Not all restaurants master the class of making good South Indian food, especially getting the Chettinad spices right. Madura Vilas, a small South Indian restaurant in Al Karama, Dubai, attempts to do just that. Did Madura Vilas live up to my expectations?
I tend to book tickets to India that have 10+ hours of layover in Dubai. Dubai is known for its towering skyscrapers and luxury shopping, but something that is not so known outside is about Dubai’s diverse food culture. Dubai is home to more than 100+ nationalities with Indians accounting for 30% of its population.
Streets of Al Karama, Deira is famous for its street food filled with Shawarma stalls and Mandi restaurants. But they also host a plethora of affordable Indian restaurants attracting foreign tourists and locals alike.
Madura Vilas Food Review
Madura Vilas is a small South Indian restaurant located at Al Karama close to ADCB Metro Station. It’s a pretty small restaurant, and can get pretty crowded during weekends. It’s at a walkable distance from Dubai Frame, the location makes it a convenient place for you if you are looking for an Indian restaurant after a tiring day of sight seeing in Dubai. For me, it’s located on the way to Dubai International Airport making it a quick spot to have dinner before catching the overnight flight to Chennai.
Here you can get all the items that you would expect in a typical non-vegetarian South Indian restaurant starting from Chicken Biryani made with Jeeraga Samba Rice, Mutton Chukka, Chettinad Chicken etc. The biryani was unavailable as I visited the restaurant quite late at around 10:30 PM. I then settled for Parotta and Chettinad Chicken.
Chettinad Chicken is a signature dish from Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu. It is made with freshly ground spices such as coriander seeds, cumin, fennel, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. The gravy was cooked to perfection at Madura Vilas. The curry was perfect with peppery heat with undertone tanginess from tamarind. The chicken was perfectly infused with the masala making it incredibly satisfying. Mix it with perfectly made flaky parotta – every crunch with the flavorful curry was a delight.
While the food was exceptional, the service left room for improvement. Admittedly, I visited during odd hours when the restaurant was lightly staffed. The waiters, though polite, seemed overwhelmed, as the restaurant was handling a large volume of online food delivery orders. This trend of prioritizing delivery over in-house diners is common among restaurants. I hope this isn’t the case during regular hours because attentive service would significantly enhance the dining experience.
Pricing
Parotta with Chettinad Chicken cost me 23 AED which includes the price of a litre of bottled water. Yes, water is chargeable in Dubai restaurants. It roughly translates to 500 INR/5 GBP. Compared to the prices of food in Dubai, it’s an okayish priced restaurant in my opinion.
In short, I would suggest anyone visiting the Al Karama region to give Madura Vilas a try. It would definitely be on my list during my next visit to Dubai. If you are looking for more reviews of restaurants in Dubai, please consider subscribing to Le-Commentator by filling the form below,or following us on Instagram.
Detroit Food Safari Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Food – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Ambience – ⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Service – ⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
Price – ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.
