Heavenly Kababs at the back of beyond (well almost...)

Here I was, standing at the kitchen door of the restaurant – almost badgering the servers for a couple of parathas….

Each one was taking around two minutes…and there was a backlog of close to 50 parathas I presume (considering the amount of time it had taken for my order) – from my position at the open kitchen door, i could see the cook was working feverishly at the upturned “kadai” or pan – which served as the griddle to churn out that “melting” flat bread called paratha.  

“Ek plate Lucknow Kabab aur Do paratha mein itna time kyun lag raha hai?” (subtitles below :P)– I was EXASPERATED!!

Later….much much later, when I emerged – fully satiated (or maybe still craving a bit) from the obscure little restaurant in Sharjah, I almost couldn’t believe that I had actually fought with the servers & barged into the kitchen to get my order delivered. Anyplace else – and I would’ve walked out and driven to the nearest yellow arches to satisfy my hunger pangs (yes, I am guilty….of being a fast food addict too – at times. Nothing like a McSpicy or a Whopper when the cravings set in – but I digress) Coming back…. as I was saying….it takes very little provocation for me to walk out of a place offering bad service. I am a strong believer in the Indian idiom “Atithi Devo Bhava” (subtitles below again). But there I was …willing to even assist the haggard chef’s assistants to help speed up my order. The reason was that I had tasted a teeny weeny bit of the kabab at a friend’s place a day earlier…..and was dumbstruck. Even when cold…the kabab felled me completely. I just had to be at the genesis of this wonder….and sooooon!

Al Afadhil Restaurant (or Lucknow Kabab- as it is usually known) is in an unpaved alley off Al Wahda Street in Sharjah. From the looks of the crowd, I was clearly the one who got to know of the party last. This place was clearly POPULAR! Families milled about at the entrance (paved with extremely slippery tiles, so I suggest wearing sensible shoes) waiting to be let in as soon as a table was available. So – I waited…..and waited….and waaaiiittted.

Finally unable to bear the long idle wait – I decided to walk in to see how soon I could expect to be seated., since the crowd was generally self regulating and I hadn’t seen a single member of staff in the 45 minutes that I I was outside. Horror of horrors – the inside too was packed with families milling about still waiting to be seated! Whoaaa! What was this? The diners were blissfully tucking into their grub whilst others were literally waiting by the table – silently goading them to finish quicker.

The place was nightmarishly understaffed clearly. There were a total of 4 servers catering to about 15 tables. Or trying too. They would disappear into the kitchen (at times simultaneously) and not emerge for at least the next 10-15 minutes. I suspect that their responsibilities included cooking as well!

As it turned out – I was in luck. There were two tables which were for two. One of them got empty soon enough and amongst the crowds waiting there wasn’t anyone who wanted a two seater. So I grabbed my chance. Content that I was finally going to get the stuff that I drove all that way for. It wasn’t to be that easy. A good 15 minutes passed – with me repeatedly standing – gesturing – calling and signaling to the waiters. Finally one clearly hassled guy stopped over and asked me what I wanted. I made the mistake of not asking him what was on offer – and instead uttered “menu”. There goes. 

Another 10 minute wait and I finally got a 1 page offering. I usually am impressed with One page menu's since it gives me the feeling that the chef is sticking to what he knows best. No riff-raff. Unfortunately my English teachers at school did not share my sentiments while grading my essays. So now you know who to blame for my verbosity!

Al Afadhil offers a very limited choice. 3 varieties of lamb kababs. 1 Chiken Tikka.  

We obviously immediately ordered what we were there for. The Lucknow Kabab and the Roomali Parathas. 

When the lucknow kabab finally made its grand appearance, it was an anti climax. Presentation clearly isn’t  their forte again. It looked like a simple mash of minced meat – shallow fried on a griddle. Don’t let looks fool you however. I tore off a piece of the heavenly paratha and dug in (you have to use your fingers here – getting cutlery might take another eternity). The kabab (I wonder if it can technically be called that) – was a melt in the mouth creation! Perfectly spiced, tender lamb mince was ground to a paste – with lentils, to give it this velvety & satisfying texture. Added to that the perfect spice mix and it was gently cooked using a griddle so that both sides of a patty were done to perfection. What comes onto your plate however, doesn’t resemble a patty. That’s because the meat is so tender, any movement to flip it is going to break it (which it does) so it’s a shapeless flat portion- perfectly cooked. (I’m drooling all over again). Its served with a tamarind “chutney” and raw onions on the side. Perfect accompaniments to a perfect meal! I can devour about a dozen of those “roomali parathas” (they are as light as chiffon) with that chutney alone.

The Chicken Tikka was good too, though not something you would drive an hour for. Grilled to perfection  (they obviously have a stickler manning the grill in the kitchen), and spiced as per your taste. 

The Shammi kababs seemed a not too distant cousin of the lucknow kababs. Ones who held their own in terms of their shape, as compared to the lucknow kabab.

Another stand-out was the unexpected vegetarian dish “aloo palak” – mildly spiced potatoes in a spinach base. Unlike the Palak in Palak Paneer at other restaurants, this one wasn't a paste but instead - home style finely chopped spinach.  This was a dish I’d cringe eating anyplace else. It was one of two vegetarian offerings, so I decided to give it a try, just as a test spin for a joint known for their meat. It emerged a winner. Try it. You’ll be surprised.





















And now finally it was time to order the  pièce de résistance - the "meethi Lassi". It came highly recommended by the regulars and i was specifically asked to order it at the end of the meal. Rightly so, since it was not so much a lassi as it was "Sweetened Cream Yoghurt". This guy obviously dunks in equal measures of yoghurt and cream with sinfully copious amounts of sugar to come up with a concoction which he serves in earthen mugs (called kulhad) - it brought back memories of Lucknow, Delhi, Jaipur and the likes. 

The lassi was divine to say the least, but its going to leave you wallowing in guilt for the next whole week. The kulhad comes perched precariously on a brass tea light holder which resembles one of those mughal era brass goblets. And with a spoon to scoop it out with. Whoever thought that you had to "eat" a lassi? 

All in all - that took care of our cravings for dessert!

Try avoiding the place on the weekends unless you don’t mind charging into the kitchen or waiting endlessly.

Subtitles:

“Ek plate Lucknow Kabab aur Do paratha mein itna time kyun lag raha hai?” – why is one plate of lucknow kabab and two parathas taking so long?

“Atithi Devo Bhava” – A Guest is like God


The Place:
Al Afadhil Restaurant
Tel: +971-6-5335351
On a side street off Al Wahda Road.

Directions:
Once you cross the Al Khan interchange on your way in from Dubai, take the first exit into the service lane on the right. Turn right again after Kitcherama. Al Afadhil is in the second building on the right on this unpaved street.