Welcome to Dubai Habibi! Our move has been slow but certainly full of adventure already. It took a few months to get into our apartment and receive household goods. Much of which still needs to be unpacked.  Although we won’t be jetting off on a private plane anytime soon like the cast of Netflix’s Dubai Bling, we are enjoying all of the city’s cultural events, elevated food presentation at restuarants like Farzi Cafe Dubai, and fabulous views of downtown Dubai from our new apartment. Even the samosas and pastries are blinged out in gold here. I am not sure if we will ever get used to that!

Farzi Cafe Dubai

One of the many perks of living in Dubai is the easy access to good quality international cuisine and culture.  Our new apartment overlooks the Coca-Cola arena.  I could not contain my excitement when I discovered that Coke Studios Pakistan would hold its first ever concert in Dubai.

I immediately rushed over to Coca Cola arena to buy tickets, but learned that the box office was only open on event days. It was lunch time, so on a whim, I decided to walk over to the City Walk outdoor mall next door to discover its restaurant options. Farzi Cafe stood out among the many international restaurants for its decor.

Indian Molecular Gastronony

Farzi Cafe is an India-based chain with venues in South Asia, the Middle East, and UK. It was launched by the Kalra family, who have 50 years of experience bringing Indian cuisine to international audiences through restaurants and food writing.  According to the owners, Farzi Cafe has the goal of “creating an illusion” with its cuisine and presentation. 

Traditional Indian dishes biryani and chicken tikka are presented alongside other international classic comfort foods like mac and cheese with flair and a dash of molecular gastronomy. Above is the sweet mango amuse bouche presented in a chilled halo of liquid nitrogen.

Inventive Mocktails

I love, love fancy mocktails.  The mocktails at Farzi Cafe do not disappoint in flavor or presentation.  My favorite is the Berry Blues from the Artistic Molecular Beverage menu.  Fresh berries and berry caviar are mixed up with liquid nitrogen for an instagram worthy drink.  The burst of flavors from the berry caviar are refreshing.  Traditional mango lassi and Indian masala cola mixes are also available. 

Farzi cafe has quickly become a favorite in our household. Innovative Indian and modern fusion restaurants work well for us. They satisfy my love of spicy food, while still providing Jalal with plenty of milder options. The above wagyu beef kebabs were “melt in your mouth” tender and served over a mushroom puree. The parmasean mac and cheese and the wild garlic mashed potato at Farzi Cafe surprisingly balance out the richer curries.

Seasonal Specialties

We returned to Farzi Cafe Dubai for a pre-concert meal and discovered that the menu is updated regularly to include new seasonal specialties. The new fall menu includes a south Indian cod Pollichatu wrapped in banana leaf.

This spicy and creamy coconut prawn curry is part of the new fall seasonal menu.

The British Indian classic chicken tikka masala is served with a Cornish cheese naan and brought out in an iconic red phone booth! Dessert options include a fusion of creamy Indian ras malai with tres leches.

The pre-concert meal at Farzi Cafe set the tone for a night of amazing music organized by Coke Studios Pakistan.  The finale featuring the hit song from season 14, Pasoori, rocked the house with encores that brought all of the presenters on stage!  

Farzi cafe also offers chai and chat from 5-7 pm daily and an all you can eat breakfast for 59 AED every Saturday and Sunday from 10 am – 12 pm.