Mado

It’s as if someone stole a canteen from Istanbul and put it in DIFC Discuss this article

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My date was disappointed. I was taking him out for a Turkish lunch, and kebabs were nowhere in sight. Novices who equate Turkish food with revolving meat spits might be aghast. But Mado is a true Turkish cafeteria. Anyone who’s spent time in Turkey will find it nearly identical to the slew of canteens tucked away throughout Istanbul, each doling out portions of rice and kuru fasulye, or white bean stew.

In those places kebabs are similarly absent. It turns out that Mado isn’t only frequented by Turks (it was originally recommended by a Turkish acquaintance, but by DIFC’s myriad lunchers as well. Its popularity is justified. Service is quick (food is served out of steam trays on secondary school-style plastic trays), the portions are massive and the price is en pointe. Plus the food satisfies.

I won’t say there was anything groundbreaking in my companion’s kofta. It was well-seasoned with garlic and parsley, and accompanied with a light tomato sauce and chunks of potato. It was the kind of dish that
is likely to inspire little more than a pleased grunt.

My kuru fasulye was equally adequate, though when paired with a mountainous side order of rice proved an incredibly hefty midday meal. There was something very efficient about the bean and lamb stew. It may not have dazzled the palate, but it filled me up without complaint and did so at a reasonable price. Where the shop really shines, however, is with its pastries. A previous visit had uncovered a breathtakingly flaky spinach borek. This time I fell in love with the freshly made baklava. The honey-drenched sweets were ethereally light and delightfully dewy, and possibly the best we have tasted in all of Dubai. As we were leaving the space, my companion and I started to feel a twinge of envy for DIFC’s workers.

The setting here certainly beats the reclusiveness of Garhoud, where our office is located, and they have the pastries this good, and this affordable right on their doorstep.

The bill (for two)
1x Small bottle of Masafi water Dhs3
1x Basmati rice Dhs12
1x Kofta Dhs25
1x Bean stew Dhs17
2x Salads Dhs24
6x Baklava Dhs26
Total (excluding service) Dhs107

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