19/07/2026
REAL HIDDEN GEM
Tucked away in International City is a family-run Pakistani restaurant that has been quietly serving proper homemade food for years. The mother of the family still prepares many of the dishes herself as they are her recipes.
They do all the classics; tawa geema, nihari and Karachi-style biryani with both chicken and mutton. I went for the mutton biryani and it was spot on. Perfectly balanced and full of flavour. Just the way a proper biryani should be.
But what really makes this place special is the bread.
Instead of a traditional clay tandoor, they use a metal tandoor, giving them much better control over the temperature. They make the most unique Pakistani bread that I've had called Sheermal.
Uncle Nasir, the owner, is so confident in it that he's challenged anyone to find another Pakistani restaurant in Dubai making Sheermal as he is the only one who does it.
They make it two ways. One is soft and doughy, perfect for soaking up a rich nihari. The other is thick, crispy and flaky, almost like a biscuit, and absolutely incredible dunked into a cup of proper Pakistani chai
Mamu Roti n Chai
