Kebabs, Curries & Biryanis at Kareem’s Ramada Abu Dhabi Corniche

Abu Dhabi can surprise you in ways you would never know, especially when it comes to food. If you stay in Dubai like me and make occasional trips to the city for sightseeing, events, staycations and such, make sure one of the reasons is good food. So when I was asked to take a trip from Dubai to Abu Dhabi for lunch at Kareem’s, well it had to better be good.

And it was.

Enter Kareem’s. Located in Ramada Abu Dhabi Corniche, this beautifully designed restaurant has such a colorful decor, it almost feels like you are entering the dining hall of a Mughal emperor. Bright table cloths, exquisite curtains and deep wooden furniture adorned the interiors of this authentic Indian restaurant. Kareem’s prides itself in their offer of kebabs, curries and biryanis, which means we got to try a variety of these specialties. The service, being impeccably tuned to the concept of the restaurant, really made us feel like Maharajas (and Maharani, of course).
Read on to find out what we tried, and you might just end up with an excuse to go to Abu Dhabi.

  

Buttermilk Chhaas

A welcome drink is something that makes you look forward to your meal while at the same time giving you a quick idea of what you can expect from the restaurant.
Our welcome with this chilled buttermilk Chhaas was quite a lovely one. A little salty, a little spicy, it had the perfect amount of tempering you would expect. And plus, it was so authentic!
The drink menu at Kareem’s is quite compact, focusing mainly on yogurt based drinks like lassi, chhaas, and then some lime water and fresh juices. This one’s a must try.

Papad Basket

Following the chhaas, we received the papad basket which was served in a typical fashion with green mint chutney, onions, lemons as well as carrots and cucumber bites.

Murgh Yakhni Shorba

There’s no good reason to not indulge in soup. Especially when it’s chicken soup for your soul, appetite, everything.
We tried the Murgh Yakhni Shorba at Kareem’s in Ramada Abu Dhabi Corniche which came with tender boiled shredded chicken in a semi thick broth. Spiced with freshly ground pepper and served warm, this one’s the perfect choice for a chilly evening.

Kebab Platter

Nobody in their right mind could say no to kebabs. And neither did we.
Ticking off one of three items from their specialties, we tried this delicious trio of kebabs at Kareem’s in Ramada Abu Dhabi Corniche which highlighted three of the most unique and bestselling flavors of this category.

Served on a sizzler plate, this platter came with Kareem’s Special Murgh Tandoori Tikka which were beautifully marinated in the classic tandoori mix. This was followed by Murgh Hari Mirch Tikka which was wonderfully spicy owing to its green chilli flavor. And finally Murgh Malai Tikka, featuring creamy and tender chicken morsels.

My favorite was the Murgh Hari Mirch Tikka, while my guest loves the Malai variety.
Which flavor of tikka or kebabs do you usually prefer?

Selection of Curries

Here’s a collection of curries from Kareem’s in Ramada Abu Dhabi Corniche which I just can’t get over.

The one on top is the Dum ki Daal which is named so since its cooked overnight. So creamy and so delicious, this one was my favorite. It’s perfect with white rice.
The curry on the left is the very famous Mutton Rogan Josh that was cooked in a sour spicy tomatoey gravy.
Another classic, the Chicken Tikka Masala on the right was perfectly spiced. It featured tender chicken pieces that I loved every bite of.

These curries were served with lacchha paratha (leavened bread) to the left and tandoori naan bread to the right. I would strongly suggest you try atleast one curry of the veg variety and one from the non-veg variety. You won’t regret!

Chicken Biryani

The third of their three part specialty was the chicken Biryani at Kareem’s in Rotana Abu Dhabi Corniche. Cooked in the authentic dum style in an earthen pot, this rice classic came with aromatic long grain basmati bathed in aromatic masalas and dotted with tender chicken pieces. This dum biryani, staying true to its name, is cooked for over four hours to get that earthen flavor.

Plus there was no way I would go to an authentic Indian Mughlai restaurant and pass on the biryani.
Must have!

Phirni, Rabdi & Gulab Jamoon

To top it off with the perfect ending, we were served Mawa rabdi and Malai phirni.

The Phirni was very much like kheer with cooked softened sweet rice. But what really impressed me was the Rabdi which came with indulgent creamy mawa pieces soaked in sweet thick milk.
Garnished with dry fruits, they were accented with rose petals for a touch of prettiness.

Classics can never and should never be missed. To keep up to our classic love, we dug into these soft gulab jamoons as well despite being stuffed.

Kareem’s

Location: Ramada Abu Dhabi, Mina Road, Tourist Club Area (Al Zahiyah), Abu Dhabi
Contact: 02 4019004