RESTAURANT REVIEW: AZERBAIJAN HOUSE

RATING

*****

I have never tried Azerbaijani food before, but a quick Google search showed a lot of similarities to Arabic and Turkish cuisines, with some varieties in spices and flavors used. 

I had a few hours to kill in Dubai and I had heard some good reviews on Azerbaijan House. It is located at The Mall in Jumeirah, Dubai and overlooks a very idyllic view of the Jumeirah road traffic and the Burj Al Arab, with its contemporary expansive glass windows. They have an outdoors area, an indoors area and a lovely terrace for smokers to enjoy. Indoors, you will usually find a band playing some traditional live music, and the vibe is cozy and will immediately transport you from Dubai. The staff was extremely friendly and welcoming that I found myself unable to resist the invitation into their restaurant. 

A quick scan of the menu showed a huge range of options. Cold and hot appetizers, soups, salads, grills, mains, and much more! I was starving, so I went with many of the waiter’s recommendations and decided to try whatever I can and learn more about this cuisine.

I started with a dumpling soup, called Dushbara, which I was informed was their bestseller. It is this delicious broth cooked with lamb stuffed dumplings with dried mint, seasoned with garlic. It reminded me of an Arabic dish we have, called Shushbarak (notice the similarity in name there), and is also lamb stuffed dumplings, but we cook it with yogurt broth. I also ordered a side of their Azerbaijani bread, called Qutab, and it reminded me so much of Naan bread. It comes in different flavors, I ordered mine with cheese, but you could order it with pumpkin, beef or greens. It was mouthwateringly delicious, served warm with the cheese melting in your mouth. Highly recommended! 

For my mains, I ordered their Basterma Kebab, which I’ve never had before. It is basically marinated beef tenderloin served with an onion salad, smoked vegetables, sauce and bread. I thought it was really good, slightly dry for my taste, but went really well with a side of yogurt. I also ordered their Beef Langet, a beef tenderloin served with rucola salad and french fries. I ordered my steak medium cooked and it was perfect. It was juicy, delicious, and had a really distinct flavor of spices. When asked, I was told the chef uses Azerbaijani spices, but they wouldn’t reveal any specifics. I didn’t mind not knowing though, I was happy just eating it! And the fries deserve a shout out as well. They were thin, crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. I just love thin fries, and I was so happy when I saw they serves their fries thin. The whole dish was an Azerbaijani version of an Entrecôte. My final main dish, and yes, there was a third, was the Dolma. Now this dish I was most excited about, because I love Dolma! I’ve tried all sorts of Dolma. Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian and Iraqi just to name a few, and I’ve loved them all! Dolma are grape leaves stuffed with minced lamb or beef and rice, and they can be served hot or cold. The Azerbaijanis serve it hot it seems. This was my least favorite of the dishes I’ve ordered, the flavors weren’t what I was used to in Dolma. The Dolma I’m used to tend to be more tangy, but this one tasted very heavy and fatty. The beef flavor was overpowering the whole dish, like they had cooked it in beef broth, and this was later confirmed by the chef. 

We finally come to the desserts. I must admit, at this point, I could barely breathe from all the food I had consumed, but my server was determined to have me try their desserts. They served a sample of their Azerbaijani baklava, Turkish baklava and a dessert called Kazandibi. Both baklavas were underwhelming, dry and lacked flavor, but the Kazandibi, which I learned is a caramelized custard-based, milk pudding was really good. It was like a combination of Mhalabiyeh with Creme Brûlée and Flan. Absolutely delicious!

Azerbaijan House was a gem of a find, one that I’d definitely be visiting again and have already recommended to many friends.