Farzi Cafe-City Walk, Dubai

I had heard great things about Farzi Cafe in Delhi, especially from my Delhi friends. When Farzi Cafe opened in Dubai, it created quite a frenzy on social media. As I was just planning to visit them, I get an invitation by the restaurant management to dine at Farzi. So I reach there one early afternoon to see what the Farzi frenzy was about. 

Located at the  Citywalk(phase 2), Farzi Cafe is a modern Indian restaurant/cafe that incorporates cutting edge and progressive  cooking techniques, such as molecular gastronomy. They are known for their culinary presentation. You can expect global food with an unique innovative Indian twist.

Farzi Cafe is a mid-sized restaurant, with indoor and outdoor dining area. The interiors are classy, contemporary and chic. I fell in love with the whimsical decor of Farzi- upside down plants over a high ceiling, wall paneled dim lighting, gold painted flower pots and modern furniture. The whole setting is tastefully done. The only downside is that, the place is not spacious and I found it quite cramped.

My dining partner this time was my friend Jo. After being seated we were immediately served an amuse bouche- spherical Yogurt and Berry Compote shots presented over liquid nitrogen cloud. Thus began our culinary journey at Farzi with lot of theatrical flair.

We tried 3 of their mocktails and I must say we were pretty impressed. 

Masala Chai Soda was fantastic. This was our favorite drink too. It is a perfect drink to have during summer. 

Ananas Orbit is Farzi Cafe’s version of Pina colada. This pineapple pina colada came with Pina colada caviar(vegetarian) it was a bit on the sweeter side, but tasted great.

Irish Coffee was our post lunch drink. Loved the way it was presented. It was served in a stemless martini glass. Irish coffee with a hint of vanilla cream.

Here’s the list of dishes we sampled:

Appetizers 

Dal Chawal Arancini is the Indian take of risotto ball Arancini. It was the highlight of our meal at Farzi Cafe. A definite must-try. What an amazing makeover to the humble Dal Chawal. 

Pita Golgappas were delicious. Never imagined that Golgappas could be made with an Arabic touch. 

Raj Kachori was another winner. Crispy Raj Kachori filled with yogurt and chutney and topped with okra chaat and chilly lime chutney foam.

Veggie Slider came in a cute snack box along with potato wedges. The veggie slider was spicy, tasty and flavorful.

Tandoori Wild Mushrooms had tandoori wild mushrooms with walnuts, garlic crumbs and truffle haze. It was crunchy and different. My friend didn’t enjoy this as she doesn’t like mushrooms. I love mushrooms and I liked this dish.

Mains

Chermoula crusted paneer tikka had well balanced flavor and taste. Paneer tikka was marinated with spice and herb. It was served with rich and creamy tomato gravy.  We thoroughly enjoyed this dish.

Aubergine Moussaka was one of the few dishes that we didn’t like. The aubergine Mousaka was topped with peanut sauce. It didn’t have any flavor or taste. There was hardly any salt. 

Pan tossed summer vegetable Khao suey is a Burmese vegetable curry made with coconut milk and spices. It usually comes with an elaborate garnishing. At Farzi Cafe, we were served this curry with rice. This curry was too bland for our taste buds. I wish it tasted as good as it looked.

Desserts

Ras Malai Tres Leches was excellent. Ras Malai was layered with gajar ka halwa and served with condensed milk. It was garnished with rose petals. This incredible dessert was rich, creamy and not too sweet.

Risotto Phirni Oxide was made at our table using liquid nitrogen. It was a mix of classic Indian dessert Phirni cooked in Italian risotto rice with saffron milk, mawa crumble, nuts, frozen sugar and rose petals. 

Overall, we had a good dining experience. The portion size is decent and the pricing is reasonable. Great to have an option for molecular gastronomy in Dubai, that will not burn a hole in our pockets.