Harvest festival season is in full swing! While the Mooncake Festival, Oktoberfest and Halloween are around the corner, it’s the Kerala harvest festival of Onam that is kicking celebrations off. The 10-day South Indian festival’s highlight is the traditional feast served on a banana leaf called the sadhya.
Malayalis (and foodies) around the world indulge in a lip-smacking lunch of over 20 different dishes ranging from tangy and spicy mains to sweet desserts. Thanks to the UAE’s huge Keralite community, the country is no stranger to lavish sadhyas. And the food comas that follow. Here are 12 best Onam sadhya spots to visit in Dubai and stuff yourself to the gills!
1. Calicut Paragon
The world’s 5th most legendary restaurant is no small title and Dubai has not one but two outposts of this iconic Indian restaurant in Al Nahda and Karama. The special Onam sadhya on September 15 comes with both takeaway (AED 49) and dine-in (AED 46) options where you can sit back and gorge on 24 dishes. Takeaways require a minimum 2-day preorder and can be collected at 11am on September 15. Dine-in lunches start at 12pm and wraps up around 3:30pm.
Call 04 251 2545 and 04 335 8700
2. Aaraamam
Another outlet beloved by Malayalis in Dubai (for the beef curry and parottas) with multiple locations across the city, Aaraamam, which means relaxed in Malayalam, will be anything but on September 15. They’ll be a buzzing melee of sadhyas being laid out and parcelled away for hungry patrons, featuring 21 dishes. Takeaways cost AED 43 and dine-in is AED 40. Lunch starts at 12pm but get there early, as queues run long!
Call 04 396 1962
3. Dhe Puttu
Owned by South Indian actor Dileep, this multicuisine restaurant’s calling card is their puttu – a steamed rice and coconut dish but they know how to dole out a blockbuster of a sadhya. This one’s bursting with 26 items and runs from September 13-16, with only takeaways on September 15. AED 46 for dine-in and AED 49 for takeaways.
Call 043477774 or 0565243989
4. Nalukettu, Dubai Grand Hotel by Fortune
Can’t visit Kerala this Onam? Then a trip to this veteran South Indian restaurant will come close enough to a trip to ‘God’s Own Country’. Modelled after traditional Kerala homes with a central courtyard and exquisite woodwork, this one gets the cultural vibes right. The staff are dressed in traditional sarees and besides the heaps of nostalgia, they’ve got heaps of delicious food – 28 dishes. Onam sadhya will be served from September 13-15 with takeaways for AED 48 and dine-in for AED 45. From 12pm-4pm.
Call 04 261 5688
5. Kayaloram
Seafood lovers will be privy to this not-so-hidden gem in Karama that rustles up some of the most mouth-watering Keralite fish preparations. Except the same level of yumminess with their Onam sadhya on September 15 as well. Dining in will cost you AED 40 and takeaway will rack up a bill of AED 42. From 12pm- 4pm.
Call 04 336 5412
6. Amrutha
This pure veg restaurant outdoes themselves when it comes to an Onasadhya. Go there for the avial (I vouch for it) prepared in the traditional Northern Kerala style and stay for all the other 26 dishes of their 27-item feast. They’ve only got one outlet in Dubai and if you’re loathe to wait around scrummy food hit up one of their 3 branches in Sharjah. It’s worth the drive. AED 40 for dine-in, AED 42 for takeaways. From 12pm-4pm.
Call 04 263 9977
7. Lallumma’s
Sadhyas for Onam are usually home-cooked. If you’re missing that homemade touch of mum’s food, this female chef-run eatery run delivers that and more. Chef Fathima Razoo and team are dishing out bountiful banquet of 33 dishes from September 12-15. Dining in requires bookings too and if you miss out on a slot for this week, there’s a repeat session on the weekend on September 21-22. AED 43 for dining in and AED 46 for parcels. From 12pm-14pm.
Call 04 273 3411 for Karama and 04 262 1885 Qusasis
8. Bombay Borough
An Onam sadhya with a gourmet edge is what’s on the menu at this upscale Indian restaurant in DIFC. Classics like the ada payasam (rice pudding) turn into ada payasam choux from September 13-15 as part of the set menu Onam platter. Over 20 dishes will be served on the traditional banana leaf with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Veg platter is AED 165; Non-Veg platter is AED 185.
Call 054 9958 296
9. Varq
For more fine-dining sadhya experiences, head to Varq at Taj Exotica on the Palm on September 14 and 15. The modern Indian eatery is hosting an Onasadhya for the first time ever and are going the whole nine yards with 23 dishes. The hefty pricetag of AED 295 per person comes with the benefit of tweaking the recipes of authentic dishes to suit dietary requirements. From 12-3pm.
Call 058 126 0873
10. Woodlands
Another old hat of Dubai’s South Indian food scene, this little foodie haven in the Karama Shopping Complex has fed generations of UAE malayalis sumptuous Onam lunches. They will do so this year too; ditch the cutlery and dive in with both hands to devour 24 dishes plated on a banana leaf. Dining in is AED 32 per person and takeaways are priced at AED 35.
Call 055 437 1663 or 04 337 0253
11. Salkara
Located in Nahda, this concept-based restaurant knows the cuisine of the Malabar coast like the back of their hand. Specialising in dishes popular in Kerala in the 1970s and 1980s, this spot is perfect for immersing yourself in nostalgia. For Onam, they’ll be recreating the ceremonies, traditions and food with a spectacular sadhya on September 15 all day long. AED 45 for dine-in and AED 48 for delivery.
Call 04 263 1110
12. Jabal Arafah Cafeteria
I’ve saved the best for the last. 25 dishes for AED 28? Yep, you read that right. This hole-in-the-wall cafeteria in Karama has a huge fan-following and the reason is tasty food that comes at bargain prices. Their Onam sadhyas are available for takeaways only (it’s a really tiny place) on September 15. Get those pre-order bookings in pronto!
Call 04 334 415 or 055 361 9871