Come Onam and there is an unparalleled fervor in the air! Though there is nothing like celebrating Onam in your hometown, as an expat Malayali in the UAE I’ve felt that the enthusiasm shown by fellow expats to rekindle and celebrate our glorious past is incredible. An indispensable part of Onam is the mouth-watering spread of Onasadya, an elaborate feast of rice and 24+ dishes that are served on a fresh banana leaf. If you happen to be in the UAE and are planning to head over to a restaurant to enjoy a traditional Onasadya, then you’ve come to the right page! Here’s a list of restaurants in the UAE that offer a traditional Onasadya, this Onam season.
Calicut Paragon
Calicut Paragon is a cult favourite among the Malayalis of the UAE. Tucked away in Karama and Al Nahda both their outlets have been crowd-pullers owing to their delectable coastal dishes. If you plan to head to one of their restaurants, you might want to be early as their service is on a first-come-first-serve basis and without reservation. What makes their Karama outlet stand out is that they have spacious dining halls that extend to three floors! Dine in for AED 38 or grab their takeaway at AED 40. Their takeaway option is on a token basis, so call them and get yours right away! Delivery options are only available for limited locations, so make sure you check with them.
Date: 21st August 2021 (11.30 AM to 4 PM – Karama, 12.00 PM – 4.00 PM – Al Nahda)
Locations: Karama: Al-Tayer Building Block A – G Floor, Mattar – 20 B St – Al Karama – Dubai
Al Nahda: G Floor, Al Ghani Building – Amman St – Dubai
Contact: 04 335 8700 (Karama), 04 298 8858 (Al Nahda)
Also Read: Is Mahabali (And Onam) Really A Malayali Thing?
Nalukettu Restaurant
Nalukettu Restaurant boasts of a 27-dish traditional Onasadya that you can dive into. You can dine in at this truly quintessential Malayali restaurant and relish this feast for AED 42, whereas if you wish to enjoy sadya in the comfort of your home you can avail their takeaway option for AED 45. Reservations are not mandatory for dine-in.
Dates: 20th and 21st August (in Dubai), 20th-22nd August (Abu Dhabi)
Locations:
1. Dubai Grand Hotel (Al Qusais, Dubai)
2. Al Ain Palace Hotel (Corniche Area – Abu Dhabi)
Contact: 04 261 5688 (Dubai), 050 368 1368 (Abu Dhabi)
Also Read: Places Delivering Tasty Onasadya In Kerala
Suja’s Kitchen
Suja’s Kitchen, which started as a single employee establishment has now won many a Malayali heart across the UAE. They are celebrating Onam with their annual tradition of serving up an Achayan’s sadhya. Along with the regular sumptuous veg sadya which is available for AED 40, this year they have introduced a non-veg sadya box for AED 45 (+VAT). Don’t forget to prebook their sadya as it gets sold out pretty quickly!
Dates and other details: 20th and 21st August; takeaway and delivery available in Sharjah and Dubai (there are no dine-in options)
Contact:
Sharjah: 065328286, 0563797379
Dubai: 0585328286
Backwaters
If you are in Umm Al Quiwain and wondering where to go for a lavish spread of onasadya, then look no further than Backwaters. What could be better than savouring an onasadya at this impressive restaurant that oozes Kerala in every nook and corner? Reservations have started, so make sure you give them a call to block your table! Their sumptuous feasts are available at AED 50+VAT and an additional 10 bucks if you want them to pack it up! Want another reason to head over there? Well, it overlooks the beach!
Date: 21st August, starts from noon
Location: Pearl Hotel & Spa – Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Street – Al KhorAl Khour 2 – Umm Al Quawain
Contact: 054-4288922 for reservation and prebooking your takeaway. There are no delivery options.
Calicut Notebook
Probably one of the first few names that strike you when you think of Onasadya. This year, they are serving 25+ dishes and 2 varieties of payasams at their outlets in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Both dine-in and takeaway are priced at AED 38+VAT, and no pre-booking is required unless it is a takeaway. Oh, and they do not have the option of delivering to your doorstep!
Date: 21st August, from 11.45 AM (Dubai), 20th and 21st August from 12PM (Sharjah and Abu Dhabi)
Locations:
1. LuLu Hypermarket – Al Qusais,
2. Next to United Hypermarket – Deira Abu Baker Al Siddique Rd – Hor Al Anz – Dubai
3. Zone 1, Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre, Abu Dhabi
4. Al Zahra St – Al SharqAl Naba’ah – Sharjah
Contact: 04 265 3336 (Hor Al Anz, Dubai), 04 280 8254 (Qusais, Dubai), 02 627 8644 (Abu Dhabi) and 06 561 8338 (Sharjah)
Ruchi
A fabulous onasadya that pops some ruchiyoorum flavours in your mouth is in the offing at Ruchi restaurant in Abu Dhabi. You can indulge in their onasadya by picking it up or visiting their restaurant for AED 35 (what a deal!). They offer the Onasadya home delivery option only on Uthradam (Friday). For take-away and home delivery, you would need to pre-book!
Date: 20th and 21st August, 11.30AM – 3.30PM
Location: Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Street (Hamdan Street) – Zone 1E9-02 – Abu Dhabi
Contact: 02 679 2679
Nellara
Dubai peeps are in for a treat with the elaborate onasadya of 26 dishes that Nellara restaurant is storming up in their kitchen! Make sure you prebook at least 2 days prior to Thiruvonam so that you get your token for takeaway. You’d be glad to know that both takeaway and dine-in are priced at a reasonable rate of AED 35. Dine-in is on the basis of walk-in and home delivery is available to certain locations, so you can give them a call to know more!
Date: 21st August, from noon
Locations:
1. Al Fattan Building, Damascus Street,Opposite to Nehal Complex – Damascus Street
2. Nell’s Cafeteria, 16th St – Al Karama – Dubai
Contact: 04 280 6444 (Qusais), 052 506 8233 (Karama)
Thalassery Restaurant
Happen to be in Ras Al Khaimah this weekend? Then you have got to visit Thalassery restaurant on Thiruvonam! You’ll be sure to walk down memory lane and reminisce your Onam celebrations back home if you have the traditional Onasadya at Thalassery Restaurant. A whopping 27 dish Onasadya awaits you at this eatery, so make sure you get your token for a takeaway by giving them a call at least 2 days prior to Thiruvonam. In case you miss getting it, you can walk into their restaurant on Thiruvonanaal to have your tastebuds tantalized with a grand onasadya (no reservations required!) at a modest budget of AED 30.
Date: 21st August, from noon
Location: Near Al Rostamani Exchange – Ras al Khaimah
Contact: 07 222 3326
Tharavad Restaurant
Tharavad restaurant in Dubai is celebrating Onam with a ginormous spread of traditional items for AED 35. One of their highlights is that they are hosting the onasadyas on 2 days preceding Thiruvonam and also on the following day. They are open to table reservations; so you can ring them up soon after you finish reading this post! If you wish, you may also pre-book your sadya for takeaway or home delivery for the same price.
Date: 19th-22nd August, from noon
Locations: 1. Fortune Plaza Hotel, Al Qusais
2. Ruby Building, near Karama Post Office
Contact: 0557338661 (Qusais), 04- 3967886 (Karama)
So, what are you waiting for? Whip your phones out and prebook or reserve a spot for that palatable traditional onasadya you’re dreaming of!
