Karachi Darbar, Lahbab - HIghway Cafeteria, Middle Eastern Style

One good thing about the Middle East is that even roadside diners on dusty highways have something interesting on their menus. The Lahbab branch of the Karachi Darbar Pakistani restaurant chain is one example. The chain has a reasonably good reputation in Dubai for offering good value Indian and Pakistani staple dishes at all times of day. There is a vast stretch of dirt between the highway and the restaurant, which gives trucks plenty of space to pull over. There were quite a few 18 wheelers parked outside this place, which is usually a pretty good sign of cheap and cheerful dining nearby.

The frontage of the restaurant is colourful and clean, and the interior is basic without appearing barren. The patterned tiles on the walls and floor help to liven up the place, and the red & gold chairs looked like they were plucked straight out of a 19th century opera theater.

I ordered a mutton biryani, since it was midday, so it would definitely be fresh. It arrived at the table within a couple of minutes, along with a bunch of friends including curry sauce, some raw vegetables and a mint-yoghurt sauce called raita.

Fun fact about biryani is that is is typically served with the lumps of meat hidden underneath the pile of rice. So when you are served it looks just like you have a giant plate of yellowish rice in front of you. The visual presentation of the dish might not be the best, but the method ensures that the meat stays hot and moist underneath the fluffy, insulating layer of rice.

The mutton in my biryani was great. So soft that it was clear the meat had been slowly cooking for over 3 hours. It fell off the bone with only hardly any effort, and didnt have too much bad fat attached to it. The rice was good, with a modest quantity of the required herbs and whole spices added for flavour.

The curry sauce tasted mostly of tomato, with almost no spice heat, but it worked well with the rice, adding moisture and some richness. The raita was watery, which was a sign that the sauce had been watered down, as a cost saving measure, which is a common practice in the more budget indian and pakistani places in Dubai. But again, the mild flavour added to the overall dish, giving a fresh mint flavour to the rice.

The table water was free, since it was from the tap. It isn't going to kill you, as long as you don't have too much in one sitting. The drawback for me was that my poor glass had more chips in it than your average casino, which meant I had to be extremely careful when trying to take a sip.

I ordered a chai tea after the meal, since it's always nice to finish with something a bit sweet. Luckily it was served in a styrofoam cup, so I didnt have to worry about cutting my face off. It was piping hot, sweet and had that nice smell of cardomom to it which is what makes chai so good to begin with.

AVERAGE

Karachi Darbar in Lahbab is not going to be the place you want to seek out specifically for a meal. It is however a very acceptable option for a simple and affordable lunch if you happen to be passing by. Each component of a dish is not best in it's class, but the sum of those parts equals something that you cant help but enjoy. 

The bill (for 1):
1 x Mutton Biryani - 10 Dhs
1 x Chai Tea - 1 Dhs

TOTAL: 11 Dhs (Approx. US$3)

Restaurant address: about 100 metres past the Lahbab roundabout, on the Dubai-Hatta Road. Its on your left, heading towards Oman. for the exact location, take a look at our map.