Brit Balti

British curry spot at International City, but is it British enough? 14 Reviews

© ITP Images

Some Brits consider Dubai’s Indian food scene sub-par, probably because it’s ‘a bit too authentic’. Yes, quite. It is for these poor, suffering hordes that the Ahmed family, who ran a curry house in Twickenham before moving out to Dubai, have opened up Brit Balti. Finally, there’s a place where all dansak and chicken tikka masala cravings can be met.

My date and I found the little restaurant, holed-away in International city, instantly likable. The decor was sleek and simple, the walls painted a vibrant terra cotta, and the owner served us personally while engaging in conversation about good ol’ blighty. A side order of chutneys and poppadums (made fresh and unspiced, as in the UK) elicited startled delight. This, we thought, was better than the real deal. Starters only upped the contrast on our rosy-coloured outlook. Onion bhaji came as portly fritters that crumbled in the mouth and let off subtle but caringly combined hints of spice. A prawn puri could best be described as an Indian taco. The soft sleeve of fried bread held a handful of good-sized prawns in a tomato base that was, though a trifle sweet, nicely complex. We devoured the coriander and cumin laced wrap.

Unfortunately, it was at this point that things took an odd and unfortunate turn. The sweetness that struck us as novel and pleasant in the prawn starter seemed in actuality to be a kitchen affliction. Both my lamb dansak and my date’s chicken tikka masala came in sauces that could easily have doubled for jam. The tikka masala was especially disconcerting, as the gravy was nothing like what either of us had experienced in the UK. Rather than the creamy orange hue one associates with the dish, this was a vibrant ruby red (it could have stained lips). The texture was cloudy and the taste was similar to honey. The dansak, at least, had some earthy tones that somewhat broke up the otherwise saccharine marinade. Naans also disappointed. These weren’t jammy – they at least had that going for them. Rather, they were thick and cakey.

It was probably for the best that Brit Balti didn’t have dessert on the day we visited seeing as the mains could really have doubled for puddings. The owner sweetly came over to ask how we felt.

‘Well…’ my date ventured, ‘to be honest, the mains were a bit sweet,’ to which the owner replied, ‘well, how long has it been since you’ve had a curry in the UK?’ We debated if, possibly, there had been a tikka revolution in those eight months, in which every curry house inexplicably started basting their meat with sugar. We smiled politely and headed on our way.

The bill (for two)
2x Large bottles of water Dhs10
2x Popadoms Dhs4
4x Chutneys Dhs8
1x Onion bhaji Dhs10
1x Prawn puri Dhs15
1x Peshwari naan Dhs7
1x Keema naan Dhs7
1x Chicken tikka masala Dhs28
1x Lamb dansak Dhs25
Total (excluding service) Dhs114

By Daisy Carrington
Time Out Dubai, 11 October 2009

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Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.

Posted by: Nick Ray on 10 Nov ' 09 at 15:54

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I love it, had both take away and eat in, and enjoyed it both times, i love the fact that the owners seem really posivitive about hearing what you think about the meal and want to improve.
good luck to them.
I am off to order another take away from them.

Posted by: Siobhan O' Grady on 22 Oct ' 09 at 07:09

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I am really surprised at the Time Out Review and actually I strongly disagree. I have had several fantastic meals both at Brit Balti and also delivered to my home and I enjoyed every single meal as did my friends.
The choice of food is fantastic and great value for money.
You can not compare to the local indian food here....it is totally different and.....it is meant to be.
I would strongly recommend Brit Balti to anyone looking for a good, proper English style authentic curry.
Great for those living in International city, Silicon Oasis or Arabian Ranches.

Posted by: Alka on 21 Oct ' 09 at 18:38

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Lovely and clean restaurant.... loved the authentic, old indian music!
The starters where delicious.... the stuffed pepper was very different but really tasty and i would definitely have it again.
My husband loved the Kebab platter.
The mains were delicious too.
Excellent vegetarian selection...I would like to taste more of them!
The chapati was just like my mum makes... soft and melt in your mouth!
Really good value for money...
Definitely.... good british grub!

Posted by: Sultan on 21 Oct ' 09 at 16:07

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I remember the first time I tried their Garlic Chilli Lamb, I closed my eyes and savored the overwhelming taste, the soft fatless meat, the thick rich flavor of the sauce, when I opened my eyes the first thought that came to my mind was "WHY is this palce not in a 5 star hotel?"

amoung the other dished I tried there's the Vegetarian Stuffed Pepper is to die for! tasty and perfect!

the decor is calm and relaxing and its a nice place to hang out with friends or family and enjoy quality time.

what I like also about the palce is that the owner and his lovely wife are always there and their friendly demeanor and welcoming smiles makes the place so familiar and personal, and seeing them there guarantees great care of the foods quality.

The place has everything a food lover wants at very good prices.

Highly recommended.

Posted by: Tareq on 16 Oct ' 09 at 08:53

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I have been to BritBalti a few times though I am not a curry fan but I never knew Tandoori dishes could be so good. I originally tried the Tandoori Chicken half and was impressed. Then I went back and asked them for a special order. I ordered a spicy tandoori Turkey for a party of 6 at my home. It came garnished with rice, potatoes and salad and sauce. We thought we would have food left over for weeks but we ate almost all of it. I think that says it all! But the best part was the spicy tandoori king prawns which seem to get sold out very quickly. So get in there fast.

