The Bhukkad Café is one of a growing number of trendy new restaurants which have been popping up in Dubai (predominantly in Karama and Oud Metha), focused on serving the food young Indians eat in India today, not the curries and biryanis we normally associate with Indian cuisine. Bhukkand’s interior is cheeky, cheerful and colourful. It’s not dissimilar to several of the other recent start-ups such as Bol Gappa, Kulfiholic and Once Upon A Bite. It’s almost as if the same designer had a hand in designing them all. Even my reviews of these restaurants are looking and sounding similar.
Two things drew me to The Bhukkad Café, the first being that bhukkad is Hindi slang for ravenous, a word I associate with – a lot. The second was the promise of authentic Kolkata Chilli Chicken and Chow Mein (or Chau Mean as they call it). And that’s exactly what I ordered. It took a while for my food to be served, which was surprising considering that the restaurant wasn’t nearly full, but holy cow! both these Kolkata classics turned out to be dynamite and very close to the real thing. I also ordered a Limca Masala which I regret – masala doesn’t work with Limca like it does with Thumbs Up. Rather than dessert, I ended my meal with some excellent, must try Adrak Chai (Indian style ginger tea).
I was disappointed with the service. My server was distant, distracted and only seemed interested in the table in-front of me. Normally I would severely rate down a restaurant for something like this, but I enjoyed the food and ambiance so much I’ll let it slide. I can only assume the rest of their menu is equally good (other reviewers seem to think so). This is definitely a restaurant worth a try. In fact, I will probably come back at some point myself, to satisfy my Kolkata street food cravings if not to try some of the other yummies they offer. Perhaps I’ll bring my Thursday Lunch Club buddies along too.
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Xerxes physically dines at, or orders from,
each and every venue he reviews. He pays in full for whatever he and his
companions eat, drink, take away or occasionally throw at each other. Xerxes
accepts no money, gifts, discounts or free meals in return for reviews or
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