Emly & Chilli – the savoury and spicy

Emly & Chilli, Dubai, Cuisine: Pakistani Fast Food

Posted on June 24th, 2010 by Hisham Wyne

Emly & Chilli tries to not do too much, but it excels at what it does. Its forte lies in upping the spice meter. I’ve had their biryani before, and found it taxed my spice limits – something that Nando’s hottest peri peri did not.

Emly & Chilli’s stock in trade is rolls – gorgeous pieces of meat ensconced in fried bread. Yes, fried bread, called puri.

They’ve recently renovated their menu, making it a funky square booklet rather akin to a truncated A5 page, and have added more rolls to go with all that rock. Apologies for the pun; an overly sated stomach can have that effect on the senses.

I decided to try the new achari rolls that boast pickles added to the meat. And disappointed I was not. The meat was succulent and well-cooked, and the roles were piping fresh. They apparently don’t believe in inventory and cook every roll to order, so expect a ten minute waiting time. But it is well worth it.

To be fair, the rolls are slightly steep when compared to shawarmas, setting one back AED 10-12 a pop. Having said that, it’s not easy doing a direct price comparison, because Emly & Chilli’s fare is not just fantastic but also not very common. The only other place I know which comes close to the goodness that is Emly & Chilli is Kebab Rolls in Barsha. But even then, I’d have to give Emly & Chilli the nod.

Credit cards are out, so expect to deposit dirhams at the till. But don’t let that deter you from one of the better food experiences around – that is, if you find fried bread and spicy meat as compelling as I do.

Have you been to Emly & Chilli? And? And?