jamun. I wonder why the Indians and Pakistanis don’t serve their sweets with berries more often, because they could really use a hit of acidity to cut through their intense richness. Also enjoyed (but forgotten to photograph), was the Cheese Kunafa with Turkish Coffee Foam. I mean, come on.
Some memorable and some forgettable dishes, but a pleasant meal overall, and excellent for the reasonable price of AED 125 pp. Thanks for having me, guys.
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