Lost and late for our reservation, my wife and I are wandering the streets of central Abu Dhabi when my phone rings. As I answer, I notice a man dressed in a pink shirt and taqiyah. Phone to his ear in one hand, he is waving us over with the other. This is no run-of-the-mill dinner reservation. The proprietor himself has come to find and escort us.
Fortunately, Ammar Pardawala knows where he is going. He began his own journey waiting tables in his home city of Mumbai for $12 a month. Twenty years on, he is cooking up a storm at his own place and racking up five-star reviews on online delivery service apps.
Owner and head chef rolled into one, Pardawala, along with his wife, invested his life savings to turn this dream into reality. His venture started in March as a delivery-only service and by summer he had opened a sit-in dining area.
Located between the Russian Embassy and Mosque Masjid on Yihalah Street, AP Kitchen Delights is surrounded by other small businesses. Standing out in this bustling part of the city is not easy. Here's what does stand out when we (eventually) arrive to sample what’s on offer.
Where to sit and what to expect
We are warmly greeted by Pardawala's wife and have our pick of 16 available seats in what feels like the family home. There is nothing pretentious about the intimate space. Fine food and superb service are the priorities here.
White tables and grey-brown chairs are surrounded by freshly painted white walls. One of them has the words “your culinary trendsetter” embossed in gold lettering and opposite it is a serving hatch behind which kitchen staff are hard at work.
The menu
The bumper menu, all 21 pages of it, is rich in diversity. A mash-up of styles and flavours from across Asia and beyond, the breakfast, lunch, main dish and light bite options are extensive and varied. It even includes a favourite dish from the family kitchen chosen by the owner's son. Creativity has no bounds here.
Eggs Benedict spinach (Dh32) and roasted bell pepper shorba soup (Dh20) are a delicious introduction as our journey begins through each section of the menu.
A colourful date and pomegranate salad (Dh25), bursting with flavour and texture, is followed by chilli cheese paratha (Dh25). The classic Indian flatbread is a thrill for the taste buds. Chicken cheese samosas (Dh25) come next and deliver more lip-smacking gratification.
And so it goes on. A smorgasbord of flavours from around the world arrive two at a time. Arab, Indian, English, Thai, Nepali and other dishes, each served with a twist.
There are the dishes Pardawala once served as a waiter, dishes he has adapted from other chefs in other kitchens, and dishes he has created himself at home.
We try chicken stroganoff (Dh35), made without traditional Worcestershire sauce; Schezwan broccoli noodles (Dh22), made using wheat semolina rather than pasta noodles; Nepali chicken momo dumplings (Dh17), served with dragon sauce; chicken red Thai curry (Dh30) with garlic rice; and roasted thyme zaatar chicken (Dh30).
What comes through in each delicious dish is the quality and the quirkiness. Some of it is unconventional but the approach is refreshing.
A chat with the chef
“We are a modest, cosy establishment, still carving out our place in the culinary scene,” Pardawala explains.
Modest but meticulous, he regularly has each dish on the menu sent by motorbike to his home to test it for taste, temperature and quality as if he were a customer.
Sit-in dining is the next step in a journey he has already mapped out for his business. He is aiming to open branches in Al Nahyan and Khalifa City so that delivery partners can cover the entire city. And after that? “Dubai, perhaps,” he says.
But for now, the “focus is on the passion and care we put into every dish”, he adds.
That passion and focus is not lost on us. Indeed, it’s exactly what makes AP Kitchen Delights live up to its name. We’ll find our way back here again soon.
Price point and information
Breakfast dishes range from Dh17 to Dh32; soups and salads from Dh10 to Dh32; parathas from Dh15 to Dh25; and mains from Dh17 to Dh41.
AP Kitchen Delights is open from 7am to midnight. It's primarily a delivery-first restaurant, but reservations can be made by calling 050 806 8522.
The review was conducted at the invitation of the restaurant.
