A selection of the finest breakfast dishes from across India awaits at Namak the spectacular India restaurant at Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi every weekend.
The Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi is known for its spectacular and hugely popular dining destinations featuring a diverse range of both traditional and modern cuisines, from authentic Thai fare to succulent steaks and gourmet international specialities await in equally stylish settings.
Namak is their stunning Indian venue, offering an exquisite dining experience showcasing the different regions of India. Namak celebrates the aromatic flavours with bold plating, traditional combinations and cooking techniques.
The Venue
We are huge fans of all the dining venues here and Namak has always been an extra special place for us with its intricately carved doors, vibrantly interiors and their spectacular food, we just love it all.
Recently we head about their new weekend breakfast buffet, the Nashta at Namak, and we just had to go over and indulge and oh, what a massive indulgence it was for sure.
We were warmly greeted at the door by Vincent the assistant restaurant manager, who ushered us to our table, hands us the menu and takes us on a tour of the buffet where we also meet Chef Bharat who is happy to explain any of the dishes on offer.
The Food
The thoughtfully curated menu is purely vegetarian, featuring classic breakfast items from across the different regions of India.
We take a few sips of the excellent Mango lassi while we read the menu, the lassi, served in the traditional earthen cups is perfect, a fine balance of sweet and tart, superb.
The buffet is in places along the sides of the bar area, there is fresh watermelon, a selection of hot and cold starters each with its own set of chutneys and accompaniments.
We loved the Dhokla and the Khandvi and just couldn’t get enough of the Mishti Doi, the classic sweet yoghurt dish from West Bengal that is so hard to get out here.
There are four hot starters, samosa, onion kachori, bread pakora and vada pav and each of them was absolutely perfect, the highlights were the kachori and the vada pav, loved the heat from the fried green chillis.
The mains feature an exquisite aloo bhaji, steamed south Indian Idli with its traditional sambar and chutney and the chola curry for the kulcha or bhatura. The poories, kulchas and the tender flaky bhatura are prepared right in front of you at one of the two live cooking stations.
The poories are soft and superb, perfect to wrap around the potato chunks or even the chole, The kulcha and the bhatura are absolutely spot on and if you close your eyes you could imagine you are at a street side dhaba on the highways of the Punjab, absolutely flawless.
There is a second live cooking station that is putting out these superb orders of masala dosa and uthapam, those crepe type breakfast staples from South India, both are absolutely perfect.
To end the meal there are two fantastic dessert options that are a must-try, start with the Kosari Halwa and you will absolutely love the flavors.
The meal includes drinks as well, apart from water you get the mango lassi to start with and a superb street style karak chai which is the perfect way to end this stunning meal.
The Verdict
If there is any Indian breakfast buffet in Abu Dhabi that is worthy of a Michelin Star,its got to be Nashta at Namak, the food is fantastic, stunning ambiance and exceptional service, It’s hard to believe they can do this all for only AED 65 per person.
Indian cuisine is all about the ingredients of the dish, the chutneys and condiments that go with each of them, so the chef has to get all of these spot on or the dish is a disaster and here, at Namak, we are delighted to see the care and attention given to the huge variety of dips and chutneys on offer which in turn made the meal extra special.
We loved how Vincent and Chef Bharat were there all the time making sure each table was looked after well, adding that special touch. Great work guys, keep it up and see you soon.
The Details
Nashta at Namak
Every Saturday and Sunday
8:00 am to 12:00 pm
AED 65* per person
AED 45* per child (6-12 years old)
For reservations, call +971 2 698 8137
