Pre-curry excitement
A review of Ravi Restaurant, in Satwa Dubai
Ever since I got to Dubai, people have been raving about Ravi. “You haven’t been to Ravi yet? You must go to Ravi.” “Ravi is amazing, really.” “What? Maia, get in a cab and go right now. I’ll go with you. Let me just put on my shoes. Where are my shoes?” Clearly, there is unanimous hype around this neon-lit Pakistani canteen and while for the last few weeks I’ve been stuck going to the regular Lebos in Dubai watering holes like La Petite Maison, La Serre, Iris, and Zuma, I have been itching to pay Ravi a visit and see for myself whether this place does indeed deserve all the publicity it gets. This Monday, I finally got the chance to find out.
The Ravi expedition started out a little shaky. Apparently there is more than just one Ravi out there in the big bad streets of Deira and I directed the cab to one in Karama. That is not the one you want to be going to. Instead, make sure you head to the original restaurant in Satwa on Al Dhiyafa Road. That’s the money maker. So we spent another 20 minutes in the cab weaving our way through traffic in the pursuit of some highly anticipated Pakistani fare. When we finally got there and saw the chefs stirring vats of rich curries and grilling spice rubbed meat on piping hot flat tops, we knew it was well worth the wait.
We took our seats at a common table next to a group of six middle-aged British men and women who clearly had overdosed on sunshine for the week. Behind their smiling burned faces, they made a few recommendations, some of which we ignored, others we wish we had ignored. Nevertheless, after examining the extensive menu, we settled on a generous spread of spicy split yellow daal, chicken tikka, mutton chops, chicken masala, basmati rice, and their house naan.
Typically, I’m a fan of black daal; it’s thicker, nuttier, and heartier. But at Ravi, they pack the yellow daal with enough green chili, fresh ginger matchsticks, turmeric, and garam masala to make for a very flavorful, very layered dish. I didn’t miss the black variety at all. The chicken tikka, two generous portions of chicken breast (specify that you only want the breast if you’re white meat kinda people, like us) was excellent as well. Covered in a spice rub that adds just the right amount of heat and yumminess, the chicken was chargrilled on the outside and perfectly moist and tender on the inside. Chicken breast has a tendency to dry out super quick, especially when chargrilled, but the chefs at Ravi know exactly what they’re doing, and all you’re left with are two plump and juicy pieces of meat staring at you from the table ready to be devoured.
The chicken masala was good, but not a favorite. At Ravi, apparently the mutton masala is a specialty but we thought it may be best to keep our choices little on the lighter side. Alas, that was a bad decision. Never opt for moderation at Ravi. Go big or go home. The masala was very spicy but the curry felt slightly watered down. It wasn’t its usual rich and creamy self. We should’ve gone for the butter chicken or stuck to the mutton. Oh well, no harm done. I’ll just use this as an excuse to go back.
My absolute favorite dish however was the mutton chops, another Ravi specialty. Expertly spiced and grilled to perfection these little handfuls of heaven made my night. The spice rub formed a light crust on the flesh and the meat melted on my tongue, like butter. The mutton itself had a very meaty, very smoky, spicy warmth to it and was just wonderful. This dish is a must have, even for those finicky eaters who don’t/won’t eat mutton/lamb. It’s most certainly worth it. You have my word.
A few words of caution: Ravi is certainly not the place to go if you’re looking for white glove service. It’s also not the place to go if you mind eating in places with seemingly questionable hygiene (though it is quite clean, it just doesn’t really look it). I also wouldn’t recommend it if you’re sick of bumping into friendly tomato-faced British people who have beads of sweat dripping down their foreheads. Lastly, if you’re not super excited about the idea of seeing Pakistani men wash up and hearing them clear the phlegm out of their throats before prayer, reconsider. However, if you are indeed put off by any of these factors then you don’t deserve the meal anyway. If Ravi was good enough for Anthony Bourdain, it’s most certainly good enough for the rest of us.
Ravi Restaurant, Al Dhiyafa Road, Satwa, Dubai, 04-3315353
Worth a Taste 
love Ravi! You must try their chicken keema and mash daal next time 🙂