Posted by: Majid kareem on 13 Oct ' 09 at 09:41

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

went to check this place as I have a balti place in uk-found it ok actually! from what I could see the food was well priced.
I come to Dubai a lot as my wife works out there at the moment so am aware that food prices have gone up in most places. So if you want a good balti at a good price, seems a good deal!
The owner was a sound bloke as well

Posted by: Charlotte Franco on 13 Oct ' 09 at 09:28

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

The decor: is done to a high standard and very clean.
The service: couldn't be better, helpful and friendly.
The food: we are from manchester, regular visiters to the curry mile and think the balti was as good!
The ambience: nice music playing, but would be better if more customers eating in, could maybe do some eat in deals to get more people down there.
Value: Great value for 3 adults we had 2 starters, 3 mains with rice and 2 nanns, 2 bottles of water and a can of coke = 160
I would highly recommend a visit to Brit Balti, nice place to go for a meal with family. The couple who own it are so nice, helpful and friendly.

Posted by: Antony James on 13 Oct ' 09 at 09:04

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

very nice little place, food was nice and staff very helpful. Good value as well.

Posted by: Jennifer on 13 Oct ' 09 at 05:30

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I have shared many enjoyable evenings with my friends at Brit Balti and i have to say i am yet to be disappointed. Extremely welcoming and im looking forward to going back again soon.

Posted by: Naomi on 13 Oct ' 09 at 05:03

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Brit Balti hits all the right spots - food, ambiance, service and cost!
The decor is bright and colourful with black and white intriguing London and Bengalese scenery prints scattering the walls. A good mixture of music constantly pours out of the speakers creating an upbeat atmosphere.
The owners, Jamil and Ambia, personally served us and were extremely friendly, chatty and helpful explaining the different dishes to someone who usually sticks to tikka masala. I did stray off the tikka masala track and was undoubtedly pleased with my expert guidance and fantastic meal. My usual peshwari naan ended up being the best I’ve ever tasted.
What topped the meal off was the bill, for such excellent meal, it didn’t cost anywhere near the earth!
It’s the kind of restaurant where you can’t help eat so much that you end up rolling out the door with a satisfied smile on your face.

Posted by: Aftab Rizwi on 12 Oct ' 09 at 20:15

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

Hey guys I am from Uk myself and please do not compare this restaurant to our Balti hiuses in the UK.

This one tries to be one but is far from it

Posted by: Rebecca Iyacco on 12 Oct ' 09 at 12:55

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Jamil, the owner served us and his wife Ambia welcomed our children, it was like visiting friends for dinner!
We had starters of vegetable samosa and mixed tandori meat which was just as we have in the uk, alongside we had popodoms and mint sauce, a hit with the children. We then had chicken balti, which was lovely and as I had asked extra spicy and my husband had lamb jalfazi, which was also nice. The children had chicken biriyani and prawn korma which they enjoyed.
Jamil was keen to get feedback from us which we were happy to give: we thought the resturant itself was very clean and cosy, the decor is tastful and they have done a grat job. The food is good and great value for money, they were happy to make the food to our tastes and explained that they have had a few teething, we found it lovely.
We will visit again and wish them all the best, they seem to be working hard and will bend over backwards to please. good luck and keep up the good work!!

Posted by: Sebastian on 12 Oct ' 09 at 12:13

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I have eaten at this restaurant twice and have also ordered take away from here on numerous occasions. This is without doubt the best Indian restaurant in Dubai.

The ambience in the restaurant is spot on, it would be perfect for friends, family or even a date. The service is second to none, the knowledge of the food is spectacular. The most important aspect is the food........The food is simply amazing!! anyone who has had a curry in the UK and likes UK curries has to visit here!! I have tried quite a few dishes on the menu and i have never been dissapointed!!

I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for a propper English curry!!

10/10!!

Posted by: Rhiannon Downie on 12 Oct ' 09 at 08:52

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Hi, A true Brit here, giving a little feed back for you guys. As you mentioned, the Decor was tasteful, sleek and simple with a funky British edge (Prints up on the wall, of classic London trade marks, the red bus, Brick Lane, etc). The British/Bengali owners were really lovely people, we were welcomed with a warm smile and our opinions greatly mattered to them. After all, they are a new business and will learn as they go along and adapt according to customer feed back. The side order of pickles, mango chutney, poppadums, etc, was a great little starter to get the taste buds going, my partner and I ordered the Sag Paneer, Chicken Curry, Lamb curry, lentils and a couple of rice dishes, as our main. Firstly, the Sag Panner was how a Sag Panner is supposed to be made. Unlike the rubbish they serve in Dubai, it was made of REAL cheddar cheese and spinach leaves, and not the blended to pulp spinach with cubes of white chalk I have often tasted in Dubai! The curry dishes were very British, although I was not too keen on the lamb meat, I felt it tasted a little rubbery and synthetic. I heard previously from friends that some of the dishes were slightly too sweet, however I think the owners had reassessed their ingredients and ensured certain dishes were changed so not to offend the, not so sweet toothed. Over all, the meal comforted me a tad, as I was feeling a bit home sick, and it’s always nice to meet British people who run restaurants over here. Unfortunately there was no pallet refreshing deserts on the menu or coffee. However the owner dually noted our recommendations and may soon be serving coffee with after eights (Very British) along with some taste bud soothing sorbet options. What I liked about Brit Balti is that all the staff, bar the waitress, was from Britain, including the Chef! All the spices were also imported in from the UK. My partner and I will be going to Brit Balti every month for a British Curry and hopefully things will get better every time we go, as the owners really want to please their customers. Recommended!

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