Baku Café | Azerbaijani cuisine in City Walk
One of the top places in my checklist, Azerbaijan has always fascinated me ever since one of my very good friends came back refreshed from his short vacay to Baku. I realized traveling to the city might take a while, with work and commitments you know, but that doesn’t mean I can’t experience Azerbaijani cuisine right?! Off I went to the very obviously named Baku Café!
Situated in the prestigious City Walk, Baku Café is a ground plus one restaurant with an open kitchen and store at the ground level and massive seating on the upper floor. Read on to find out more about the interiors and the Azerbaijani fare on offer at the City Walk spot.
Bathed in dim lit earthy tones, the interiors of this restaurant are slick. These hues beautifully complement the traditional plate décor, brick walls lined with pickle jars and faux greens. The decked up shelves lend a very homely feel while the pillows and sofa actually made me want to sleep.
Drinks
We started off with three options from their classic mocktail menu. I chose the refreshingly light mango mojito while one of my friends opted for the slightly creamy virgin colada and the other went authentic Azerbaijani with a fresh pomegranate juice.
Aubergine Lavangi
We started off with this eggplant based starter. Stuffed with a creamy filling of walnuts, onions, and plum, this was quite a creative cold appetizer. I’ve never tried eggplants in this form before, but these stuffed ones make me want to go back to Baku Café.
Gyurza
The name of this hot appetizer is almost like gyoza, and so is the look of the dish. Thee mixed steamed and fried dumplings were filled with well-cooked land mince and served with yogurt dip. While I liked the fried ones more for the crunch, the mince would do well with the addition of some seasoning.
Chicken Govurma
This chicken dish was one of my two favorites at Baku Café . Featuring juicy pieces of chicken with mushrooms, potato wedges, cherry tomatoes and chilies, this one makes a great option for chicken lovers.
Grilled Vegetables
I’m a big fan of grilled veggies, and this side platter had all my favorites – zucchini, peppers, carrots, aubergines, mushrooms and more. A perfect one for veggie lovers.
Chicken Lula Kebab
Brilliant! Made with minced chicken, these kebabs were not only generous in portion but at the same time they felt really light. The grilled-burnt outer crust gave it the right mix of crunch and density in every bite. Don’t forget to add salsa on top. It really adds a punch to the kebabs.
Desserts
All the desserts at Baku Café were so different from what I expected. They were light, sort of guilt free and not too sweet either. The Mutaki were almost like sweet spring rolls, but not too crispy, and had a powdery texture. The Baklava was quite unique, and wasn’t overly sweet. There was a strong walnut flavor and texture in this. The Shakerbura was dense and biscuit like, and made a great accompaniment with the Azerbaijani tea.
Tea
We ended our meal with a warm cup(s) of Azerbaijani tea. The best part about the tea were the walnut dotted sugar cubes. Azerbaijanis really love walnuts, and it’s a very apparent key ingredient in most of their dishes. The sugar added a nutty texture along with sweetness which made it all the more better.
Baku Café
- Food
- Drinks
- Ambience
- Pricing
- Service
#RashidaReviews
Go here for their interiors, authentic Azerbaijani fare and friendly hospitality. The cuisine is quite
different and some dishes have an acquired taste, but they are definitely worth a try. My favorites were the Chicken Lula kebab and Chicken Govurma.
Location: CITY WALK, Al Safa & Al Wasl Road Intersection, Al Safa, Dubai
Contact: 04 5260490
