Shahran is an Indian restaurant specialising in Hyderabadi cuisine. Located opposite the Golden Dragon and Moshi Momo & Sushi in Oud Metha, Shahran boasts a handsome, traditional interior with dining cubicles cocooning a more orthodox table-chair dining area in the middle of the restaurant. It’s definitely a pleasant place to enjoy a meal.
There is no shortage of Indian restaurants in Dubai, Hyderabadi included. So, you have to really, really be good to stand out. Shahran is. Their kababs are unbelievable, the Reshmi Kabab a must. We also tried their Mahi Tikka which was seasoned and cooked perfectly. But it’s not the fish kabab one comes to a Hyderabadi restaurant for, in my case it’s the Mutton Biriyani, and boy-o-boy is theirs good. Served with all the fanfare it deserves, upon opening the lidded serving dish, one is initially presented with a boiled egg on a bed of fragrant, freckled long grain rice. A quick dig under the rice reveals an Aladdin’s cave of succulent meat and masala. Brilliant.
Mutton Dum Biryani
We also tried their Dum Ka Laal Murg, chicken curry in a rich, tangy, red tomato and chilli sauce. I was surprised our waiter allowed us to order a very close cousin, the Laal Mirch Ki Matchli, fish fillets in a similar sauce. Although they were both very tasty, I would have preferred a little more variety; something their menu certainly boasts. Rounding off our mains was a Khatti Daal which was so good I would happily go back to make a meal of it with a little rice or a roti – the perfect comfort food.
Laal Mirch Ki Matchli
Khatti Daal
Dum Ka Laal Murg
Bread 
Gulab Jamun 
Khir
I have mixed feeling about the service at Shahran. Although friendly, our non-Desi waiter had an (obvious) problem recommending dishes from their menu. In addition to his lack of product knowledge, he stumbled with the basics (details of which I will take up with the restaurant and not bore you with). But this is a classic example of an otherwise good restaurant experience being diminished (I won’t go as far as saying ruined) by a staff member who wasn’t quite up to the job. That said, I am sure it is something Shahran will soon address (if it already hasn’t). This is a quality Indian restaurant which is well worth a visit.
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