Sharda is a 100% vegetarian, multi-cuisine restaurant ideally located on the ground floor of the DWD car parking building opposite the Al Ras Gold Souk. Talk about super convenience: park, shop, eat and leave. It has none of the hassle the other Al Ras restaurants pose. Although it boasts being multi-cuisine, Sharda is a Gujarati restaurant at heart. And in typical Gujarati style, its interior is well maintained and spotlessly clean.
The promise of multi-cuisine means Sharda offers North and South Indian, Chinese, Italian and of course Gujarati (= thali). I was there, however, to try their South Indian breakfast. First thing first, the restaurant does NOT open at 08:00 as listed on Zomato. Mornings are a bit of a lazy, 09:30 start. And that’s really because the fat cats at the Gold Souk only come to work around then.
The most interesting part of Sharda’s South Indian breakfast is the Sambar which is sweet rather than sour. Why? Because 90% of their customers are Gujjus from the Souk…who like it that way. Idli, Vada, Dosa are all the same but the Sambar is totally different. Personally, I didn’t like it, but I think that was mainly because the sweetness caught me by surprise. And also, because I love the taste of real, khatta Sambar. Otherwise, the rest of the meal was excellent – everything freshly made.
Idli and Vada 
Dosa 
Delicious “masala” 
Sweet Sambar
Service at Sharda is typically Gujarati, genuinely friendly and infinitely accommodating. I was coaxed to try a lime and honey (hot) drink which was the perfect ending to my meal, especially on the overcast morning I visited them. Sharda is one of a handful of Gujarati restaurants in the Al Ras area. Good food and its unique locality, attached to a multi-story parking lot, makes is the most convenient of the lot, and well worth a visit.
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